The effect of oil based power plants on air quality in Khurmala region of Iraq and assessment with GIS technique

Air pollution is a significant issue in the contemporary day. As the population grows daily, air pollution is escalating at an alarming rate. Inadequate measurement and regulation of air pollution can be fatal for the planet. As the impact of air pollutants on human health through ambient air address much attention in recent years, the air quality forecasting in terms of air pollution parameters has become an important topic in environmental science. The present study aims to estimate the Air Quality Index (AQI)for two months in two years, 2020 and 2023. The AQI is anestimated method used by US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for different criteria pollutants which can be used by government agencies to characterize the status of air quality at a given location. The different criteria pollutants are particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂). AQI map elements distribution map from spatial distribution interpolationInverse Distance Weighted (IDW) in ArcGIS platform were used to evaluate the results.The main source of air emissions from happenings are the flaring of gas, generators and vehicles in Khurmala area. All measurements of SO2, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, etc., conformed to the established guidelines. The average AQI results for 2023 surpassed those documented in 2020. AQI readings for O₃ surpassed the AQI in the majority of sites in the present investigation. The AQI for SO2 in 2020 was predominantly classified as excellent quality, with the exception of one sample site, specifically the Power Plant, which was deemed unhealthy, recording an AQI score of 106.41. The AQI for NO2 varied from excellent to unhealthy in 2020 and from good to moderate in 2023. The air quality index for CO in 2020 varied from 45.45 to 216.86, with a mean of 134.8, but in 2023, the AQI ranged from 45.45 to 216.68, with a mean of 91.94.Air pollution in the study area is mainly driven by gas flaring, generator use, and vehicular emissions, with ozone levels frequently exceeding safe limits despite most other pollutants remaining within guidelines. While PM₂.₅, PM₁₀, SO₂, NO₂, and CO levels generally improved or stayed within acceptable ranges, AQI trends from 2020 to 2023 indicate a gradual decline in overall air quality. Meteorological factors such as wind speed and direction significantly influence pollutant dispersion, underscoring the need for continuous monitoring and targeted emission control.