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“Airborne hazard” refers to any sort of contaminant or potentially toxic substance that we are exposed to through the air we breathe. While on active duty, military service members may have been exposed to a variety of airborne hazards including:
The smoke and fumes from open burn pits
Sand, dust, and particulate matter
General air pollution common in certain countries
Fuel, aircraft exhaust, and other mechanical fumes
Smoke from oil well fires
Click to expand the map of countries and bodies of water currently included in the VA Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry.
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VA understands that many Veterans are especially concerned about exposure to the smoke and fumes generated by open burn pits.
In Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas of the Southwest Asia theater of military operations, open-air combustion of trash and other waste in burn pits was a common practice. The Department of Defense has now closed out most burn pits and is planning to close the remainder.
Depending on a variety of factors, you may experience health effects related to this exposure. Factors that may indicate you have a greater or lesser risk of short or long-term health effects include:
Types of waste burned
Proximity, amount of time, and frequency of exposure
Wind direction and other weather-related factors
Presence of other airborne or environmental hazards in the area
Researchers, including experts at VA, are actively studying airborne hazards like burn pits and other military environmental exposures. Ongoing research will help us better understand potential long-term health effects and provide you with better care and services.
Many health conditions related to these hazards are temporary and should disappear after the exposure ends. Other longer-term health issues may be caused by a combination of hazardous exposures, injuries, or illnesses you may have experienced during your military service including blast or noise injuries.
Presumptive Conditions for Airborne Hazards and Burn Pit Exposures
The following are presumptive conditions:
Brain cancer
Gastrointestinal cancer of any type
Glioblastoma
Head cancer of any type
Kidney cancer
Lymphatic cancer of any type
Lymphoma of any type
Melanoma
Neck cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Reproductive cancer of any type
Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx
Squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea
Adenocarcinoma of the trachea
Salivary gland-type tumors of the trachea
Adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung
Large cell carcinoma of the lung
Salivary gland-type tumors of the lung
Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung
Typical and atypical carcinoid of the lung
Respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type
Asthma that was diagnosed after service
Chronic bronchitis
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Chronic rhinitis
Chronic sinusitis
Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis
We encourage all Veterans who are eligible to participate in VA’s Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR). By joining the registry, you can provide information that can help us better understand the long-term effects of burn pit exposures. Even if you have not experienced any symptoms or illnesses you believe are related to burn pit exposure, your participation could help VA provide better care to all Veterans
Participation in the registry does not mean you are applying for VA disability benefits or health care. To apply for VA disability compensation, please go to compensation. To apply for VA health care treatment, please go to health care.
You can save and submit your registry questionnaire and notes from the optional health evaluation support your claim.
You do not have to participate in the registry to be enrolled in VA health care or file a VA claim.
You can participate even if you do not recall any exposure to airborne hazards during your military service at an eligible location.
Visit the registry page to learn more about eligibility and how to get started.
Open Burn Pits – What Was Burned
Waste products commonly disposed of in open burn pits include:
Chemicals, paint, medical and human waste
Metal and aluminum cans
Munitions and unexploded ordnance
Petroleum and lubricant products
Plastics, rubber, wood, and food waste
Exposure to smoke created by burning these materials may cause irritation and burning of eyes or throat, coughing, breathing difficulties, skin itching or rashes. Many of these conditions are temporary and resolve on their own when the exposure ends. However, if you were closer to burn pit smoke or were exposed for longer periods of time, you may be at greater risk for longer-term health conditions.
Additional Information
Please refer to the resources below for additional information:
Open air pits used to burn several waste products, including, but not limited to: chemicals, paint, medical and human waste, metal/aluminum cans, munitions, petroleum and lubricant products, plastics and Styrofoam, rubber, wood, and discarded food.
Veterans who were deployed to any area in the Persian Gulf or Afghanistan where a burn pit was operated.
inhalation
Southwest Asia, South-Central Asia, Southeastern Europe
Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) / Operation New Dawn (OND)
1990-1991, 2001-present
Toxins in burn pit smoke may affect the skin, eyes, respiratory and cardiovascular systems, gastrointestinal tract and internal organs. Most of the irritation is temporary and resolves once the exposure is gone. This includes eye irritation and burning, coughing and throat irritation, breathing difficulties, and skin itching and rashes.
Veterans who were closer to burn pit smoke or exposed for longer periods may be at greater risk. Health effects depend on a number of other factors, such as the kind of waste being burned and wind direction.
The high level of fine dust and pollution common in Iraq and Afghanistan may pose a greater danger for respiratory illnesses than exposure to burn pits.
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) / Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) / Operation New Dawn (OND) Team
https://www.oefoif.va.gov/map.asp
Contact your local https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp, https://www.oefoif.va.gov/map.asp, or VA Primary Care Team about getting a registry evaluation.
WRIISC Link
War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC)
For evaluation for difficult-to-diagnose conditions, contact your local https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/referral/index.asp.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
VA presumes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosed in all Veterans who had 90 days or more continuous active military service is related to their service.
Gulf War Veterans with the following presumptive illnesses do not need to prove a connection with their military service in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations if they appear by December 31, 2016 and are at least 10 percent disabling. They may be eligible for disability compensation if they have a service-connected condition and were discharged under other than dishonorable conditions. These conditions include:
Medically unexplained illnesses (popularly called 'Gulf War Syndrome')
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - a condition of long-term and severe fatigue that is not relieved by rest and is not directly caused by other conditions.
Fibromyalgia - a condition characterized by widespread muscle pain. Other symptoms may include insomnia, morning stiffness, headache, and memory problems.
Functional gastrointestinal disorders - a group of conditions marked by chronic or recurrent symptoms related to any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Examples include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia, and functional abdominal pain syndrome.
Undiagnosed illnesses - symptoms may include but are not limited to: abnormal weight loss, fatigue, cardiovascular disease, muscle and joint pain, headache, menstrual disorders, neurological and psychological problems, skin conditions, respiratory disorders, and sleep disturbances
*These conditions are not necessarily associated with any specific exposure, but have been determined to be associated with service in Southwest Asia. The policy also provides compensation for certain infectious diseases.
*For more information, visit: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/benefits/index.asp
19002100Gulf War, Operation Joint Endeavor (OJE), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)Southwest Asia
Gulf War Veterans with the following presumptive illnesses do not need to prove a connection with their military service in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations. They may be eligible for disability compensation if they have a service-connected condition and were discharged under other than dishonorable conditions. These conditions include:
Infectious diseases are related to military service in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations during the first Gulf War starting August 2, 1990, through the conflict in Iraq and on or after September 19, 2001, in Afghanistan. Veterans must have the diseases within the time frames shown below and have a current disability as a result of that disease in order to receive disability compensation.
Malaria - An infectious disease caused by a parasite transmitted by mosquitoes. Symptoms include chills, fever, and sweats. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year from the date of military separation or at a time when standard or accepted treatises indicate that the incubation period began during a qualifying period of military service.
Brucellosis - A bacterial disease with symptoms such as profuse sweating and joint and muscle pain. The illness may be chronic and persist for years. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year from the date of military separation.
Campylobacter Jejuni - A disease with symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year from the date of military separation.
Coxiella Burnetii (Q Fever) - A bacterial disease with symptoms such as fever, severe headache, and gastrointestinal problems such as nausea and diarrhea. In chronic cases, the illness may cause inflammation of the heart. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of the date of military separation.
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis - An illness that primarily affects the lungs and causes symptoms such as chest pain, persistent cough (sometimes bloody), weight loss and fever.
Nontyphoid Salmonella - A condition characterized by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of the date of military separation.
Shigella - A condition characterized by symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of the date of military separation.
Visceral Leishmaniasis - A parasitic disease characterized by symptoms such as fever, weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and anemia. The condition may be fatal if left untreated.
West Nile Virus - A disease spread by mosquitoes characterized by symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain or weakness, nausea, and vomiting. Symptoms may range from mild to severe. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year from the date of military separation.
*These conditions are not necessarily associated with any specific exposure, but have been determined to be associated with service in Southwest Asia. The policy also provides compensation for certain infectious diseases.
*For more information, visit:
19902100Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)Southwest Asia, South-Central Asia
Case-by-Case Compensation
When no presumed service connection has been established by law, Veterans may file a claim for disability compensation for health problems they believe are related to their exposures during military service. VA decides these claims on a case-by-case basis.
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Healthcare - Basic Eligibility
If you served in the active military service and were separated under any condition other than dishonorable, you may qualify for VA health care benefits. Current and former members of the Reserves or National Guard who were called to active duty by a federal order and completed the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty may be eligible for VA health benefits as well. Most Veterans who enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981, must have served 24 continuous months or the full period for which they were called to active duty in order to be eligible.
19002100All ConflictsAll Locations
Healthcare - Enhanced Eligibility
Certain Veterans may be afforded enhanced eligibility status when applying and enrolling in the VA health care system. Veterans who:
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
When a Veteran of any period of service receives a valid diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), service connection may be granted if the illness is associated with an in-service stressful event.
Veterans who served in the Gulf during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn are eligible for the Gulf War Registry examination.
For more information, visit: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/benefits/registry-exam.asp
1990199120012100Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)Southwest Asia
Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry: VA's Office of Public Health has established a registry for individuals concerned about exposure to airborne hazards during recent deployments. To be eligible, you must be a Veteran or Servicemember who deployed to contingency operations in Southwest Asia at any time on or after August 2, 1990 (as defined in 38 CFR 3.317(e)(2)), or Afghanistan or Djibouti on or after September 11, 2001. These regions include the following countries, bodies of water, and the airspace above these locations:
Iraq
Afghanistan
Kuwait
Saudi Arabia
Bahrain
Djibouti
Gulf of Aden
Gulf of Oman
Oman
Qatar
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Waters of the Persian Gulf, Arzabian Sea, and Red Sea
The registry consists of a web-based self-assessment to be completed by the eligible individual, which can be found at: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/action-plan.asp. Participants may also schedule an optional in-person clinical evaluation by a VA provider. Active Duty Servicemembers who would like a similar voluntary medical evaluation may contact your local military hospital or clinic and state that you would like an appointment specifically to address health concerns related to the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry exposures. Please note a medical evaluation is NOT required to be in the registry.
For more information, visit: https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry/
19902100Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)Southwest Asia, South-Central Asia, Africa
