Particulate & silica
ContaminantFine sand, dust, and silica — the everyday air of a desert deployment.
Where it comes from in service
Sandstorms, vehicle and rotor wash, demolition, and abrasive work; often alongside burn-pit smoke and diesel exhaust.
How it harms the body
The smallest particles reach the deepest airways and can scar them, sometimes producing breathlessness that a standard chest X-ray misses. Silica also raises cancer and autoimmune risk.
Fine particulate specifically (PM2.5) is small enough to reach the deepest part of the lung and cross into the bloodstream, driving body-wide inflammation. ATSDR documents this fine-particulate pathway as distinct from silica or combustion-toxicant exposure, and links it to cardiovascular strain in addition to airway injury.
How long it stays in you
Silica and particulate can remain in lung tissue for years, driving slow scarring.
Where it goes — tap an organ to go deeper
The PACT Act recognizes airborne-hazard respiratory conditions (incl. constrictive bronchiolitis, asthma, chronic sinusitis/rhinitis); silica is linked to silicosis and autoimmune disease.
Small-airway disease can progress while imaging looks normal — full lung-function testing matters.
What to ask your clinician about
- •Full pulmonary-function testing
- •Specialist referral for unexplained exertional symptoms
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: PACT Act of 2022 · ATSDR ToxFAQs: Silica. 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.