VA Hazardous Materials Exposures

Exposure To Hazardous Chemicals And Materials | Veterans Affairs Skip to Content An official website of the United States government Here’s how you know The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site. The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you're connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and sent securely. Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now Disability benefits Eligibility Exposure to hazardous materials Specific environmental hazards Agent Orange Asbestos Mustard gas or lewisite Camp Lejeune water contamination Radiation exposure Project 112/SHAD Gulf War Illnesses SW Asia Gulf War Illnesses Afghanistan Former POWs PTSD Illnesses within 1 year after discharge Special claims Auto allowance and adaptive equipment Birth defects Clothing allowance Dental care Temporary disability rating after surgery or cast Increase for time in hospital Prestabilization rating Title 38 U.S.C. 1151 claims Individual unemployability In this section Exposure to hazardous chemicals and materials Learn about chemical hazards or other hazardous materials you may have come in contact with during military service. And find out if you can get VA disability compensation for illnesses or conditions related to these exposures. We call these presumptive conditions. Medical care for volunteers involved in chemical and biological testing As many as 60,000 Veterans volunteered for medical research for the U.S. biological and chemical programs between 1942 and 1975. You can get medical care through the U.S. Army if you volunteered for this research and have an injury or illness directly caused by your participation. Types of exposure Agent Orange If you served in the Republic of Vietnam or in or near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) during the Vietnam Era—or in certain related jobs—you may have had contact with Agent Orange, an herbicide used to clear plants and trees during the war. Learn about compensation based on Agent Orange exposure Asbestos If you worked in certain military jobs, you may have had contact with asbestos (toxic fibers once used in many buildings and products). Learn about compensation based on asbestos exposure Birth defects like spina bifida If you served in the Republic of Vietnam, in Thailand, or in or near the Korean DMZ during the Vietnam Era—and your child has spina bifida or certain other birth defects—your child may be eligible for disability benefits. Learn about compensation based on birth defects like spina bifida Burn pits and other specific environmental hazards If you served in Iraq, Afghanistan, or certain other areas, you may have had contact with toxic chemicals in the air, water, or soil. Learn about compensation based on burn pits and other specific environmental hazards Contact with mustard gas or lewisite If you served at the German bombing of Bari, Italy, in World War II or worked in certain other jobs, you may have had contact with mustard gas. Learn about compensation based on mustard gas or lewisite exposure Contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune If you served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River between August 1953 and December 1987, you may be at risk of certain illnesses believed to be caused by contaminants found in the drinking water during that time. Learn about compensation based on contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune Gulf War Illnesses in Southwest Asia If you served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, you may be at risk of certain illnesses or other conditions linked to this region. Learn about compensation based on Gulf War illnesses in Southwest Asia Gulf War Illnesses in Afghanistan If you served in Afghanistan, you may be at risk of certain illnesses or other conditions linked to this region. Learn about compensation based on Gulf War illnesses in Afghanistan Project 112 or Project SHAD If you were part of warfare testing for Project 112 or Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense (SHAD) from 1962 to 1974, you may be at risk of illnesses believed to be caused by chemical testing. Learn about compensation based on Project 112/SHAD Radiation exposure If you served in the post-WWII occupation of Hiroshima or Nagasaki, were imprisoned in Japan, worked with or near nuclear weapons testing, or served at a gaseous diffusion plant or in certain other jobs, you may be at risk of illnesses believed to be caused by radiation. Learn about compensation based on radiation exposure Last updated: July 24, 2026