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Nairobi (pte029/01.04.2003/15:00) - Poisonous smoke rising from burning oil fields in southern Iraq, or from oil-filled ditches and bombing fires in Bagdad, has raised suspicions among researchers that the war is aggravating the already fragile environment in Iraq.
The United Nations Environmental Programme http://www.unep.org has now discovered another effect of war: increased plankton activity in the estuary of the Shatt al-Arab river which flows from Iraq into the Gulf. The organization, which has been observing the situation in Iraq, has published a report in which it identifies possible environmental risks of the war.
"The black smoke, which can be seen on television and satellite images, contains substances, which are especially dangerous for children and people with respiratory problems. It also contaminates the natural ecosystem in the region," said UNEP director Klaus Töpfer. He went on to say that the air quality in the affected areas must be monitored as quickly as possible. The report states that, while the smoke plumes of the Ramallah oil fields near Basra have become weaker in the past days, the smoke still poses a risk to residential areas.
The UNEP attributes the accelerated growth of plankton to the increased flow of nutrients from unfiltered sewage into the Gulf, as well as the unusual number of ships in the region. The UNEP is currently conducting a background study, collecting data and information on Iraq's environment. (newsfox-special Iraq)
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