How did the Passaic River, a Superfund site near Newark, New Jersey, become an Agent Orange dioxin TCDD hotspot?

Abstract

T he Passaic River name was derived from an Algonquian word meaning “peaceful valley.” In the mid-1900s, this peaceful valley in New Jersey, United States, became a major exporter of a powerful herbicide, Agent Orange, which was used as a chemical weapon during the Vietnam War. The unintended consequences of the use of this deadly herbicide were often fatal to military personnel, chemical plant workers, and Vietnamese civilians (Thomas and Kang 1990; Schecter et al. 1995). Those affected in some way by Agent Orange number in the millions (NAS 1974; Schecter et al. 1995). Moreover, evidence is mounting that the effects of exposure to Agent Orange linger through generations of people (Institute of Medicine 1994; Constable and Hatch 1985; Stockbauer et al. 1988). Additionally, in the United States, one of the most massive environmental cleanups in history—costing billions of dollars—has been necessary to try to protect residents of New Jersey and neighboring areas from the lasting impacts of the Agent Orange chemical manufacturing plant on the Passaic River. The current 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (C12H4Cl4O2; TCDD) pollution in the Passaic River dates back to the 1940s, well before the Vietnam War when the US military used Agent Orange to kill jungle vegetation and Vietnamese food crops including cassava ( Manihot esculenta ), maize ( Zea mays ), sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas ), and nuts. However, Agent Orange was ineffective when sprayed on the South …