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Cologne (pte041/07.04.2003/15:48) - In the worst case scenario (see image) devised by researchers in Cologne, the air pollution caused by burning oil fields in Iraq could spread out, reaching Afghanistan and Turkey.
The so-called Eurad project (emission, transport and deposition model) http://www.eurad.uni-koeln.de maps out the various processes that govern the distribution of toxins in the atmosphere.
Under the direction of Hermann Jakobs at the Institute for Environmental Studies, the environmental impact of the war in Iraq is being mapped out and projected on a daily basis. In addition to chemical, physical and dynamic processes, current weather data and an assessment of the fires in Iraq are included in the prognosis. In the worst case, in which all the oil fields are burning and the weather conditions are unfavourable, researchers say the pollution could spread far outside Iraq's borders.
The fires in Iraq are producing nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide and soot, which are transported by the wind, washed down by precipitation and transformed through chemical processes.
Based on the state of burning and pollution on 31 March, researchers predict that the contamination could easily spread to neighbouring countries. However, if the weather conditions are favourable, the soot and oxides could dissipate once the fires in the oil fields are extinguished. (newsfox-special Iraq)
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