Agent White

Agent White is the code name for a powerful herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal warfare program during the Vietnam War. The name comes from the white stripe painted on the barrels to identify the contents. It was one of the so-called "rainbow herbicides" that included the more infamous Agent Orange.

Additional recommended knowledge

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

Daily Visual Balance Check

How to quickly check pipettes?

Agent White is a 4:1 mixture of 2,4-D and Picloram (also known as Tordon 101). Unlike the more infamous Agent Orange, Agent White did not contain dioxin, which was introduced into the other defoliants through the addition of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T). However, it appears the Picloram was contaminated with hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and nitrosamines, both known carcinogens. Around 1985, Dow Chemical was forced to re-certify Picloram after having greatly reduced the amounts of both contaminates.

See also

• Agent Orange
• Agent Purple
• Agent Pink
• Agent Green
• Agent Blue