There are other hazards beyond Burn Pits that occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan that may also pose a danger for respiratory illnesses. These include inhaled irritant gases, high levels of fine dust, heavy metals due to operations in urban environments, plus the potential impact to the respiratory system from the effects of explosives and the inhalation of depleted uranium used in munitions.

It’s past time that comprehensive action is taken to address the growing concern that these exposures have severely impacted the long term health of veterans who served after 9/11.

Irritant gasses, such as sulfur or hexavalent chromium and other toxic chemicals, can be released into the air through fires or treatment plants. When inhaled, these gasses can cause significant injury.

Veterans who were deployed to the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and other dusty environments were often exposed to sand, dust, pollution and other airborne particles.

While larger particles such as sand can be expelled by coughing or sneezing, very small, fine particles may cause more serious health problems because they can be inhaled deep into the lungs and airways. These extremely small particles and liquid droplets can include acids, chemicals, metals, soil or dust.

Some of the most common heavy metals exposures on military installations include lead, chromium, cadmium and beryllium. Common sources of heavy metals in the workplace include mining and industrial wastes; vehicle emissions; lead-acid batteries; fertilizers; paints; treated timber; and the aging water supply infrastructure.

Heavy metals tend to bioaccumulate. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a substance at a faster rate than it is excreted from the body. The accumulation in your body can occur through a variety of routes, including ingesting contaminated food and water; breathing contaminated air; and absorption through the skin. Toxicity will depend upon the route of exposure, the amount absorbed by the body and the duration of exposure (i.e., acute or chronic).

First used on a large scale during the Gulf War, the U.S. military uses depleted uranium for tank armor and some bullets due to its high density, helping it to penetrate enemy armored vehicles. It is a byproduct of the Uranium enrichment process where natural Uranium from the earth’s crust is ‘enriched’ with higher energy isotopes to produce Uranium suitable for use in nuclear reactors. The Uranium remaining is “depleted” of about 40 percent of its radioactivity, but retains the same chemical toxicity as natural uranium.

Veterans may have been exposed to depleted uranium when they were on, in, or near vehicles hit with friendly fire; entering or near burning vehicles; near fires involving DU munitions; or salvaging damaged vehicles.

When a projectile made with DU penetrates a vehicle, small particles of DU can be formed and breathed in or swallowed by service members in the struck vehicle. Small DU fragments can also scatter and become embedded in muscle and soft tissue.

We are still learning the long term impacts of toxic exposure. It is extremely important that anyone potentially exposed to toxins while serving enrolls in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry to ensure awareness of and treatment for related issues.

It is estimated that 3.5 million servicemembers and veterans have been exposed to Burn Pits and other toxins. We ask our members about Burn Pit and Toxic Exposure each year in our Member Survey. This year, 86% of respondents reported exposure to Burn Pits or other Toxins and 89% of those exposed reported symptoms that are or might be caused by that exposure. These numbers have steadily climbed since we began asking the question.

The VA does not presume that symptoms presented by veterans exposed to toxins are due to service and the onus is put on those veterans to prove that their illness is due to toxic exposure. With 3.5 million and counting veterans and servicemembers exposed to toxins, the cost of attributing these ailments to serving will be an expensive line item for the VA.

RECENT WIN: The Honoring Our PACT Act, signed into law on August 10, 2022, established a list of new diseases as service-connected for veterans who have deployed since August 2, 1990, so that they can receive VA benefits as a result of their military toxic exposures.

Thank you for your help in getting critical burn pits and toxic exposure legislation passed into law.