Burn pits are a waste management tool for armed forces overseas. However, the nature of waste today is different than half a century ago. The smoke, fumes, and particulate matter that have been observed emanating from these pits contain a heterogeneous variety of materials. Exact exposure levels are not known in veterans, however many of these materials are known to be linked to long term health effects and some have been classified and recognized as carcinogens via retrospective analysis in humans and laboratory experiments. The particulate matter produced from these burn pits can also deposit into the earth and during weather events such as dust storms, can circulate the particles to local inhabitants, potentially causing health effects for them, years later. Recognizing these long term health effects will enable people to not make this mistake again, and to help those who have been exposed.