# Toxicity testing of fresh and photochemically aged burn pit smoke emissions

> **NIH NIH R03** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2021 · $77,750

## Abstract

Project Summary
A burn pit, a common way to get rid of waste at United States (U.S.) military bases in war zones (e.g., Iraq and
Afghanistan), produces potentially toxic compounds in the air. As a result, tens of thousands of deployed military
and civilian personnel are exposed to burn pit smoke during their military service. Importantly, burn pit smoke
can react in the atmosphere to produce secondary (aged) products that may have even greater toxicity.
Consequently, the actual composition of what one is exposed to is mostly aged products not what is freshly
emitted from burn pit combustions. Thus, it is critical to understand the health consequences of aged burn pit
smoke exposure.
While there is a high prevalence of respiratory conditions in veterans returning from war zones, the relationship
to burn pit smoke exposure is not well understood. Particularly, the variabilities in toxicological responses to
aged and fresh burn pit smoke have yet to be fully established and evaluated in the context of chemical
composition. To address this important research issue, we will use novel approaches to 1) simulate burn pit
smoke emissions in the atmosphere, 2) evaluate their mutagenic and lung toxic responses following exposures,
and 3) determine rank order of adverse health effects induced by different burn pit emissions. Specific aim 1
will determine differences in physico-chemical properties of fresh and aged burn pit smoke. Specific aim 2 will
use in vitro models to identify key factor(s) of the burn pit smoke that are likely driving their biological responses.
This research will be carried out through a collaboration with laboratories at the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State University, allowing for a unique combination
of expertise in combustion science, analytical chemistry, and cell biology. This project will provide critical
information needed to characterize chemical evolution of burn pit smoke in the atmosphere and to identify
primary chemical drivers of possible adverse health effects (mutagenic and lung toxic effects) associated with
aged burn pit smoke exposure.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10108360
- **Project number:** 1R03ES032539-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Yong Ho Kim
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $77,750
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-12-15 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10108360

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10108360, Toxicity testing of fresh and photochemically aged burn pit smoke emissions (1R03ES032539-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10108360. Licensed CC0.

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