VA INFORMATION RESOURCES
ON AGENT ORANGE AND RELATED MATTERS
Review of literature on Herbicides, Including Phenoxy Herbicides
and Associated Dioxins - This multi-volume document was primarily
designed for use by researchers, physicians, scientists, and others
with similar backgrounds. The initial review was mandated by Public
Law 96-151 in December 1979. The first two volumes were released in
1981. Updates (in two volume sets) were issued in 1984 and each year
thereafter through 1994. The review has been prepared by independent
contractors. Because the National Academy of Sciences is reviewing the
scientific literature on the effects of herbicides and reporting biannually
to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, this project was discontinued.
Volume I Analysis of Literature $9.00
GPO Stock No. 051-000-00154-1
October 1981
Volume II Annotated Bibliography $9.50
GPO Stock No. 051-000-00155-9
October 1981
Volume III Analysis of Literature $9.50
GPO Stock No. 051-000-0164-8
April 1984
Volume IV Annotated Bibliography $3.25
GPO Stock No. 051-000-0165-6
April 1984
Volume V Analysis of Literature $6.00
GPO Stock No. 051-000-00-173-7
July 1985
Volume VI Annotated Bibliography $2.75
GPO Stock No. 051-000-00-173-5
July 1985
Volumes VII Analysis of Literature and Annotated Bibliography $7.50
and VIII GPO Stock No. 051-000-00186-9 (combined document)
October 1986
Volumes IX Analysis of Literature and Annotated Bibliography
and X Not available from GPO (combined document)
July 1987
Volumes XI Analysis of Literature and Annotated Bibliography
and XII Not available from GPO (combined document)
July 1988
Volumes XIII Analysis of Literature and Annotated Bibliography
and XIV Not available from GPO (combined document)
June 1989
Volumes XV Analysis of Literature and Annotated Bibliography
and XVI Not available from GPO (combined document)
May 1990
Volumes XVII Analysis of Literature and Annotated Bibliography
and XVIII Not available from GPO (combined document)
August 1991
Volumes XIX Analysis of Literature and Annotated Bibliography
and XX Not available from GPO (combined document)
June 1992
Volumes XXI Analysis of Literature and Annotated Bibliography
and XXII Not available from GPO (combined document)
June 1993
Volumes XXIII Analysis of Literature and Annotated Bibliography
and XXIV Not available from GPO (combined document)
June 1994
Synopsis of Scientific Literature on Phenoxy Herbicides and Associated
Dioxins - These documents summarize in non-technical language the
literature reviews cited above. Number 1 in the synopsis series
corresponds with Volumes I - IV of the literature review; Number 2 with
Volumes V - VI; Number 3 with Volumes VII - VIII; Number 4 with Volumes
IX - X; Number 5 with Volumes XI - XII; Number 6 with Volumes XIII -
XIV; Number 7 with Volumes XV - XVI; Number 8 with Volumes XVII - XVIII;
Number 9 with Volumes XIX - XX; Number 10 with Volumes XXI - XXII; and
Number 11 with Volumes XXIII -- XXIV.
Monographs - The VA's Agent Orange Projects Office (now known
as the Environmental Agents Service) published several technical documents
of interest to individuals concerned about the use of herbicides in
Vietnam:
Cacodylic Acid: Agricultural Uses, Biologic Effects, and Environmental
Fate by Ronald D. Hood, Ph.D. - GPO Stock No. 051-000-00177-0 -
$6.00 December 1985
Birth Defects and Genetic Counseling by Annemarie Sommer, M.D.
October 1985
Human Exposure to Phenoxy Herbicides by Terry L. Lavy, Ph.D.
- NTIS Accession No. PB- $19.95
May 1987
To purchase items with GPO stock numbers, write to the Superintendent
of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington,
DC 20402. Please note that some of the GPO documents may be out of stock.
To purchase the monograph with the NTIS accession number, write to the
U.S. Department of Commerce, National Technical Information Service,
Springfield, VA 22161. The Environmental Agents Service (131), Department
of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20420,
has a limited supply of many of these documents. These items are also
maintained in all VA medical center libraries.
Agent Orange Review - From 1982 to 1989, this newsletter was
prepared by the VA's Office of Public Affairs in Washington,
DC, with the assistance of the VA's Environmental Agents Service. In
1989, the Environmental Agents Service -- then called the Environmental
Medicine Office -- assumed primary responsibility for this publication.
The "Review" is published periodically to provide information
on Agent Orange to concerned veterans and their families. The newsletter
provides updated information about Federal government studies and activities
related to Agent Orange and the Vietnam experience. Anyone interested
in getting a copy of the "Review" should contact the Agent
Orange Coordinator at the nearest VA medical center or the Environmental
Agents Service (131), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue,
N.W., Washington, DC 20420.
Agent Orange Videotapes - The Regional Learning Resources Service
at the VA Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri, has produced several
Agent Orange videotape programs with the assistance of the Environmental
Agents Service. These programs explain what Agent Orange was, where,
when, and how it was used, why concerns arose among those exposed to
it, and what VA and other departments and agencies are doing in response
to these concerns. The videotapes are maintained at many VA medical
centers.
Agent Orange Brief - The paper you are now reading is one of
a series of two-to-ten page fact sheets, prepared by the Environmental
Agents Service, to help answer questions about Agent Orange and related
matters. The series is updated on a regular basis. The Agent Orange
Coordinator at all VA medical centers should have copies of all Agent
Orange Briefs. Questions or ideas concerning these fact sheets should
be directed to the Environmental Agents Service (131), Department of
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20420.
VA Field Staff - Each VA medical center has a Registry Physician
and an Agent Orange Coordinator. Registry Physicians are responsible
for the clinical management of the Agent Orange program at the
VA facility where they work. These doctors meet with concerned veterans,
conduct examinations, document medical programs, and answer health-related
questions from Vietnam veterans and their families. Agent Orange Coordinators
handle Agent Orange program administrative matters at VA health care
facilities. They schedule appointments, review records for accuracy
and completeness, and collect data for reporting purposes.
Veterans Benefit Counselors (VBC) located in VA regional offices and
many medical centers possess a wealth of information about the wide
range of VA benefits. These counselors have all the forms necessary
to apply for VA benefits, including disability compensation and dependency
and indemnity compensation. VBC's also assist veterans and their survivors
in completing these forms, if necessary.
VA vet center personnel also are very helpful to Vietnam veterans experiencing
difficulties readjusting to civilian life. There are more than 200 vet
centers nationwide. Vet centers offer individual, group, and family
counseling.
VA National Headquarters - The Environmental Agents Service in
Washington, DC, is an excellent source of information about Agent Orange.
The office was organized more than sixteen years ago. While the staff
is quite small, many veterans have found the personnel to be very helpful.
Comments, suggestions, and criticisms about VA's Agent Orange program
are always welcome. The mailing address is Environmental Agents Service
(131), 810 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20420. The telephone
number is 202-273-8580.
Non-VA sources - Veterans service organizations (such as The
American Legion, veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Disabled
American Veterans, Vietnam Veterans of America, VietNow) and State government
entities (such as Agent Orange Commissions, Departments or Divisions
of Veterans Affairs, Departments of Health) have also assisted many
veterans.
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - Under a contract with VA,
the Institute of Medicine, a component of the NAS, prepared an 832-page
report, entitled Veterans and Agent Orange: Health Effects of Herbicides
Used in Vietnam. The report, released in July 1993 and available
in hardbound form with a 1994 copyright, provides a historical review
of the issue, examines studies of populations environmentally and occupationally
exposed to herbicides and dioxin, and discusses problems in study methodology.
The core of the book presents what is known about the toxicology of
dioxin and the herbicides used in greatest quantities in Vietnam, what
is known about assessing exposure to herbicides and dioxin, what can
be determined from the wide range of epidemiological studies conducted
by different authorities, and what is known about the relationship between
exposure to herbicides and dioxin, and cancer, reproductive effects,
neurobehavioral disorders, and other health effects.
In March 1996, the NAS released a 384-page report, entitled Veterans
and Agent Orange: Update 1996. This book updates and evaluates available
scientific evidence regarding statistical associations between disease
and exposure to dioxin and other chemical compounds in herbicides used
in Vietnam, focusing on new scientific studies and literature published
since the completion of the initial NAS report. The update gives special
attention to the relationship between exposure to herbicides and the
development of birth defects and transient peripheral neuropathy, as
well as the subsequent development of prostate, hepatobiliary, nasopharyngeal,
and other cancers. It explores the relationship between the length of
time since first exposure and the possible risk of cancer development.
The publication reviews and summarizes the strength of scientific evidence
concerning the association between herbicide use in Vietnam and each
disease suspected to be associated with such exposure.
Single copies of the NAS books were distributed to all VA medical
center libraries. Organizations or individuals interested in purchasing
these documents can contact the publisher: National Academy Press, 2101
Constitution Avenue, N.W. Box 285, Washington, DC 20055. The telephone
numbers are 1-800-624-6242 and 202-334-3313. The NAS is a private, nonprofit
society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering
research. Established in 1863, the NAS is dedicated to the furtherance
of science and technology and to their use for the promotion of general
public welfare.
Congressional committees, especially the House Committee on Veterans'
Affairs and the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, have collected
a great deal of information regarding the possible long-term health
consequences of exposure to Agent Orange.
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DioxinKills!
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