Ammunition Specialist: Toxic Exposure and VA Claims

TNT is a common military explosive found in many munitions. Ammunition specialists could contact TNT and its dust while inspecting, handling, breaking down, or demilitarizing older ordnance, and while working in contaminated storage or disposal areas. According to the ATSDR, workers are exposed mainly by breathing contaminated air and through skin contact. The EPA classifies TNT as a possible human carcinogen, based on studies in which animals developed urinary bladder tumors after long-term exposure. Documented health effects also include anemia, abnormal liver function, immune system effects, and cataracts after prolonged exposure. The primary organs affected include the blood, liver, spleen, eyes, and urinary bladder.

RDX is a powerful explosive used widely in military munitions, often in combination with other compounds. The ATSDR notes that people who work with RDX can breathe RDX dust or get it on their skin, which is a realistic pathway for ammunition specialists handling, storing, or destroying ordnance and for those working near contaminated soil or water at ammunition plants and ranges. RDX primarily affects the nervous system and can cause seizures at high exposures. The EPA classifies RDX as a possible human carcinogen, a determination based on liver tumors in mice fed RDX over one to two years. Long-term effects of low-level exposure in people are not fully understood.

Lead is present in bullets and primers, and firing weapons releases lead dust and fumes into the air. Ammunition specialists who worked on or supervised firing ranges, handled small arms ammunition, or spent time in indoor ranges could inhale airborne lead and ingest it through hand-to-mouth transfer from contaminated hands, clothing, and surfaces. NIOSH health hazard evaluations have documented elevated blood lead levels among range employees and instructors, especially where ventilation and housekeeping controls were inadequate. The ATSDR reports that the EPA classifies lead as a probable human carcinogen and that lead damages the nervous system, blood, and kidneys.

Cleaning, degreasing, and maintaining weapons, ordnance components, and equipment historically involved chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethylene (TCE). The ATSDR notes that workers at facilities that used TCE for metal degreasing were exposed to higher levels, typically by breathing vapors and through skin contact. TCE is classified as a known human carcinogen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and as carcinogenic to humans by the IARC. The National Cancer Institute reports strong evidence that TCE causes kidney cancer, with additional evidence linking it to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and liver cancer. TCE also affects the nervous system, liver, and kidneys.