The Potential Effects of Burn Pit Exposure on the Respiratory Tract: A Systematic Review

Burn pits (BPs) have been widely used by the U.S. military for waste disposal while in conflicts abroad. Significant adverse health effects are thought to be linked to BPs, but limited data exist examining the impact on the respiratory tract. The purpose of this systematic review is to characterize these effects on both the upper respiratory tract (URT) and lower respiratory tract (LRT).

A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines on articles published from January 1, 2001, through November 2020. PubMed, EMBASE, and Ovid MEDLINE databases were queried for studies examining the effect of BPs on the URT and LRT of service members.

A total of 288 articles were identified, with nine meeting inclusion criteria. Eight of the nine articles assessed the LRT, one examined the URT alone, and two examined both the URT and LRT. Outcome measures were heterogeneous across all studies, precluding meta-analysis. Patient-reported LRT diagnoses appeared to increase as exposure to BPs increased. There are very limited data assessing the impact of BP exposure on the URT. No association between BP exposure and objective measures of LRT or URT disease was identified.

Service members deployed to combat zones seem to report a significant increase in respiratory diseases following exposure to BPs, although definitive conclusions are limited by multiple airborne exposures and varied reporting methods. Self-reported LRT diagnoses appear to be more prevalent. There is a paucity of data on the effects of BPs on the URT. Objective measures of disease do not appear to correlate with patient reports. Prospective, long-term, and outcome-based studies are necessary to examine the effects of BPs, and other airborne hazards related to deployment, on the URT and LRT of service members.