Pollution levels in Iraq exceeds WHO limits by 24 times, expert warns
Shafaq News/ A significant and dangerous rise in pollution
levels in Iraq, according to weather forecasting expert, Sadiq Atia reported on
Friday morning.
Atia mentioned in a post on X, that “the map of air quality
index AQI pollution levels in Iraq, including the capital Baghdad, indicated on
Friday morning high values exceeding 150-225 mg / m³. These values exceed by
about 18-24 times the health limit allowed in the atmosphere according to the
World Health Organization (WHO).”
“The reason is the increase in activities harmful to the
environment, the most important of which are: Oil refineries, factories, car
exhaust, and the burning of waste that spreads randomly,” he continued.
The deteriorating environmental conditions have led to a
surge in health issues among Baghdad's residents.
In a previous interview with Shafaq News, Bassem Al-Gharabi,
a member of the Parliamentary Health and Environment Committee, noted an
increase in cancer rates and respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases,
attributing this rise to the high levels of pollutants in the water and air.
A BBC report placed Iraq as the second most polluted country
globally, following Russia, with an astounding 18 billion m3 of gas burned
annually. This environmental degradation is further detailed in a report from
Numbeo, which shows Iraq's pollution index at 73.59%. The quality of green
spaces and parks has plummeted to 38.14%, air pollution stands at 66.99%,
drinking water pollution at 55.50%, and noise pollution has risen to 52.06%.
According to IQAir's Live most polluted major city ranking,
as of July 8, Baghdad ranks 24th worldwide and fifth in the Arab world after
Cairo, Dubai, Riyadh, and Kuwait.
