The Association Between Toxic Exposures and Chronic Multisymptom Illness in Veterans of the Wars of Iraq and Afghanistan

Abstract

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine if post-9/11 veterans deployed to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts experienced toxic exposures and whether they are related to symptoms of Chronic Multisymptom Illness (CMI). Methods Data from 224 post-9/11 veterans who self-reported exposure to hazards in theater were analyzed using hierarchical regression. Results Of the sample, 97.2% endorsed experiencing one or more potentially toxic exposure. In a regression model, toxic exposures and CMI symptoms were significantly associated above and beyond covariates. Follow-up analyses revealed that pesticide exposures, but not smoke inhalation was associated with CMI symptoms. Conclusions These findings suggest that toxic exposures were common among military personnel deployed to the most recent conflicts, and appear to be associated with CMI symptoms. Additional research on the impact of toxic exposures on returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans’ health is needed.

A Pilot Study of Airborne Hazards and Other Toxic Exposures in Iraq War Veterans

“…The toxic exposures experienced by Veterans of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan appear to have lasting effects, and for nearly 40% of Veterans, it is a syndrome that is similar in presentation to CMI [28]. Notably, this finding appears to hold even after accounting for key confounding variables known to be associated with post-deployment somatic symptoms.…”

“…Nonetheless, the symptoms most common to OIF/OEF Veterans were not necessarily those most often observed among the Gulf War I cohort, suggesting overlapping but not equivalent conditions. For example, while nearly all Veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan experienced at least one environmental hazard, the most common exposure was to air pollution and pesticides, precipitated by sandstorms and burn pits [28]. In the case of airborne hazards, many of the deployed military personnel to OIF/OEF were exposed to levels that far exceeded safe exposure guidelines [29].…”

Occupational Exposures and Environmental Health Hazards of Military Personnel

“…DeBeer et al [ 58 ] investigated whether veterans deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 were exposed to hazardous environmental pollutants. Moreover, the authors were interested in understanding whether these exposures resulted in chronic multisymptomatic illness that were typical of military personnel deployed in the Gulf War.…”

“…Among the 224 veterans enrolled in this study, 97.2% reported exposures to one or more different pollutants (nerve gas, depleted uranium, pesticides, smoke, or fumes). Despite the small sample size and the absence of a control group, the data show that pesticide exposure was associated to chronic multisymptomatic illness development [ 58 ]. Another study evaluated the role of pesticides in the development of chronic neuropsychological dysfunction in Gulf War veterans.…”

“…However, in the study on veterans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, DeBeer et al showed that chronic multi-symptom illness was not related to smoke exposure [ 58 ] ( Table 7 ).…”