9 Most Horrendous Chemical Weapons

2. Agent Orange

Although not a chemical weapon in the strictest sense of the word, Agent Orange is still a chemical that was used for catastrophic destruction during the Vietnam War, and its effects can still be felt to this day.

It is made from a mixture of two herbicides and was used for the deforestation of large swathes of Vietnam. The thinking was that the destruction of the jungle would flush out the elusive Viet Cong, depriving them of food and cover and forcing them to fight on grounds that would suit the American forces better. It was also incredibly toxic, causing inflammation of the mucus membranes and even leading to laryngeal and lung cancer.

During operations, more than 20 million gallons of Agent Orange deluged the southern Vietnamese jungles, destroying an estimated 10 million hectares of agricultural land and killing or maiming as many as 400,000 people.

The story doesn't end with the end of the war either. Reports vary, but it is said that somewhere between 500,000 and 1 million children have since been born with birth defects as a result of their parents being exposed to the chemical, and the Vietnamese government claim that as many as 3 million of its citizens have suffered Agent Orange related illnesses, making it one of the most destructive chemicals ever used in warfare.