Public Health

“Airborne hazard” refers to any sort 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 generated by open burn pits. Other less visible substances service members may have been exposed to through the air include:

• Sand, dust, and particulate matter
• General air pollution common in certain countries
• Fuel, aircraft exhaust, and other mechanical fumes
• Smoke from oil well fires

Blast and noise injuries may also be contributing factors to both short and long-term health issues associated with exposure to airborne hazards.

To learn more, visit the airborne hazards and burn pit exposures homepage.

The Department of Defense defines an open burn pit as an area of land used for the open-air combustion of trash and other solid waste products. Waste products commonly disposed of in open burn pits include chemicals, paint, medical and human waste, metal/aluminum cans, munitions, unexploded ordnance, petroleum and lubricant products, plastics, rubber, wood, and food waste.

To learn more, visit the airborne hazards and burn pit exposures homepage.

As with all environmental exposures, whether you experience health issues related to exposure to burn pits or other airborne hazards depends on a variety of factors. 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. Factors that may indicate greater or lesser risk for 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

If you are concerned about the potential health effects of exposure to burn pits or other airborne hazards, we encourage you to apply for VA health care, and file a claim for compensation and benefits if you have not done so already. You do not need to file a claim to enroll in VA health care. Once enrolled, your VA care team will work with you to understand your health concerns and connect you with the care and services you need to get – and stay – healthy. Learn more about eligibility for VA health care here.

If you served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan or Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) or New Dawn (OND) in Iraq, you can receive free VA health care for up to 5 years after separation from the military. Taking advantage of this enhanced eligibility period may help your VA claim for compensation, benefits, and health care later.

Currently VA makes determinations about whether certain health conditions are connected to exposure to airborne hazards like burn pits on a case-by-case basis through the VA claims process. This allows us to evaluate factors including number of deployments, length and proximity of exposure, the presence of other air pollution and other hazards along with the most recent medical science to grant service-connected determinations. This process ensures we consider the unique experiences and needs of each Veteran including potential exposure to other types of environmental hazards.

We encourage all Veterans who are concerned about exposure to burn pits or other airborne hazards to talk to your health care provider, apply for VA health care, and file a claim for compensation and benefits. You do not have to file a VA claim to receive care from VA.

If you served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan or Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) or New Dawn (OND) in Iraq, you can receive free VA health care for up to 5 years after separation from the military. Taking advantage of this enhanced eligibility period may help your VA claim for compensation, benefits, and health care later.

No, you can apply for VA care even if you have not started the claims process. If you served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan or Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) or New Dawn (OND) in Iraq, you can receive free VA health care for up to 5 years after separation from the military. This includes potential health effects related to environmental or airborne exposures. Taking advantage of this enhanced eligibility period may also help your VA claim for compensation, benefits, and health care later.

If you are already enrolled in VA health care, talk to your provider or care team about your health concerns. You can also contact your facility’s environmental health coordinator for more information and resources on environmental exposures.

VA established the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR) in 2014 to help put data to work for Veterans through research about potential health effects of burn pit exposure and other airborne hazards. In July 2024, VA launched the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. AHOBPR 2.0 is an operations and research database that combines Veteran and Service member data to help VA better understand, research, and ultimately treat the health challenges faced by Veterans exposed to airborne hazards and burn pits during their military service.  

The redesigned Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry - Public Health (va.gov) makes Veteran and Service member participation  as simple as possible. A key feature of AHOBPR 2.0 is its automatic enrollment process. Based on Department of Defense (DoD) military service records, Veterans will no longer need to manually register by indicating their exposure or complete a lengthy survey. Over 4.7 million eligible Veterans and Service members will be enrolled in redesigned registry, and an easier opt-out  enables participants to decline involvement if they so choose. Inclusion in the registry does not impact the individual health care or benefits of Veterans who participate.  

If your military record includes deployment to an eligible theater of operation or location for eligible time periods, you should be in the registry. Veterans can check their status by contacting their local Environmental Health Coordinator. Active-duty Service members can check their status at https://vethome.va.gov/inquiry. 

Veterans may opt out by visiting https://vethome.va.gov/BurnPitRegistryOptOut/ and submitting an opt out inquiry.   

We all interact with thousands of substances in our daily lives. Some substances are only harmful if they get into our bodies in large quantities while others are toxic even in the smallest amounts. Determining whether potentially harmful substances have a negative impact on our health requires understanding the amount, frequency, and intensity of the exposure. How an exposure occurred – whether it was ingested, inhaled, or touched your skin – can also be a factor. Because people rarely stay in one place, do just one job, or engage in the same activities throughout in their lives, it can be hard to determine with certainty that exposure to any one substance or source directly causes a given health condition.

This is also true of exposure to airborne hazards like the smoke and fumes created by burning waste in open pits. Many health conditions related to these hazards are temporary and should disappear after the exposure ends. Other longer-term issues may be caused by a combination of hazardous exposures, injuries, or illnesses including:

• Sand, dust, and particulate matter
• General air pollution common in certain countries
• Fuel, aircraft exhaust, and other mechanical fumes
• Smoke from oil well fires
• Blase or noise injuries

VA, DoD, and our research affiliates are actively studying burn pits and other military environmental exposures to better understand potential long-term health effects. Experts at the VA Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence (AHBPCE) are responsible for conducting research on respiratory issues, unexplained shortness of breath, and other health conditions that may be related to airborne hazard exposures. The Center of Excellence uses information from the redesigned VA Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR 2.0) and other sources to inform their research initiatives. They also conduct in-depth studies through the Post Deployment Cardiopulmonary Evaluation Network (PDCEN).

To help better understand the effects of exposure to airborne hazards like burn pits, VA established the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence (AHBPCE) in 2019 at VA’s War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) in New Jersey. The Center is responsible for conducting research on respiratory issues, unexplained shortness of breath, and other health conditions that may be related to airborne hazard exposures.

The Center uses information from the redesigned VA Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry  and other sources to inform their research initiatives. They also conduct in-depth studies through the Post Deployment Cardiopulmonary Evaluation Network (PDCEN).