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VA » Health Care » Public Health » Military Exposures » Jet Fuels

Public Health

Jet Fuels

Senior Airman takes a sample of
Jet-A fuel from a pipe while the
fuel is being offloaded from a
truck at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

Many Veterans may have been exposed to jet fuels during their military service. Some Veterans may have been exposed while performing certain jobs, such as fueling an aircraft, transporting jet fuel, maintaining jet fuel storage tanks, fueling generators, or tending burn pits. Exposures may have also occurred due to accidental spills. Jet fuels may have been absorbed through the skin, inhaled, or accidentally swallowed.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has published assessments on the most common jet fuels used in the military:

Jet Fuels and the PACT Act

On August 10, 2022, President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, expanding eligibility for VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. The law also required VA to investigate how certain exposures may have impacted the health of Veterans. For example, Section 510 directed VA to submit a report to Congress that included the following within one year:

Information on the effect of various types of jet fuels used by the Armed Forces on the health of individuals by length of exposure;
An overview of immediate symptoms of jet fuel exposure that may indicate future health risks;
A timeline of health safeguards implemented by the Armed Forces intended to reduce the exposure of members of the Armed Forces to jet fuel; and
Identification of any areas relating to jet fuel exposure and associated health effects about which new research needs to be conducted.

VA performed a review of the published literature to learn about possible health effects that Service members may experience due to exposure to jet fuels. VA focused specifically on studies that described work-related exposures to JP-4, JP-5, JP-8 and Jet A. Special attention was paid to how long workers may have been in contact with jet fuels and the relationship between short- and long-term health effects. A full copy of VA’s report can be downloaded at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CMR-VA1-00189958.

Some of the key findings from VA’s review of the published literature include:

Short- and Long-Term Health Effects:

Although some studies have reported short-term health effects like skin irritation following work-related jet fuel exposures, less is known about long-term health effects (i.e., occurring several months or years after exposure). There is some scientific information that connects work-related jet fuel exposure to effects on certain parts of the body, including:

Nervous system: effects on memory, hearing impairment, and effects on vision;
Mental health: decreased attention, ability to process information, and control behaviors and emotions, as well as effects on mood;
Respiratory system: decreased lung function and increased lung damage leading to respiratory symptoms, such as labored breathing or dyspnea, cough with phlegm, and stuffy and runny nose; and
Some cancers: kidney and bladder cancers.

Although the available studies suggest that these systems may be affected by jet fuel exposure, there were very few studies available that investigate these relationships. Therefore, it is not possible to confidently connect jet fuel exposure during military service to certain health conditions at this time. It is also not possible to determine how health risk might change with increased length of exposure or what immediate symptoms may predict long-term health issues in these parts of the body.

Further, there is currently not enough scientific data available to determine possible long-term health effects associated with work-related jet fuel exposure in other parts of the body.

Research Gaps Identified:

VA’s report identified several areas related to jet fuel exposure and associated health effects that would benefit from additional research. To better understand this relationship and how Veterans may have been impacted, the following types of research should be conducted:

Well-designed studies that confirm whether jet fuel exposure is linked to specific nervous system, mental health, and respiratory diseases, and kidney and bladder cancers;
Studies that explore connections between jet fuel exposure and other health outcomes that are currently not well studied;
Studies that compare health risk based on how long individuals were exposed to jet fuels;
Studies that follow participants over an extended period of time to inform researchers on any changes or improvements in symptoms and the development of long-term health effects long after exposure to jet fuels;
Studies that investigate whether there are differences in how certain groups, such as women and racial/ethnic minorities, may be impacted by jet fuel exposure; and
Studies to help explain the biology behind the harms of jet fuel exposure.

VA will continue to review relevant scientific information on jet fuel exposure and related health effects as it becomes available.

Jet Fuel Spills in the Environment

In addition to potential exposure to jet fuels during certain duties in the military, Veterans may also be concerned about reports of jet fuel-contaminated drinking water at certain military bases. VA works with the Department of Defense and other federal agencies to track these situations and relay relevant and timely information to Veterans.

Camp Lejeune: Between the 1950s and 1980s, several wells that supplied water to certain areas at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina were contaminated by industrial solvents and a component of jet fuel from a leaking underground fuel storage tank, among other sources. Learn more about water contamination at Camp Lejeune and associated VA benefits.

Red Hill: In 2021, ground water was contaminated by thousands of gallons of JP-5 jet fuel that leaked from the Red Hill Bulk Storage Facility in Hawai'i, impacting drinking water on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and the Army's Aliamanu Military Reservation and Red Hill Housing. Read more about contaminated water at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawai'i.

Karshi Khanabad (K-2) Air Base: Service members at K-2 may have been exposed to jet fuel as a result of a leaking Soviet-era underground jet fuel distribution system. Read more about K-2.

Jet Fuels and How VA Can Help

If you are concerned about health problems associated with jet fuel exposure during your military service, talk to your health care provider or contact your local VA Environmental Health Coordinator.

If you feel that your health has been impacted by your service, VA encourages you to file a claim for disability compensation. These claims are considered on a case-by-case basis.

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