Deployment to Military Bases With Open Burn Pits and Mental Health Conditions and Injury Mortality Among US Veterans

Christian Hoover; Amal N Trivedi; Anila Bello; William J Culpepper; Gabrielle G Hoover; Joseph Gasper; Rachel Gaither; Lan Jiang; Christopher Rennix; Aaron Schneiderman; Gregory A Wellenius; Susan R Woskie; David A Savitz

doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000003493

Deployment to Military Bases With Open Burn Pits and Mental Health Conditions and Injury Mortality Among US Veterans

J Occup Environ Med. 2025 Nov 1;67(11):e783-e790. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003493. Epub 2025 Jul 15.

Authors

Christian Hoover¹, Amal N Trivedi, Anila Bello, William J Culpepper, Gabrielle G Hoover, Joseph Gasper, Rachel Gaither, Lan Jiang, Christopher Rennix, Aaron Schneiderman, Gregory A Wellenius, Susan R Woskie, David A Savitz

Affiliation

¹ From the Department of Epidemiology, Brown School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island (C.H., R.G., D.A.S.); Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (C.H.); Center of Innovation in Long-term Services and Supports for Vulnerable Veterans, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island (A.N.T., L.J.); Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island (A.N.T.); Department of Public Health, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts (A.B., S.R.W.); Epidemiology Program, Health Outcomes of Military Exposures, Veteran Health Administration, Washington, District of Columbia (W.J.C., A.S.); University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (W.J.C.); Home Base Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts (G.G.H.); Westat, Rockville, Maryland (J.G.); Safety and Occupational Health Applied Sciences Department, Keene State College, Keene, New Hampshire (C.R.); Alexa Research and Engineering, Washington, District of Columbia (C.R.); and Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (G.A.W.).

PMID: 40662966
DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003493

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine associations between deployment to US military bases with open burn pits and mental health conditions and injury-related mortality among veterans.

Methods: We analyzed a cohort of 439,919 US Army and Air Force Veterans deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom (2001-2011). Deployment records were linked with Veterans Health Administration data. Exposure was defined as cumulative days deployed to bases with burn pits.

Results: Deployment duration to burn pit-exposed bases are associated with increased risk of postdeployment diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder, intracranial damage and injuries, and unintentional injury-related mortality.

Conclusions: Cumulative exposure to open burn pits was associated with elevated risk of long-term psychiatric and injury-related outcomes among veterans. These findings highlight the need for continued monitoring and support for service members exposed to environmental hazards during military deployment.

Keywords: burn pits; environmental exposure; injury mortality; mental health; occupational epidemiology; veterans.

MeSH terms

Adult
Afghan Campaign 2001-
Female
Humans
Iraq War, 2003-2011
Male
Mental Disorders* / epidemiology
Middle Aged
Military Deployment* / psychology
Military Personnel / psychology
Occupational Exposure* / adverse effects
Open Waste Burning
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / epidemiology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / etiology
United States / epidemiology
Veterans* / psychology
Veterans* / statistics & numerical data
Wounds and Injuries* / mortality
Young Adult