Baghdad environmental monitor warns of rising sulfur smell, air quality risks

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A Baghdad-based environmental observatory has warned that a strong sulfur odor has spread across the capital over the past two weeks, caused by the burning of high-sulfur heavy fuels and the uncontrolled ignition of plastic waste at nearby dumpsites. The Green Iraq Observatory said sulfur emissions are degrading the city's air and that cases of bronchitis and respiratory distress have risen among children, the elderly and asthma patients. According to the observatory's report, temperature inversions are trapping the toxic gases near ground level during nighttime and early morning hours, directly threatening residents' health. It added that improvement measures previously announced by authorities have so far produced no results, noting that the sulfur odor recurs at short intervals. The group called for an end to the use of low-quality fuels at facilities near residential areas and for the strict closure and oversight of waste-burning sites. It also urged authorities to activate environmental monitoring equipment and to publish air pollution levels transparently to the public. No immediate response from Iraqi officials was reported.