The Carrying Loads Composition of Storms Over Iraq

One of the worst environmental issues in the Middle East is the occurrence of sand and dust storms. This study examines the amount of load in Iraq's dust storms over four years, from 2007 to 2010. This study aimed to develop a monitoring methodology and investigate SDS's inorganic and organic compositions of the present work covering central and southern Iraq. Samples from the settled dust were collected and analyzed using well-known analytical procedures. The results revealed that the average texture was sandy silty clay; the light minerals were mainly quartz and carbonate with feldspar and gypsum, as well as clay and heavy minerals. Heavy metals, such as Fe, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cd, and Cu. The average uranium activity was lower than the critical dose level. The existing pollens are Pine, Chenopodiaceae, Palmae, Graminea, Olea, Typha, and Artemisia, with some Algae, Fungi, Cuticle, and spores. Fungi and bacteria, such as the gram-positive bacilli, E. coli, and the fungal Aspergillus species, are also common. Viral etiology analysis did not reveal any viral isolates. Aerosols in Iraq are a mixture of naturally occurring and anthropogenic pollutants, and basic information about their composition is vital for the Environmental Risk Assessment of dust in Iraq.