DDT
74 published decisions mention DDT. Most of them are deciding other claims at the same time, so the table below is narrower on purpose: it counts only the 57 individual issues where the claim itself was tied to this exposure. This is a non-presumptive agent, the medical link must be proven case by case, so these Board rulings are the roadmap.
What the Board has tied to DDT
Each row: a condition claimed as related to DDT, how many issues the Board ruled on, and the granted / denied / remanded split. Click a condition to see its code page, criteria, and the decisions.
What these numbers count: 74 decisions MENTION DDT; of the issues inside them, 57 were actually tied to this exposure, and 27 of those appear in the table. An issue the Board decided under two conditions appears in both rows, so the rows add up to 31. A further 29 conditions came up too few times to chart (fewer than 5 issues each, 30 issues in total) and are not listed, because a single case cannot show a pattern.
| Condition | Issues | Granted | Denied | Rem. | Grant % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes mellitus DC 7913 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | – |
| Malignant skin neoplasms (other than malignant melanoma) DC 7818 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | – |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease DC 6604 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – |
| Asthma, bronchial DC 6602 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – |
| Arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) DC 7005 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – |
Read the Board decisions that mention DDT ↗
What the science says about DDT
DDT is an organochlorine pesticide used for insect and vector control (including military malaria control). Persistent in the body and environment; exposure was by skin contact, breathing, and food.
Health effects documented in the toxicology literature
- Nervous system: Tremor and other nervous-system effects at high exposure.
- Liver: Liver effects reported in animal and human studies.
- Endocrine: Acts as an endocrine disruptor.
Cancer classification: IARC Group 2A (probably carcinogenic to humans); linked to liver cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Latency: Stored in fat and eliminated slowly over years.
ATSDR Toxic Substances Portal (search this substance) ↗ (public-domain, US ATSDR)
Common questions
Is DDT a presumptive exposure?
No. Unlike Agent Orange, burn pits, or Camp Lejeune, DDT carries no automatic (presumptive) service connection. You have to prove the medical link yourself, usually with a nexus opinion, which is exactly why how the Board has ruled on it matters.
Why do so many of these conditions show denials?
The granted / denied counts reflect the mix of cases where DDT comes up and how hard each link is to prove, not the merit of any one claim. A denial often means the file lacked a medical opinion tying the condition to the exposure, or proof of the exposure itself, not that the condition can never be connected.
How do I show I was exposed to DDT?
Service records, your military job (MOS), unit history, and buddy statements can establish the exposure; a medical opinion then connects it to the diagnosed condition. This page reports Board outcomes and is not legal or medical advice, a VSO representative can help with your specific case.
Related Tools and Guides
RateMyVSO. Educational aggregate of published Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions plus public-domain toxicology (ATSDR). Not affiliated with the VA. Not legal or medical advice. Whether any exposure caused any condition in a specific case is a medical and legal question, a VSO representative can help.