Veterans exposed to aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) during military service can file a VA disability claim for illnesses they believe are connected to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the foam, but the VA has not established any presumptive conditions for PFAS exposure. Every AFFF exposure VA disability claim is decided case by case, and you carry the burden of proving that your service caused your illness.1VA Public Health. PFAS Exposures
What You Have To Prove
Without a presumption, a PFAS-related claim rests on the standard three elements of service connection: a current medical diagnosis, evidence of in-service exposure, and a medical nexus tying the two together. The VA does not concede exposure even for veterans who served at known contaminated installations, so proving you were exposed is on you.2Disabled American Veterans. PFAS Contaminated Water on Military Bases
The nexus is usually the hardest piece. Most successful claims include a nexus letter from a medical professional stating that the diagnosed condition is “as likely as not” related to PFAS exposure during service, grounded in the scientific literature and explaining the reasoning. Buddy statements from fellow service members who can verify firefighting duties, training exercises, or drinking water use at a contaminated base help corroborate exposure.
Conditions Science Currently Links to PFAS
The strength of the medical evidence matters because it shapes what a nexus opinion can credibly say. In 2022, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine reviewed the research and found sufficient evidence of association between PFAS exposure and four conditions:3National Academies of Sciences. New Report Calls for Expanded PFAS Testing
- Kidney cancer
- Decreased antibody response in adults and children
- Dyslipidemia (abnormally high cholesterol)
- Decreased infant and fetal growth
The same report found limited or suggestive evidence for testicular cancer, breast cancer, thyroid disease and dysfunction, liver enzyme alterations, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and ulcerative colitis.
In 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified PFOA as “carcinogenic to humans” (Group 1) and PFOS as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” The National Cancer Institute is continuing to study additional links to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and childhood leukemia.4National Cancer Institute. PFAS Research
Documenting Exposure at a Contaminated Base
AFFF has been used on military bases since the 1970s to fight fuel fires, and its use was required for fire training exercises at airfields, hangars, and training pads for more than five decades. The foam contains between one and five percent PFAS by weight, and the chemicals leached into soil and groundwater at training sites, contaminating drinking water near more than 300 installations.5National Institutes of Health. Aqueous Film-Forming Foams PFAS Study
The Defense Department has identified 723 installations requiring assessment for PFAS contamination, including active bases, Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) locations, National Guard facilities, and formerly used defense sites.6Department of Defense. Cleanup of PFAS According to Environmental Working Group data drawn from Defense Department records, 630 of 721 tracked military sites have confirmed PFAS contamination in drinking water or groundwater through laboratory testing, spanning all 50 states and three U.S. territories.7Environmental Working Group. Military PFAS Sites Interactive Map
You can check whether your installation appears on the Environmental Working Group’s interactive map of military PFAS sites, and review data published by the Army Environmental Command, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, and the Navy.7Environmental Working Group. Military PFAS Sites Interactive Map Service records showing firefighting duties, aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) assignments, or stationing dates at a contaminated base strengthen the exposure element.
Filing Your Claim
Disability compensation claims can be filed online through VA.gov. The VA also recommends several parallel steps for veterans concerned about PFAS: talk with your health care provider, contact your local VA Environmental Health Coordinator, request a registry evaluation through your VA Primary Care Team, and, for hard-to-diagnose conditions, contact the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC).1VA Public Health. PFAS Exposures
PFAS blood testing is not currently offered at VA medical centers, though the VA has said it is reevaluating that policy in light of new federal research.1VA Public Health. PFAS Exposures Accredited attorneys, claims agents, and Veterans Service Organization representatives can help build and file the claim. The Disabled American Veterans offers free assistance through its National Service Officers.8Disabled American Veterans. Beyond Burn Pits: Closing the Gaps in Toxic Exposure Benefits
Ratings and Compensation If Approved
If the VA grants service connection, it assigns a disability rating tied to the severity of the condition. Monthly rates effective December 1, 2025, run from $180.42 at a 10 percent rating to $3,938.58 at 100 percent for a single veteran without dependents. Rates rise with dependents and can be supplemented by allowances like Aid and Attendance or Special Monthly Compensation.9Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Disability Compensation Rates
Cancers such as kidney or testicular cancer receive a temporary 100 percent rating during active treatment and for six months afterward. After that window, the VA re-examines the veteran and adjusts the rating based on remission or recurrence. Residual conditions from treatment, including removal of a testicle, urinary dysfunction, or renal impairment, receive their own ratings that combine with the primary rating.9Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Disability Compensation Rates
If Your Claim Is Denied
PFAS claims are denied frequently because of the missing presumption, but a denial is not the end. Under the VA’s decision review system, you have three options. A supplemental claim lets you submit new and relevant evidence that was not previously reviewed, which is often the right path if you can obtain a stronger nexus letter or additional service records. A higher-level review asks a senior reviewer to re-examine the existing record without new evidence. A direct appeal to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals puts the case before a Veterans Law Judge.10Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Decision Reviews and Appeals
The Kidney Cancer Review and Pending Legislation
In September 2024, the VA announced it would formally assess whether PFAS exposure during military service should be presumptively connected to kidney cancer, the condition with the strongest evidence in the NASEM report.11Department of Veterans Affairs. VA To Review Possible Service Connection Between PFAS Exposure and Kidney Cancer As of a December 2025 Federal Register notice, the review remains in the “scientific assessment” phase, in which an interagency expert panel reviews peer-reviewed literature and historical claims data. No completion date has been announced. If the process advances to a formal evaluation, statutory timelines require a recommendation within 120 days and a final decision from the VA Secretary within another 160 days.12GovInfo. Federal Register Notice, December 2025
The VA has told veterans not to wait for the outcome. Compensation can be granted whenever sufficient evidence of service connection exists, regardless of presumptive status.11Department of Veterans Affairs. VA To Review Possible Service Connection Between PFAS Exposure and Kidney Cancer
Congress has repeatedly considered filling the gap. The Veterans Exposed to Toxic PFAS Act (VET PFAS Act) would establish presumptive service connection for specified conditions in veterans who served at contaminated installations and extend VA health care to affected family members, including children exposed in utero. The most recent version, H.R. 3639, was introduced in the House on May 29, 2025, and referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.13U.S. Congress. H.R. 3639 – VET PFAS Act Neither H.R. 3639 nor the earlier Senate version, S. 2294 from the 118th Congress, has advanced beyond committee.14U.S. Congress. S. 2294 – VET PFAS Act
The AFFF Lawsuit Is a Separate Track
Veterans sometimes assume the large federal AFFF lawsuit in South Carolina covers their VA claim. It does not. The Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2873, is a civil case against foam manufacturers before Judge Richard M. Gergel, with personal injury cases proceeding on a track separate from the water-provider settlements.15U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina. MDL 2873 AFFF Products Liability Litigation A veteran can pursue a personal injury claim in that litigation and a VA disability claim at the same time, but a settlement or verdict there does not establish service connection at the VA, and a VA denial does not bar the lawsuit. The two are decided under different rules by different bodies.