Iraq: WHO and Ministry of Health and Environment Investigate the Mass Death of Fish in Southern governorates of Iraq

Nov 20, 2018 | World Health Organization
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Laboratory tests conducted on water samples at the reference laboratory in Amman, Jordan, to investigate the cause of the mass death of freshwater fish in the Euphrates river in Iraq, have revealed contamination of the water with a high content of coliform bacteria and heavy metals, and a high concentration of ammonia. Health experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health and Environment in Iraq say that while these materials are toxic to fish, they pose no threat to human health.