Shafaq News - Baghdad

Foul odors are expected to return to Baghdad in the coming days as pollution levels rise, an atmospheric scientist warned on Sunday.

Dr. Hussam Tareq Majid, head of the Atmospheric Sciences Data Center at al-Mustansiriyah University, said in a press statement that data from the university’s monitoring station, in coordination with the Ministry of Environment, showed increased pollutant levels between November 4 and 8 due to “temperature fluctuations, high humidity, and changing nighttime wind patterns.”

Majid noted that the odors are linked to high gas concentrations and suspended particulate matter (PM), warning that these conditions pose serious risks to older adults and those with respiratory illnesses.

Sources told Shafaq News that emissions from brick factories burning heavy fuel oil (black oil) and the effects of thermal inversion—which trap pollutants close to the ground—are major contributors to the recurring odors.

The Iraq Green Observatory reported that pollutant concentrations in Baghdad have reached up to 515% above safe limits, endangering children and vulnerable groups. Iraq currently ranks 37th globally and sixth in the Arab world among the most polluted countries, according to 2025 data from Numbeo.

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