A new study led by researchers at National Jewish Health has provided quantitative evidence linking burn pit smoke exposure during military deployment to increased harmful carbon-based particles in the lungs of post-9/11 veterans with distal lung disease.
Published in Scientific Reports, the study utilized a novel quantitative microscopy technique to measure particulate matter directly within lung samples. Researchers observed that veterans with deployment-related lung disease exhibited significantly higher levels of anthracotic (carbon-based) pigment in their lungs when compared to healthy controls. This burden was strongly associated with reported exposure to burn pit smoke.
Cecile S. Rose, MD, MPH, senior author of the study and a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health, stated that the study provides objective, tissue-based evidence that burn pit smoke exposure leaves a measurable impact in the lungs, which may contribute to disease development.
Researchers analyzed surgical lung biopsy samples from 24 post-9/11 veterans with deployment-related lung disease. These samples were compared with samples from smokers with respiratory bronchiolitis and from healthy controls. The quantitative microscopy for particulate matter (QM-PM) technique was used to measure anthracotic pigment fraction (carbon-based particles) and birefringent dust density (silica and silicate particles).
After accounting for age, veterans (primarily non-smokers) with lung disease had anthracotic pigment levels comparable to smokers with respiratory bronchiolitis and more than three times higher than healthy controls. These elevated pigment levels were significantly associated with reported burn pit smoke exposure, but not with sandstorms or diesel exhaust.
Jeremy T. Hua, MD, MPH, lead author of the study, noted that this approach allows direct measurement of lung tissue content, moving beyond self-reported exposure histories. He highlighted the strong association between burn pit smoke exposure and anthracotic particle burden.
Lung diseases, including bronchiolitis and emphysema, are increasingly recognized among previously deployed service members. This study indicates the potential role of carbonaceous particles from burn pit smoke in the development of these diseases. The findings aim to clarify how complex deployment-related exposures may result in lasting lung injury and emphasize the need for continued research and care for veterans experiencing unexplained respiratory symptoms.