Baghdad chokes on smoke: Air quality hits 'purple' level
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, woke up on Tuesday under a thick layer of smoke, so dense that it could be mistaken for fog.
In a post on Facebook, weather expert Sadiq Atiya noted that the city’s air quality index reached purple, reflecting dangerously high pollution levels caused by stagnant air, unregulated factories, and widespread open burning of waste.
Visibility has fallen sharply, leaving residents enveloped in a haze that threatens both health and the environment.
Earlier this year, Swiss air quality monitoring platform IQAir recorded elevated levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the atmosphere, reaching 38.37 µg/m³ — almost eight times above the World Health Organization’s recommended limit. The country also ranks 13th out of 138 nations for air pollution.
Read more: Pollution gnaws at Iraq: Laws without teeth, fines without impact
