Burn Pits

During post-9/11 military operations in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) and Iraq (Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn), open-air combustion of trash and other waste was often conducted in “burn pits” at military installations. A wide array of materials including tires, chemicals, metals, electronics, and ammunition were burned in these pits, often with the use of jet fuel as an accelerant. A 2024 HSR study of 475,000 post-9/11 Veterans found that 86 percent had been deployed at some time to bases with burn pits.

Under the provisions of the PACT Act of 2022, VA now presumes that more than 20 health conditions, including several cancers and respiratory disorders, are connected to burn pits and other toxic exposures. A 2025 VA study found that exposure to military burn pits increases the risk of mental health conditions and brain injuries.

HSR investigators seek to develop accurate and objective methods for evaluating previous burn pit exposures; assess the long-term health outcomes of burn pit exposure; conduct population-level evaluations of the effects of exposure; develop tools for screening and risk assessment; and establish more definitive links between burn pit exposure and health outcomes.

Each section below is populated by a search of the HSR website. Search results are generated based on the search term "Burn pits" . Results are updated as new data are available.

VIEW: Citations | Publication Briefs | Studies | HSR Briefs, Reports, Newsletters | Cyberseminars | Videos | Podcasts | Other Resources

Citations (recent BURN PITS publications) Ebel AV, Lutt G, Poole JA, Thiele GM, Baker JF, Cannon GW, Gaffo A, Kerr GS, Reimold A, Schwab P, Singh N, Richards JS, Ascherman DP, Mikuls TR, England BR. Association of Agricultural, Occupational, and Military Inhalants With Autoantibodies and Disease Features in US Veterans With Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.). 2021 Mar 1; 73(3):392-400. » View more Citations

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Publication Briefs (recent BURN PITS Publication Briefs ) Prolonged Deployment to Military Bases with Open Burn Pits Increases Risk of Adverse Health Outcomes This study sought to determine whether the duration of deployment to military bases with open burn pits was associated with an increased risk of diagnosed respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Findings showed that prolonged deployment to military bases with open burn pits may increase the risk of developing adverse health outcomes. For every 100 days of deployment to bases with burn pits, the ad... Date: April 25, 2024 » View more Publication Briefs

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Studies (recent BURN PITS projects ) Project No.  Title  PI  Funding End    IIR 14-093 Personalized Life Expectancy to Encourage High Value Prostate Cancer Care Leppert, John 2021-02-28 » View more Studies

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There are currently no publications for this topic.

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Cyberseminars The most recent "Burn pits" seminars are displayed.
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Other Resources Visit the VA Office of Public Health website to learn more about airborne hazards and burn pits. Find out more about current research into burn pits and airborne hazards. Learn about VA’s burn pit registry.

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Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.