Toxic exposure: The cost of war
Jen Burch, opinion contributor - Yesterday 2:01 PM
Before my deployment to Afghanistan in 2010, I was an avid long-distance runner. Sprinting through miles and miles of open spaces is when I felt grateful — grateful to be alive and to be healthy. Immediately after my return home, I began experiencing migraines, got winded climbing a flight of stairs, and couldn’t run without having to stop to breathe. Where did these ailments come from?
Burn pits. Giant piles of burning trash used to get rid of waste in warzones. Service members used jet fuel to burn medical and human waste, chemicals, paint and munitions, to name only a few of the many items set ablaze. These toxins are so dangerous that no corporation would ever dare introduce them within the United States for fear of economic and criminal repercussions.
Burn pits have been used extensively since 1990 for security purposes as they help leave as little footprint behind as possible. However, the poisonous fumes have affected around three and a half million American servicemembers, who continue to pay the price in visible and invisible ways.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/toxic-exposure-the-cost-of-war/ar-AAXIP8S?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=59077ef2d5d241689824d829022ed3b4
