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Updated Jun 08, 2022

 

In This Section

 

 

 

1.  General Information on Exposure to Specific Environmental or Military Occupational Hazards

  

 

Introduction

  
This topic contains general information on exposure to other specific environmental or military occupational hazards, including

Change Date

  
June 8, 2022

VIII.iii.9.A.1.a.  Exposure to Environmental and Military Occupational Hazards

  
Veterans may have been exposed to a variety of environmental and occupational hazards during their military service.  Exposure events can be claimed either based on service in a specific location, as discussed in M21-1, Part VIII, Subpart iii, 9.A.1.b, or based on occupational duties and responsibilities.
 
Important:  When the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not recognize presumption of exposure or a presumption of service connection (SC) for specific disabilities due to claimed environmental and occupational hazards, the claim must be processed under direct SC provisions, or other theory(ies) of SC raised by the Veteran or evidence of record.
 
References:  For more information on

VIII.iii.9.A.1.b.  Locations of Specific Environmental Hazards Identified by DoD

  
The Department of Defense (DoD) has identified a number of specific environmental hazards at military installations that could present health risks. 
 
These hazards include, but are not limited to,
  • large burn pits as detailed in M21-1, Part VIII, Subpart iii, 9.A.1.d
  • a large sulfur fire at Mishraq State Sulphur Mine near Mosul, Iraq
  • hexavalent chromium exposure at the Qarmat Ali Water Treatment Plant at Basrah, Iraq, and
  • pollutants from a waste incinerator near the Naval Air Facility (NAF) at Atsugi, Japan.

Important:  VA does not recognize a presumption of exposure or a presumption of SC for any specific disabilities due to the above environmental hazards.  Nor should the above list be considered comprehensive.  Each claim must be processed under direct SC provisions, or other theory(ies) of SC raised by the Veteran or evidence of record.  Each claimed exposure event should be considered based on the places, types, and circumstances of the Veteran’s service, consistent with 38 CFR 3.303(a).

References:  For more information on

VIII.iii.9.A.1.c.  Military Occupational Hazards Exposure

  
Veterans may claim exposure to specific toxins based on the occupational duties they performed during their military service.  VA may not recognize specific disabilities as presumptively due to the claimed occupational exposure; therefore, each exposure event should be considered based on the places, types, and circumstances of the Veteran’s service, consistent with 38 CFR 3.303(a).
 
References:  For more information on

VIII.iii.9.A.1.d.  Burn Pit Emissions Exposure

  
In locations such as the Southwest Asia theater of operations from August 2, 1990, as well as, Afghanistan, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Lebanon, and Djibouti on the Horn of Africa, from approximately 2001 to the present, the U.S. military has utilized large burn pits to dispose of waste at every location wherein the military has positioned a forward operating base (FOB).
 
Notes: 

  • While the locations listed above have been noted by DoD, they are not all inclusive, and Veterans could have potentially been exposed to burn pit emissions in other locations.  For Veterans who allege exposure in other locations, review the claim to determine if there is credible supporting evidence, to include lay evidence, of burn pit exposure.
  • Exposure to burn pits could potentially affect the respiratory system, skin, eyes, liver, kidneys, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, peripheral nervous system, and gastrointestinal tract.

References:  For more information on

VIII.iii.9.A.1.e.  Sulfur Fire Exposure at Mishraq State Sulfur Mine Near Mosul, Iraq 

  
On June 24, 2003, a fire ignited at the Mishraq State Sulfur Mine Plant in Northern Iraq.  The fire burned for approximately 3 weeks and caused the release of roughly 42 million pounds of sulfur dioxide (SO2) per day as well as release of hydrogen sulfide (H2S).  Field sampling data showed that the levels of SO2/H2S were not solely located in the immediate vicinity of the fire.  Other areas found to be affected included
  • Qayyarah Airfield West (Camp Q West), which is 25 km to the south and is a major military supply airstrip as well as the primary area of deployment for the 101st Airborne Division, and
  • the area approximately 50 km to the north up to the Mosul Airfield area.
Reference:  For more information on establishing exposure at the sulfur fire at Mishraq State Sulfur Mine, see M21-1, Part VIII, Subpart iii, 9.B.2.e.

VIII.iii.9.A.1.f.  National Guard Exposure to Chromium VI at Qarmat Ali Water Treatment Plant in Basrah, Iraq

  
From approximately April through September 2003, Army National Guard personnel from Indiana, West Virginia, South Carolina, and Oregon served at the Qarmat Ali Water Treatment Plant in Basrah, Iraq, and were assigned to guard contract workers who were restoring the plant.
 
At that time, testing verified that sodium dichromate, a source of hexavalent chromium (Chromium VI) that was previously used as a corrosion-preventing chemical by former Iraqi plant workers, was found on the ground and measured in the air.
 
Chromium VI in sodium dichromate is a lung carcinogen through inhalation and an acidic compound that can cause immediate irritation to the eyes, nose, sinuses, lungs, and skin.  The Army could not specifically trace symptoms to the chromium exposure.  Research into the effects of the exposure is ongoing.
 
Reference:  For more information on verifying service at the Qarmat Ali Water Treatment Plant, see M21-1, Part VIII, Subpart iii, 9.B.2.d.

VIII.iii.9.A.1.g.  Details on Exposure to Pollutants From a Waste Incinerator Near NAF in Atsugi, Japan

  
Between 1985 and 2001, personnel at NAF Atsugi were exposed to environmental contaminants due to an off-base waste incinerator business known as the Jinkanpo or Shinkampo Incinerator Complex, which was owned and operated by a private Japanese company.  Identified chemicals included:
  • chloroform
  • 1, 2-DCE
  • methylene chloride
  • TCE
  • chromium
  • dioxins and furans, and
  • other particulate matter. 
Reference:  For more information on establishing exposure to pollutants near NAF Atsugi, see M21-1, Part VIII, Subpart iii, 9.B.2.f.