Open-air burn pits are areas the military uses to dispose of garbage and other materials including tires, plastics, styrofoam, food waste, ammunition, pesticide containers, batteries, and human and medical waste. A 2010 Government Accountability Report found more than 1,000 toxins and carcinogens in samples from burn pits. They were often built next to where service members lived and worked, regularly exposing them to toxic smoke.
Read More on this topic: Veteran FAQs Burn Pits, Presumptive Conditions, Toxic Exposure