Estimating the health risks associated with air pollution in Baghdad City, Iraq.

Abstract

Data of total suspended particulate, O₃, SO₂, NO, NO₂, CO, methane, and non-methane hydrocarbons gathered from three monitoring stations in Baghdad City for the period from 2009 to 2012 have been analyzed. So an attempt is made to calculate the monthly quality indexes based on US EPA and UK system. Concentrations of most air pollutants in Baghdad City have shown a downward trend in recent years, but they are generally in many instances worse than natural ambient air; thus, all pollutants (except CO) fluctuated between high and below limits certified by Iraqi and international standards. The results show that the average of TSP during 2009-2012 were very high, and they pose concern for Baghdad population. The SO₂/CO concentration ratios were less than 1 suggesting that mobile emissions are the primary sources within the study area. It has been observed that the concentrations of the most pollutants are high in summer in comparison to the other seasons. The peak concentrations of pollutants are linked to traffic density, private generators, and chemical processes in the atmosphere. Aside from single air pollutant standards, AQI and API indices enable an additional assessment of the air quality conditions. The application of the UK system suppose low pollution with all pollutants expect TSP. Analysis of AQI values for an average of concentrations CO, NO₂, SO₂, and O₃ are categorized as good to moderate during the study period, while the same index indicated that the TSP located within the three categories (unhealthy, very unhealthy, and hazardous).