ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Espionage, Intelligence, and Security Volume ...

AIBecause Agent Orange herbicide remains in the soilfor some time, the contaminant TCDD is quite persistent insoil, with a half-life of three years. (In that period of time,one half of the dioxin originally applied would still bepresent in the soil.)Evidence also suggests that the defoliant, and inparticular the TCCD dioxin component, is a health threat tosoldiers who were exposed to Agent Orange during theirtour of duty in Vietnam. Tests using animals have identifiedTCCD as the cause of a wide variety of maladies. In themid 1990s, the “Pointman” project was begun in NewJersey, which scientifically assessed select veterans inorder to ascertain if their exposure to Agent Orange haddamaged them. The project is ongoing. In the meantime,veterans organizations continue to lobby for financialcompensation for the suffering they assert has been inflictedon some soldiers by Agent Orange.❚ FURTHER READINGBOOKS:Gough, M. Agent Orange: The Facts. New York: PerseusBooks, 1986.National Academy of Sciences. Veterans and Agent Orange:Health Effects of Herbicides Used in Vietnam. Washington,DC: National Academy Press, 1994.Schuck, P. H. H. Agent Orange on Trial: Mass Toxic Disastersin the Courts. Boston: Harvard University press,1990.AI (Army Intelligence).SEE INSCOM (United States Army Intelligence andSecurity Command).Air America.SEE Vietnam War.❚ BRIAN HOYLEAir and Water Purification,Security IssuesBoth water and air are particularly vulnerable to contaminationby some bacteria and protozoa, and by their toxicproducts. Chemicals can also be dispersed in water and byMinneapolis Mayor R. T. Ryback, left, and St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly,right, listen during a 2002 meeting where Christine Whitman, head of theEnvironmental Protection Agency, presented each city with checks for$115,000 in EPA grants for water security planning. AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS.air. A recent example occurred in 1995, when the Japanesecult Aum Shinrikyo released sarin gas into the Tokyosubway system. The poisonous gas attack killed 12 peopleand sickened 5,000.Technologies exist to kill the microorganisms thatmight be present (disinfection) or to completely removethe microbes and chemicals from the air or water (purification).These technologies, however, are usually designedto remove naturally occurring or polluting contaminants.Groundwater or surface water treatment focuses onproviding water that is fit to drink. Typically, the water isfiltered to remove large debris. Some jurisdictions alsopass the water through microfilters that remove objects assmall as viruses from the treated water. Most drinkingwater is treated with chlorine or chlorine-containing compoundsto kill any bacteria. Other treatments that aregaining widespread acceptance include the use of ultravioletlight, ozone, and other chemicals such as bromine.Water can also be purified by techniques involving reverseosmosis and steam distillation, although these techniquesare not typically used, as they are expensive and purifyrelatively small volumes of water at one time.Treatment and monitoring ensure that the wateremerging from the treatment plant is safe to drink and that10 Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security