Agent Purple is a cousin of the Agent Orange and Agent Pink herbicides. It is reputed to have three times the dioxin levels of Agent Orange.
Chemical name (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)acetic acid.
The US Military tested Agent Orange and Agent Purple at CFB Gagetown (Canada) in the 1950's and 1960's.
Agents Orange and Purple are defoliants, not chemical warfare agents. The names "Agent Orange" and "Agent Purple" were coined by the US military.
It was later discovered that, as a result of the manufacturing process, Agents Orange and Purple had been contaminated with varying levels of tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD), a dioxin that is a toxic and persistent substance.
The health effects of Agents Orange and Purple exposure remain unclear. The Government of Canada is not suggesting that these agents are not harmful; however, adverse affects of exposure must be determined by the potential of the chemical to cause harm, the possibility of exposure and the dose of the exposure.
Based on U.S. studies, the Canadian Forces Surgeon General and her expert staff found that significant spray drift beyond the borders of target areas in low wind conditions (as was the case in Gagetown during the 1966-67 tests) is considered extremely unlikely.
