Exposures the Record Cannot Answer Yet

These substances turn up in Board decisions, sometimes in thousands of them, but the Board has ruled on them too few times to show a pattern for any one condition. They get no chart of their own. That is not the same as nothing being there, so here is exactly what the record holds.

The jury is still out

For every substance on this page there is not enough evidence in the Board record to answer the question of causation, either way. A grant below does not mean the substance causes that condition. It means that in one veteran's case, on that veteran's evidence, the Board granted the claim. A handful of decisions cannot establish a medical link, and this page does not claim one.

Two rules decide what appears here. An issue is counted only when the substance is tied to that issue, not merely present somewhere in the same decision, because counting loosely inflated one substance's grants from 4 to 41. And a substance is listed only if the Board granted at least one such claim: where the record holds accusations but no grants, there is nothing to report and it is left off entirely.

Industrial solvents and degreasers

The cleaning solvents and parts-washer degreasers used in motor pools, maintenance bays and shops.

2,325decisions mention it

38name it in the findings of fact

26issues actually ruled on

12of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

Arsenic

A metal found in some pesticides, wood preservatives and industrial processes.

2,027decisions mention it

39name it in the findings of fact

15issues actually ruled on

6of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

Welding fumes

The metal-oxide smoke given off when metal is welded, brazed or torch cut.

364decisions mention it

20name it in the findings of fact

14issues actually ruled on

5of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

Emphysema, pulmonary (4 grants)
Paralysis agitans

Perchloroethylene (PCE)

A dry-cleaning and degreasing solvent, and a groundwater contaminant at some installations.

3,945decisions mention it

28name it in the findings of fact

10issues actually ruled on

4of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

Cadmium

A metal used in plating, batteries and some solders. Fumes come off when plated metal is heated or cut.

659decisions mention it

18name it in the findings of fact

6issues actually ruled on

4of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

Chlorine gas

Used for water purification and released in industrial and training accidents. A strong respiratory irritant.

370decisions mention it

32name it in the findings of fact

20issues actually ruled on

3of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

CARC paint (chemical agent resistant coating)

The paint used on tactical vehicles and aircraft so chemical agents can be washed off. Sanding, grinding or spraying it is what releases the fumes and dust.

325decisions mention it

17name it in the findings of fact

8issues actually ruled on

3of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

Toluene

A solvent in paints, thinners, adhesives and fuels.

794decisions mention it

11name it in the findings of fact

7issues actually ruled on

3of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

Nickel

Used in plating and alloys. Dust and fumes come off when it is ground or heated.

559decisions mention it

5name it in the findings of fact

4issues actually ruled on

3of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

Depleted uranium

Used in armour and armour-piercing rounds. The exposure route is inhaled dust after a vehicle strike or fire.

1,365decisions mention it

38name it in the findings of fact

20issues actually ruled on

2of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

Beryllium

A light metal in aerospace parts, electronics and tooling. Its dust is the hazard.

291decisions mention it

11name it in the findings of fact

11issues actually ruled on

2of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

Hydrazine

The rocket and aircraft fuel used in the F-16 emergency power unit and in missile systems.

188decisions mention it

11name it in the findings of fact

4issues actually ruled on

1of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

Malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary system

Hexavalent chromium

Found in chromate primer paints and in the fumes from welding stainless steel.

451decisions mention it

4name it in the findings of fact

1issues actually ruled on

1of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Methylene chloride

A paint stripper and degreasing solvent.

122decisions mention it

2name it in the findings of fact

1issues actually ruled on

1of those were granted

Conditions the Board granted in those decisions:

Brain, new growths of, malignant

Common questions

Why is there no grant rate on this page?

Because the samples are far too small for one to mean anything. A percentage calculated from four decisions looks like a statistic and behaves like noise. The counts are shown raw so you can see exactly how thin the record is.

Why are some substances missing?

If the Board has ruled on a substance but never granted a claim tied to it, it is left off. An accusation with no grant behind it is not a finding, and listing it would suggest a link the record does not support.

Does a substance appearing here help my claim?

This page reports what the Board has done, nothing more. Whether an exposure caused a condition in a specific case is a medical and legal question. A VA-accredited representative can help with yours, free.

Where are asbestos, benzene and the rest?

Those have enough decided cases to chart per condition, so each has its own page on the exposures hub.

Related Tools and Guides

All Toxic Exposures

The agents with enough decisions to chart, condition by condition.

BVA Decision Search

Read the decisions behind every count on this page.

Nexus Letters

The medical opinion a non-presumptive claim turns on.

Exposures by Military Job

Which exposures map to your MOS or job family.

Toxic Exposure Hub

The presumptive pathways, where no medical link has to be proven.

Find a VSO Rep

Free, accredited help with your own claim.

← All toxic exposures

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.