Among only four governorates that measure SO2 levels, Baghdad has the dirtiest air 

Shafaq News/ Iraq's capital city, Baghdad, has registered the highest ambient concentration of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) gas among only four governorates that measure the levels of this toxic gas.

According to the Statistics department of the Iraqi Ministry of Planning, only Babel, Kirkuk, Baghdad, and al-Muthanna conduct monthly and annual measurements of air pollutants.

Baghdad, according to the Ministry, has the dirtiest air with an annual SO2 concentration of 0.059 parts per billion (ppm), more than seven folds above Babel (0.008 ppm).

Air pollution poses a serious health problem in Iraq. In accordance with the World Health Organization's guidelines, the air quality in Iraq is considered unsafe. In 2020, the country's annual mean concentration of PM2. 5 is 62 µg/m3 which exceeds the recommended maximum of 10 µg/m3.

Contributors to poor air quality in Iraq include vehicle emissions, power generators, small fires, especially from oil and gas refineries, and war-induced pollution. Available data indicates that Baghdad has consistently high levels of air pollution.