AGENT ORANGE 2.0: THE NEW TOXIC EXPOSURES UNDER REVIEW FOR 2026
For one generation, Agent Orange became shorthand for a painful truth: toxic exposure can take years to show up, and even longer to be believed. Today’s Veterans are staring down their own version of that story. Call it Agent Orange 2.0, a cluster of modern toxic exposures that now have solid science, growing advocacy, and active legislation behind them.
By now, most Veterans have heard of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) calls it the largest expansion of toxic exposure benefits in its history. The law adds over 20 new presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other exposures, and requires the VA to provide a toxic exposure screening at least once every five years for every enrolled Veteran.
What’s changing as we head into 2026 is not just the list of recognized conditions, but which new toxins are being seriously evaluated as the next wave of presumptive exposures.
PFAS: The “Forever Chemicals” in Military Water
If there is a leading candidate for Agent Orange 2.0, it is PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—often called “forever chemicals.” Used for decades in firefighting foam (AFFF) on bases, PFAS contamination now affects over 700 U.S. military sites, according to DoD data and Veterans’ advocacy groups.
VA’s own PFAS information page is blunt on one key point: there are currently no presumptive conditions related to PFAS exposure in the military. Veterans can file claims now, but they must prove both their exposure and the medical link on a case-by-case basis.
This may soon change. The Veterans Exposed to Toxic PFAS (VET PFAS) Act, introduced in Congress, would create presumptions for certain diseases and expand health care eligibility for exposed Veterans and some family members. Unenacted as of late 2025, it signals a new policy direction.
“PFAS isn’t hypothetical for military families. It’s in the water, in the record, and now in front of Congress.”
For Veterans who served on PFAS-contaminated installations, documenting service locations and current health conditions now is a practical step, even before any presumptive rules change.
K-2: Karshi-Khanabad’s “Toxic Soup” in the Spotlight
Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in Uzbekistan, known as K-2 or Camp Stronghold Freedom, shows clear signs of modern toxic exposure concerns.
The VA’s own fact sheets state that Veterans who served at K-2 may have been exposed to:
- Jet fuel from leaking Soviet-era underground fuel systems
- Volatile organic compounds in air samples
- Particulate matter and dust
- Depleted uranium fragments
- Asbestos
- Lead-based paint and lead in water samples
These hazards are officially classified as Toxic Exposure Risk Activities (TERAs). VA guidance notes that veterans deployed to K-2 can qualify for presumptions under the PACT Act’s burn pits and other toxins framework if they meet eligibility requirements and develop a recognized presumptive condition.
The K2 Veterans Total Coverage Act of 2025, introduced in Congress, would add presumptions of service connection for certain diseases in K-2 Veterans. The bill is still under consideration.
“K-2 shows what modern toxic exposure really looks like: not one chemical, but overlapping hazards that follow veterans home.”
Burn Pits and Airborne Hazards: Beyond the First PACT Act Wave
Open-air burn pits became a defining exposure of the post-9/11 era. The PACT Act already added more than 20 new presumptive cancers and respiratory diseases linked to burn pits and other airborne hazards, expanding access to disability benefits for Gulf War and post-9/11 Veterans.
Research has not stopped there. The VA’s Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence was established to study these exposures in depth. Recent large-scale studies led by VA and Brown University researchers have found that longer deployment to bases using burn pits is associated with increased odds of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension, and ischemic stroke compared with deployments to bases without burn pits.
At the same time, toxicology and clinical reviews have documented that burn pit emissions can contain:
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- Dioxins and furans
- Volatile organic compounds
- Fine particulate matter and metals
These findings echo earlier lessons from Agent Orange: when a consistent pattern shows up in both exposure data and long-term health records, policy eventually follows.
Jet Fuel, Solvents, and the Reality of “Complex Exposure”
Modern service rarely means exposure to a single toxin. VA materials on jet fuel (such as JP-8) reference respiratory, skin, and neurological effects. Studies note common exposure to fuels, solvents, and chemicals across jobs and deployments.
To handle that complexity, VA’s Health Outcomes of Military Exposures (HOME) program now includes a Complex Exposure Threats Center of Excellence, and VA and the Department of Defense jointly maintain the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER). ILER compiles location, deployment, and known exposure data into a person-centric record that clinicians and claims staff can use when evaluating toxic exposure–related health issues.
The bottom line: the system for tracking toxic exposure is more organized and data-driven than it was for Agent Orange, but it still depends on Veterans reporting exposures and symptoms timely and accurately.
What Veterans Can Do Right Now
Before new presumptive conditions are added, Veterans should first complete a VA toxic exposure screening. All enrolled Veterans are entitled to this screening, which is repeated every five years. This creates an initial record and helps identify possible exposures.
Next, join the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry if you are eligible. By doing so, you can document your deployments and any symptoms related to burn pits or airborne hazards for future reference and claims.
Keep copies of your service records that show locations and duties. Also, save any private medical records that refer to respiratory, cardiovascular, neurologic, or cancer diagnoses. This documentation will be essential if you file claims now or later.
If you believe your condition is related to service, file a claim with VA. Even if there is no specific presumptive rule yet, claims can be granted based on the evidence in your personal records. Gather all supporting evidence in advance to strengthen your claim.
When Yesterday’s Battles Don’t Stay on the Battlefield
Agent Orange taught the country the high cost of delay. Agent Orange 2.0—PFAS, K-2’s toxic mix, burn pit fallout, and complex chemical exposures demand a faster, more transparent response.
The science is clearer, the tools are stronger, and Veterans are better organized than ever. What hasn’t changed is the core promise: when service leaves a mark that shows up years later, the nation still owes care, recognition, and compensation; without making veterans fight the same battle twice.
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BY NATALIE OLIVERIO
Veteran & Senior Contributor, Military News at VeteranLife
Navy Veteran
Natalie Oliverio is a Navy Veteran, journalist, and entrepreneur whose reporting brings clarity, compassion, and credibility to stories that matter most to military families. With more than 100 published articles, she has become a trusted voice on defense policy, family life, and issues shaping the...
Credentials
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Natalie Oliverio is a Navy Veteran, journalist, and entrepreneur whose reporting brings clarity, compassion, and credibility to stories that matter most to military families. With more than 100 published articles, she has become a trusted voice on defense policy, family life, and issues shaping the...
