JOEM: Burn Pit Exposures Assessment (June 2023)-JOEM: Burn Pit Exposures Assessment (June 2023)

JOEM: Burn Pit Exposures Assessment (June 2023)

Pdf Summary

A cohort study on US veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was conducted to assess burn pit exposure and its potential health effects. The study assessed burn pit usage and waste disposal methods for 109 bases in Iraq and Afghanistan using Department of Defense records from 2001 to 2014. The final cohort consisted of 475,326 veterans, with 85.5% having been deployed to bases with burn pits. The study found that most veterans stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan were exposed to burn pits, although the contents disposed of in burn pits changed over time.<br /><br />The study also examined changes in waste disposal methods over the years. The 2009 Department of Defense regulations on burn pits led to changes in waste segregation, with the addition of incineration and local disposal of waste. In Afghanistan, the percentage of bases with burn pits decreased from 67% to 27% from 2005 to 2014, while in Iraq, the percentage decreased from 100% to 40% over the same period. The study found that incinerators were added to segregated burn pits starting in 2006, and by 2012, approximately 24% of bases in Afghanistan and 27% of bases in Iraq had both segregated burn pits and incinerators.<br /><br />The study calculated the cumulative deployment days at bases with burn pits for each cohort member, finding a median of 370 days and a range of 162 to 1014 days. Cohort members deployed to bases without burn pits had a median of 290 days and a range of 61 to 618 days. The study acknowledges limitations, such as limited data on burn pit locations and specific personnel working at the burn pits, as well as limited information on waste volumes and ambient emissions. However, it provides valuable insight into the extent of burn pit exposure among US veterans.

Keywords

cohort study

US veterans

burn pit exposure

health effects

waste disposal methods

Department of Defense

burn pits

incineration

waste segregation

cumulative deployment days