Foreign bodies, in particular sand and soil particles, can cause considerable reaction in wounds and remain in tissues indefinitely. The introduction of foreign material as a contaminant in wounds and intracavitary injuries to military personnel deployed in the Persian Gulf region can be a complicating factor in treatment. Samples of desert sand from the military operational areas of the Persian Gulf were analyzed and the acute local and systemic responses of intraperitoneal contamination determined in an experimental rat model.