2,4-D Encyclopedia Article

2,4-D

The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.

(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.

The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.

The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.

All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.

2,4-D

One of the nation's most popular weed killers, the herbicide 2,4-D (also known as 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) has been widely used by homeowners, timber companies, government agencies, farmers, and power companies to eliminate unwanted vegetation from lawns, golf courses, forests, rangelands, rights-of-way, pastures, highways, and even farmlands. Scientists and environmentalists have warned for years of the chemical's toxic effects, and Rachel Carson's classic book Silent Spring described its dangers to human health and the environment. Subsequent studies have linked 2,4-D to cancers, miscarriages, and birth defects in animals and humans who have been exposed to it. Agent Orange, a defoliant used during the Vietnam War, was a 50/50 mixture of 2,4-D and a similar herbicide, 2,4,5-T. For years environmentalists have urged that 2,4-D be banned or strictly controlled, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has so far not acted to do so.