On Aug. 10, 2022, President Biden signed the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022). Section 102 of the PACT Act defines the term “toxic exposure”:
- In Section 101 of title 38, United States Code, as added by Section 102(b) and
- As an exposure to a substance, chemical or airborne hazard identified in the list under Section 1119(b)(2) of this title (Honoring our PACT Act) (38 USC 102)
While the Honoring Our PACT Act is specific to Veterans Administration (VA) and the veterans they serve, toxic exposure research and data spans across various federal government agencies, institutions, organizations.
Institutions around the world are collecting data and conducting research on toxic exposures.
There are several types of possible environmental exposures or hazards veterans may have experienced during their military service:
Chemicals
- Herbicides (Agent Orange) used during the Vietnam War era, burn pits, sulfur fire in Iraq, Camp Lejeune water supplies, pesticides used during the Gulf War, depleted uranium, and industrial solvents
Air Pollutants
- Burn pits, oil well fire smoke during the Gulf War, sulfur fire smoke in Iraq, Atsugi (Japan) waste incinerator pollutants, sand, dust, and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5)
Occupational Hazards
- Asbestos, industrial solvents, lead, radiation, vibration, noise, fuels, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) and special paint used on military vehicles
Radiation
- Nuclear weapons and testing, x-rays, and depleted uranium
Warfare Agents
- Chemical weapons, Project 112/Project Shipboard Hazard, and Defense (SHAD), herbicide tests and storage, and chemical experiments
If you are experiencing problems associated with toxic exposure, see your county veterans service officer or your national service officer for assistance in claim development and submission to the VA.
