based dose-response model for predicting various exposures to dioxin and related compounds. The report, due in 1993, will include chapters on mechanisms of toxic action; disposition and pharmacokinetics; toxicology: acute subchronic and chronic, reproductive/developmental effects, immunotoxic effects, and carcinogenicity; and epidemiology/human data (U.S. EPA, 1992a,b).

During the 1980s, many state governments set up commissions to address Vietnam veterans' concerns about health effects related to exposure to Agent Orange and dioxin. By 1993, only a few of these commissions remained active.

One of the more active of these groups, the New Jersey Agent Orange Commission, conducted a study in cooperation with Rutgers University known as the Pointman Project. This study examined exposure levels of Vietnam veterans who were herbicide handlers. It compared blood and fat dioxin levels in pairs of exposed and nonexposed veterans (Kahn et al., 1988). In the follow-up study, Pointman II, individuals in Army and Marine infantry units and Navy riverboat units were matched with controls with regard to age, race, dates of service, and rank (Kahn et al., 1992a-c).

Several studies have been conducted on Massachusetts Vietnam veterans; one such study was a cancer surveillance of veterans from 1982 to 1988 (Clapp et al., 1991). This study examined the findings of a previous mortality study of Massachusetts veterans who died between 1972 and 1983, and utilized the Massachusetts Cancer Registry, which collects information on all cases of malignant disease diagnosed after January 1, 1982. Other states have conducted studies and published reports on Vietnam veterans; these include Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Texas.

The American Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America, and the National Veterans Legal Services Project were dissatisfied with the efforts of the DVA and its Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards in their rule-making procedures to determine which adverse health effects, if any, are associated with exposure to dioxin. These veterans organizations assembled the Agent Orange Scientific Task Force—a group of independent scientists knowledgeable about scientific studies concerning the health effects of exposure to dioxin. The task force prepared a report that summarized its review of the scientific literature related to potential human health effects

Front Matter (R1-R20)

1 Executive Summary (1-22)

2 History of the Controversy Over the Use of Herbicides (23-73)

3 The U.S. Military and the Herbicide Program in Vietnam (74-110)

4 Toxicology (111-220)

5 Methodologic Considerations in Evaluating the Evidence (221-249)

6 Exposure Assessment (250-299)

7 Epidemiologic Studies (300-432)

8 Cancer (433-590)

9 Reproductive Effects (591-639)

10 Neurobehavioral Effects (640-671)

11 Other Health Effects (672-720)

12 Research Recommendations (721-732)

Appendixes (733-734)

A: Information Gathering: Literature Searches (735-738)

B: Information Gathering: Presentations to the Committee and Outside Meetings (739-756)

C: Methodologic Observations on the Ranch Hand Study (757-763)

D: Committee and Staff Biographies (764-770)

E: Author Index, Chapters 7-11 (771-776)

Glossary (777-783)

Acronyms and Abbreviations (784-789)

Index (790-812)