Iraq watchdog warns of severe Tigris River pollution

An Iraqi environmental watchdog has issued a serious health warning after revealing that the waters of the Tigris River contain extremely hazardous organic pollutants, posing what it said is a direct threat to the health of millions of residents in Baghdad and several southern provinces.

In a statement on Saturday, the independent Green Iraq Observatory said the river’s waters contain dangerous industrial and agricultural organic contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates (DEHP), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The observatory warned that these substances cause severe health damage, including cancer, endocrine disorders, and liver and kidney damage, in addition to contaminating the ecosystem, noting that they are difficult to filter or remove through existing water treatment plants.

The observatory said the Tigris has become "heavily polluted", with contamination beginning in the capital and extending downstream to other provinces, including Wasit, Maysan, and Basra, which rely on the river as a primary source of water for daily use.

It added that the pollution has a significant impact on human health as well as on other living organisms.

The observatory revealed that one ministry had recently prepared a report assessing water quality in Baghdad at the direction of senior authorities.

After the report was completed and submitted, it was withheld, when its findings revealed what the observatory called "disasters that cannot be disclosed" in the waters of the Tigris, which is used as a main source for daily human consumption.

The observatory stressed the need to resolve the issue "as quickly as possible", warning that the river has effectively been transformed into a "waste dump", while arguing that it remains possible to preserve what remains of the river’s water as a viable source for residents of Baghdad and other provinces.

Eyewitnesses said sewage water is being discharged directly into the Tigris in several areas of Baghdad, raising concerns over the absence of fundamental treatment solutions. Health specialists said the warnings cannot be postponed.

Samer Saadi, an internal medicine specialist, told The New Arab's sister outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that "continuous exposure to organic pollutants does not cause immediate or obvious symptoms, but it significantly increases the risk of tumours and affects the hormonal and immune systems".

He warned that "the bigger problem lies in the slow accumulation of these substances inside the body, which makes their effects appear at a late stage".

Environmental expert Riad al-Aliawi criticised what he described as years of neglect by the relevant authorities, telling Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that "the pollution occurring in the Tigris River is a natural result of long years of neglect and the absence of strict policies for water and waste management".

He said the river has in recent years turned into an open dumping ground for sewage, industrial waste, and other pollutants, warning that continued reliance on stopgap solutions would lead to an unprecedented health and environmental crisis.

The warnings come as water levels in Iraq have declined sharply amid a prolonged financial crisis, compounding the dangers posed by pollution.