Burn Pit Exposure — VA Disability Rating & Claim Guide
This is not legal or medical advice. Always consult with a VSO or accredited claims agent.
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The DBQ for Burn Pit Exposure
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960L-1 (Respiratory Conditions (Other Than Tuberculosis and Sleep Apnea)) — the form that decides your rating. You can have your own doctor complete the same DBQ and submit it as evidence.
Have a C&P exam coming up? See exactly what the examiner will ask about Burn Pit Exposure — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Burn Pit Exposure, based on your overall combined VA disability rating.
| Rating | Monthly (Alone) | Monthly (w/ Spouse) | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | — | $2,165.04 |
| 20% | $356.66 | — | $4,279.92 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $6,629.64 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $9,550.08 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $13,594.80 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $17,220.24 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $21,701.40 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $25,225.80 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $28,347.60 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $47,262.96 |
Common Symptoms
Document these symptoms in your claim. The more thoroughly you describe how they affect your daily life, the stronger your claim.
Functional Limitations
VA rates disabilities based on how they limit your ability to function. Describe these limitations in your personal statement.
Rating Criteria for Respiratory
General rating schedule for respiratoryconditions. Your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
FEV-1 of 71 to 80 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC of 71 to 80 percent
FEV-1 of 56 to 70 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC of 56 to 70 percent
FEV-1 of 40 to 55 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC of 40 to 55 percent
FEV-1 less than 40 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC less than 40 percent, or cor pulmonale
Will adding Burn Pit Exposure raise your rating?
Enter your current combined rating and the level this condition would rate at. We'll do the VA math.
New combined
10%
New monthly
$180
Change
+$180
Rates shown are the 2026 veteran-alone amounts (no dependents). VA combines ratings with "whole-person" math and rounds to the nearest 10, so adding a condition does not simply add its percentage. Full combined-rating calculator with dependents →
Peer-Reviewed Medical Evidence
Real, verified studies from PubMed/NIH that support a Burn Pit Exposure claim. Bring these citations to your accredited VSO or C&P exam — they help show your condition is recognized in the medical literature and, where noted, linked to other service-connected conditions.
Scientific Reports, 2022 · PMID 36038588
Finding: Among 21 previously healthy veterans with self-reported airborne-hazard exposure (Iraq/Afghanistan 2003+), all had severely reduced respiratory muscle strength (mean maximum expiratory pressure 42% predicted) plus abnormal airway reactance and distal-airway narrowing on impulse oscillometry; all five who underwent lung biopsy had constrictive bronchiolitis with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and oxidized titanium/iron particles in lung tissue, all in nonsmokers.
Why it helps: Provides objective pulmonary-function and lung-tissue evidence supporting an association between burn pit/airborne-hazard exposure and chronic deployment-related lung injury, useful when documenting a respiratory claim tied to deployment exposure.
American Journal of Men's Health, 2017 · PMID 26669772
Finding: Reviews reported high rates of respiratory symptoms (14%) and new-onset asthma in previously healthy soldiers (6.6%) after deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan, characterizing a spectrum of war-related respiratory disease tied to burn pit smoke, sandstorms, and blast exposures, and comparing the Burnpits360 and VA Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit registries.
Why it helps: Supports an association between deployment exposures including burn pits and new respiratory disease such as asthma, and documents the official VA registry that veterans can join to substantiate exposure.
Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2023 · PMID 37343826
Finding: This review summarizes that millions of veterans were exposed to burn pit smoke containing dioxins, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and particulate matter, with observational studies and preclinical models linking exposure to upper- and lower-airway disease; it notes specific causality remains hard to prove and the VA established the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry in 2014.
Why it helps: A peer-reviewed specialty review supporting a plausible association between burn pit exposure and chronic airway disease, useful for framing the biological basis of a respiratory claim while being candid about evidentiary limits.
Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 2025 · PMID 40632889
Finding: This clinical review describes the range of deployment-related respiratory diseases linked to particulate matter and burn pit emissions, including toxic lung injury, eosinophilic pneumonia, asthma, COPD, bronchiolitis, and interstitial lung disease, and notes the 2022 PACT Act added 23 diagnoses presumed connected to deployment.
Why it helps: Authoritative pulmonary-society review tying burn pit and deployment exposures to a spectrum of respiratory diagnoses and referencing the PACT Act presumptive list, helpful context for a presumptive respiratory claim and recommended diagnostic workup.
Medical Care, 2026 · nexus to sleep apnea · PMID 41385262
Finding: In 17,064 veterans from the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry with VHA sleep studies, the highest burn pit exposure quartile (>=245 days) was not associated with higher sleep apnea prevalence after adjustment (aOR 1.10, P=0.058), but was linked to earlier diagnosis (adjusted HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.10-1.22; median 8.8 vs 11.1 years).
Why it helps: Large VA registry study showing a mixed signal for sleep apnea as potentially secondary to burn pit exposure (earlier onset rather than higher prevalence); useful for a measured secondary-nexus discussion rather than a strong prevalence claim.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2024 · nexus to cognitive impairment, neurodegenerative disease · PMID 39337247
Finding: This narrative review synthesizes evidence that burn pit pollutants (particulate matter, VOCs, heavy metals, dioxins, PAHs) cross the blood-brain barrier and drive neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neuronal damage, with veterans reporting higher rates of neurological conditions, cognitive impairment, and mental health disorders and showing elevated neuroinflammatory markers.
Why it helps: Supports a biological-plausibility association between burn pit exposure and neurological/cognitive and mental-health conditions, useful background when claiming such conditions in relation to exposure, though it is a narrative review rather than a controlled study.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2012 · PMID 22684321
Finding: In 22,844 Army and Air Force deployers, documented burn pit exposure within 3 or 5 miles was not associated with newly reported chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, or respiratory symptoms after adjustment; a marginal symptom increase appeared within 2 miles of Joint Base Balad but showed no trend.
Why it helps: A large, methodologically rigorous cohort included for balance; it did not find an elevated respiratory risk based on proximity to documented burn pits, illustrating why individual claims often rely on documented exposure plus medical nexus rather than epidemiology alone.
Every citation is real and verified against PubMed. This is general information, not medical or legal advice — your accredited VSO or representative can advise on your specific claim.
Evidence Checklist
Gather these types of evidence before filing your claim. The strongest claims include multiple evidence types.
Common Treatments
Documenting ongoing treatment strengthens your claim and supports higher ratings.
Secondary Conditions Linked to Burn Pit Exposure
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Burn Pit Exposure. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
Asthma
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Chronic Sinusitis
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Allergic/Chronic Rhinitis
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
COPD
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Chronic Bronchitis
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Sarcoidosis
Nexus strength: moderate· Commonly granted
Burn Pit Respiratory Effects
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Lung Cancer
Nexus strength: moderate· Commonly granted
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Nexus strength: moderate· Commonly granted
Kidney/Renal Cancer
Nexus strength: moderate· Commonly granted
Malignant Melanoma
Nexus strength: moderate· Commonly granted
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Related Guides
Filing a Burn Pit Exposureclaim? Don't skip these.
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Draft your Burn Pit Exposure personal statement
7-step wizard that builds your VA claim personal statement using your own words. Detects presumptive eligibility, cites 38 CFR + DBQ, includes federal-crime disclosure. You review and edit before filing.
Start draftingNot legal or medical advice. Always have a VSO or accredited rep review before filing.
Start Your Burn Pit Exposure VA Claim
Use our free Claims Builder to organize your Burn Pit Exposure evidence, track your claim status, and prepare for your C&P exam. No coaching fees — just tools.
Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to Burn Pit Exposure.
Burn Pit Exposure Claim Guide by State
Find state-specific VA facilities, veteran benefits, and filing resources.
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Educational content, not professional advice
This article is published by Military Transition Toolkit for educational and planning purposes. It is not legal, medical, or financial advice. VA rating criteria, benefits, and regulations change — verify anything benefits-affecting against VA.gov, 38 CFR Part 4, or a VA-accredited representative (VSO, agent, or attorney) before filing.
MTT is a veteran-owned planning tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any military branch.