IRAQ - Environmental and health concerns for Swedish

4,69

MB

deployed personnel

78

stron

3571

ID

Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI)

2003

rok

Table of contents

Summary..7

Preliminary risk assessment..7

Some practical advice..11

1. Background15

1.1 Background and aim.. 15

1.2 Information quality. 15

1.3 Responsibility, Limitations and Update . 16

1.4 Reading instructions.. 17

1.5 Contact persons 17

1.6 Abbreviations 18

2. Basic country facts ..19

2.1 Overview . 20

2.2 Geography and climate 20

2.3 Society .. 25

3 Environmental and Industrial Health Hazards .32

3.1 Industry and ROTA (release other than attack).. 32

3.2 Agriculture and forestry .. 34

3.3 Air pollution .. 39

3.4 Soil pollution . 39

3.5 Water pollution. 40

4 NBC risks..41

4.1 Nuclear risk 41

4.2 Biological weapons 44

4.3 Chemical weapons.. 46

5. Iraqi government agencies..51

5.1 Special Security Service (Al Amn al-Khas) . 51

5.2 Special Republican Guards 51

5.3 Saddamís Martyrs (Fedayeen Saddam [Saddam's 'Men of Sacrificeí]) 51

5.4 Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) (Mukhabarat) . 51

6 NBC terrorism53

6.1 Terrorist organizations in Iraq . 53

7. Mines and unexploded ordnance 57

8. Epidemiology / Disease panorama.60

8.1 Infectious diseases occurring in Iraq, listed in descending risk order for travellers .. 61

8.2 Epidemiological background data and examples of outbreaks .. 61

8.3 Other diseases 63

8.4 Health risks when staying in Iraq ñ a personal account from an UNSCOM inspector . 65

8.5 How to avoid disease 66

9. Sanitary issues 68

9.1 Water . 68

9.2 Sanitation 70

9.3 Waste . 70

9.4 Food .. 70

10. Lessons learned from Gulf War Illnesses investigations 72

10.1 Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC) . 72

10.2 Depleted uranium. 73

10.3 Oil well fires 73

10.4 Particulate matter.. 74

10.5 Pesticides .. 74