Risk assessments of higher consumption of fuel on environment due to rapid escalation of automobile numbers in Kurdistan region - Iraq.

There are serious environmental problems due to the higher rate of fuel consumption during the period 2006– 2019. The higher escalation of automobile numbers in Iraq generally and the Kurdistan Region (KRI) in specific has led to a rapid increase in air pollution. During the ISIS war, the area faced problems due to the decline in the economic level and the increase in the number of refugees from different war regions in Iraq and even from Syria which led to an increase in the old, environmentally unfriendly vehicles. The number of automobiles has increased by 21 times, therefore the consumed fuel and the released pollutant increased by the same rate. Large traffic data were obtained from the Traffic General Directorate in KRI. Tenths of gasoline and diesel oil samples were laboratory tested for Sulphur content. The practical aspects of the research took nearly two years, as samples of fuel were taken during different seasons and examined in the laboratories of Koya University. These checks were accompanied by a statistical investigation of the daily fuel consumption for each type of vehicle based on the traveled distances. The estimated emissions of harmful gases are concentrated on (CO, CO₂, SO₂, NO_x, and HC) in addition to MP (mass particulates). These data were analyzed and graphically represented in a suitable way. The research aims to determine the risk assessment of the increase of different pollutants on the environment due to transportation during the period from 2006–2019 in.KRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]