“I am one of the thousands who have been harmed by the increase in pollution levels in the capital. In fact, one of my relatives had to be fitted with a ventilator due to the heavy sulfur odor in the air, which we still don’t know the source,” Ali Assad, a resident of Baghdad, told Rudaw on Wednesday.
The Iraqi parliament earlier this week expressed concern about the sulfur-like odor that has spread across the capital for some time. The smell has brought about breathing difficulties for the population, and nearly 200 individuals have been admitted to hospital, according to the legislature’s human rights committee.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the concentration of fine particulate matter in the air should not exceed five micrograms per cubic meter, but according to the Swiss air quality monitoring agency IQAir, Baghdad’s air pollution is 15 times higher than the global standard.
With air quality in Baghdad at such hazardous levels, residents are advised to wear masks outdoors, avoid outdoor exercise, and have their windows closed.
Abdulrazzaq Saeed, a resident of Baghdad, lamented that the sulfur odor is only exacerbating the population’s respiratory issues and asthma. “Along with all the radiation from the wars that we endured… now sulfur! This can’t be,” he said.
Amer Dawood, a member of Baghdad’s provincial council, said on Monday that the council convened to discuss the odor, form a committee, and coordinate with relevant authorities.
He attributed the smell to asphalt and brick factories operating illegally at night without meeting environmental standards, saying the factories emit large amounts of smoke and gas. This issue is compounded by the presence of oil refineries and hundreds of generators.
On Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani ordered the formation of a specialized committee to “study the pollution issue and the recurring sulfur odor emissions in Baghdad and neighboring provinces, to determine their causes and provide solutions,” a statement from his office said at the time.
The committee was ordered to submit its findings within 48 hours. On Tuesday, their joint report was submitted to the Council of Ministers.
Najla Mohsen, the general director of the department of environmental affairs in Iraq’s environment ministry, announced on social media that the most important recommendation was establishing a major waste management project in Baghdad.
“This project, aligned with international standards, will help protect citizens and their health,” she said.
On Wednesday, the commander of Baghdad Operations began implementing the directives, and 30 waste incineration sites have been shut down.
Ziad Ismail contributed to this report.
