Problems
Iraq's capital city, Baghdad, has registered the highest ambient concentration of Sulfur Dioxide
Iraq is a country with some of the largest oil reserves in the world. The extractive industry creates jobs and tax revenue for a country that has suffered nearly two decades of foreign invasions, war, and guerrilla warfare. But this economic activity comes with a price. Oil spills, pollution, and declining air quality significantly affect the environment and the health of many Iraqis. In addition, greenhouse gas emissions associated with the oil industry continue to contribute to global warming. Within the next few decades, parts of Iraq are expected to become uninhabitable. For example, air pollution in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, is a serious problem. For most of the year, PM2.5 pollution levels in Baghdad are comparable to air quality in California at the peak of the wildfire season.
Air pollution levels in Baghdad
Baghdad, according to the ministry, has the dirtiest air with an annual SO2 concentration of 0.059 parts per billion (ppm), more than seven times higher than Babel (0.008 ppm). Air pollution is a serious public health problem in Iraq. According to World Health Organization recommendations, air quality in Iraq is considered unsafe. Soon, the average annual concentration of PM2. 5 in the country will be 62 µg/m3, exceeding the recommended maximum of 10 µg/m3.
Causes of air pollution in Baghdad
Contributing to Iraq's poor air quality is exhaust from cars, electric generators, small fires, especially at oil and gas refineries, and pollution caused by war. Evidence suggests that Baghdad has consistently high levels of air pollution. Baghdad's poor air quality is one of the consequences of military conflicts. Successive wars have destroyed Iraq's energy infrastructure, so about 30 percent of the country's electricity generation comes from privately owned diesel generators. These generators produce up to 60 times more pollution per megawatt of electricity generated than gas-fired power plants. According to one study, cities like Baghdad may have more than 600 diesel generators in one area alone.
What sulfur dioxide is and how dangerous it is
Sulfur dioxide, the levels of which are significantly elevated in the air of Baghdad, is a colorless gas with a distinctive pungent odor that smokes in the air. Sulfur dioxide is highly toxic. It is a substance of the third class of danger. At high concentrations, it has a deleterious effect both on people and on the surrounding nature and animals. According to WHO, exposure to sulfur dioxide should not last longer than ten minutes at a concentration level of 500 µg/m3.
Health effects of sulfur dioxide in Baghdad
According to WHO, exposure to sulfur dioxide in concentrations above the permissible limits causes respiratory problems for Baghdad residents. The substance is also harmful to mucous membranes and causes nasopharyngeal inflammation, trachea, bronchitis, coughing, hoarseness, and sore throat. Particularly high sensitivity to the action of sulfur dioxide is residents of the capital with chronic respiratory disorders, with asthma. On days with elevated levels of SO2 concentrations, the number of admissions to local hospitals with heart disease and deaths from respiratory or heart failure increases.
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Timelines
2024
June 19
PM2.5 concentration in Baghdad is currently 4.3 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value. The live AQI index is Moderate.
April
“Studies have shown that Baghdad, Basra, and Erbil are among the cities with high levels of air pollution,” Deputy Environment Minister Jassim al-Falahi told on the sidelines of the Baghdad International Water Conference. “Our monitoring stations for air quality provide evidence that these areas experience high pollution levels,” he explained. Rising population density and a surge in the number of cars contribute to pollution. “A new national center for environmental studies has been established to collect and analyze data on pollution, providing a 100% accurate picture of hazardous pollution indicators and advising relevant authorities on necessary actions,” he said.
2023
The 2023 World Air Quality Report issued by IQAir revealed that the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, is the sixth-most polluted city worldwide in 2023. The average level of pollution averaged 43.8 micrograms per cubic meter, more than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline.
2022
In 2022, Iraq was the second-most polluted country worldwide, according to IQAir’s report.
2021
December 25
The average PM2.5 concentration in 2021 in the country of Iraq was 9.9 times the WHO-recommended annual average air quality value.
2020
Significant NO2 concentrations are observed mainly in three areas: the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, the Basra area, and Baghdad. Slightly lower concentrations are also noticeable in Najaf south of Baghdad. In March 2020, NO2 levels drop temporarily after the introduction of lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic but soon recover quickly.