Jet fuel (JP-8) & fuels
ContaminantIARC Group 1The military's primary jet fuel — and a hydrocarbon solvent that became fuel for the burn pits.
Where it comes from in service
Flight lines, fuel handlers, vehicle and aircraft maintenance, generator exhaust, and as the accelerant poured on burn pits.
How it harms the body
JP-8 is a complex hydrocarbon mixture containing benzene and other volatile organic compounds. It is absorbed through the lungs and skin.
Benzene specifically is toxic to the bone marrow, and the broader mixture irritates the airways and stresses the nervous system.
How long it stays in you
The volatile components clear over hours to days, but repeated daily exposure produces ongoing injury, and benzene's marrow effects can be lasting.
Where it goes — tap an organ to go deeper
Benzene is an established cause of leukemia and other blood/marrow disorders (recognized at Camp Lejeune and by IARC); JP-8 exposure overlaps the burn-pit airborne-hazard picture.
Marrow and blood effects and airway injury can develop; document fuel exposure alongside burn pits.
What to ask your clinician about
- •CBC (complete blood count) for marrow effects
- •Pulmonary function testing
Bring this to your clinician and your VSO — they decide what testing and care, if any, is right for you. For general, whole-person ways to support your body, see Whole health.
Sources: ATSDR ToxFAQs: JP-8 / Fuel Oils · ATSDR ToxFAQs: Benzene · IARC Group 1 (benzene). Drafted from the government's and science's own record — VA presumptive lists (PACT Act, 38 CFR, Camp Lejeune), ATSDR ToxFAQs, IARC, and NTP. Sources are cited on every page, and this library has not yet been reviewed by a named clinician or toxicologist. This is documentation to bring to your clinician and VSO — not a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or a determination of service connection. Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.