IQAir report ranks Iraq second most polluted country in 2022
Toxic plumes from burning oil wells in and around the town of Qayyarah, Iraq. Photo: Matt Cetti-Roberts/Frontlinepictures.com
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The 5th annual world air quality report issued on Tuesday by IQAir revealed that Iraq is the second most polluted country worldwide in 2022.
The report said that Chad in central Africa had replaced Bangladesh as the country with the most polluted air last year.
IQAir measures air quality levels based on the concentration of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5. Its annual survey is widely cited by researchers and government organizations, according to Reuters.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a maximum PM2.5 concentration of five micrograms per cubic meter, Reuters mentioned.
While Chad had an average level of 89.7, Iraq, which had the second most polluted air for a country, averaged 80.1 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 16 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline.
The report mentioned that one in 10 people globally were living in an area where air pollution poses a threat to health.
The U.S. Pacific territory, Guam, had cleaner air than any country, with a PM2.5 concentration of 1.3, while the Australian capital, Canberra, had the cleanest air for a capital city, with 2.8.
The index was prepared using data from more than 30 thousand air quality monitors in more than 7,300 locations in 131 countries, territories and regions.
IQAir is a Swiss technology company that empowers individuals, organizations, and governments to improve air quality through information, collaboration, and intervention.