Agent White
Agent White contained salts of picloram and was used specifically
to destroy crops in Vietnam. The following is a quick summation
of picloram's nonmilitary application, structure, physical properties,
and health effects. All data listed is for the acid, not the
salts.
Picloram
is part of the pyridine family of compounds. It finds general
use as a systemic herbicide for control of woody plants and
a wide range of broad-leaved weeds. Many varieties of grasses
are resistant to picloram, so it has found use in range management
programs. It is formulated as an acid (technical product), an
isooctyl ester, or a potassium or triisopropanolamine salt.
It is commercially available as soluble concentrates, pellets,
or granular formulations. The materials in this document refer
to the technical acid form unless otherwise indicated.(24)
The IUPAC name for picloram is 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropyridine-2-carboxylic
acid (C14H19N2O2Cl3):
Picloram has a molecular weight of 241.48g/mole and has a solubility
of 430mg/L in water at 25°C. It decomposes at 215ºC.
The LD50 (rat) is greater than 5,000 mg/kg/day and there are
no long term health effects. (23)
