Spatial Analysis of PM2.5 Concentration over Iraq during 2003-2020

The particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm (PM2.5) concentration seriously impacts the environment, climate, and human health. PM2.5 emissions are caused by anthropogenic or natural sources and are still a problem worldwide. In this study, monthly, seasonal, and annual spatial distributions of PM2.5 concentrations were analyzed over Iraq for the period 2003 to 2020 by use of the geographic information system technique. The results indicated that the PM2.5 concentration was higher in summer than in winter and autumn. The monthly mean maximum values of PM2.5 occurred during June and July with 8.4 and 8.7 µg/m3 over central and southern regions of Iraq, respectively, while monthly means of minimum values were observed during November over northern and western regions. These results conclude that the magnitude of outdoor PM2.5 concentrations varies among seasons and regions. Also, the annual means of PM2.5 were less than the standard maximum permissible limits, and their seasonal means were smaller than this limit at all seasons.