Climate change represents a possible threat to patients with bronchial asthma. Literature reports show the relationship between the development and exacerbation of asthma attacks and the meteorological observations. However, no previous study was done in Basra to show this relationship. →What this article adds: This study showed that changes in weather conditions, especially high relative humidity, rain, and cold weather, can trigger or worsen asthma attacks, especially in younger children. Thus, applying protective measures required.

Petroleum deposits typically contain a gaseous component known as “associated gas”. If associated gas is not collected or used on-site, it may be flared or vented as a byproduct of oil production. Flaring is preferential to venting in terms of global warming. Flaring oxidizes carbon and produces CO2, but by destroying methane and other hydrocarbons, it decreases the overall risk of global warming emissions. On a 100-year time scale, fossil methane is 36 times more potent than CO2. The measurements were taken at six oil fields (AlTuba, Allhais, Artawi, North Rumaila, Nahran Omar, and Majnoon) and two power plants (Alnajebia power plant and Shatt Al-Basra). To measure the concentrations of hydrocarbons, a direct measurement was taken for six months. ANOVA test was used to analyze the results at p ≤ 0.05 and a correlation between hydrocarbon concentrations, wind speed, and temperature was done. The result showed that the hydrocarbons were found in all stations, in all measurements with different concentrations except in Alnajebia and Shatt Al-Basra power plant at first measurements, the device did not detect hydrocarbons concentration. The highest average of hydrocarbon concentrations was at Allhais which was recorded as 995, 598.15, 418.7, 358.89 and 279.13 ppm for methane, ethane, propane, butane and pentane respectively. The lowest average was found at the majnoon oil field for methane, ethane, propane, butane and pentane 395, 238.8, 167.16, 142.2 and 111.4 ppm respectively. The relationship between the average hydrocarbon concentrations with the average monthly wind speed and with average monthly temperature was positive.

The Arabian Gulf is known as a global center for trade, oil export, and shipping because the countries around the Gulf have many important commercial and oil ports. The southern port of Umm Qasr is one of these important transportation sites in the northern Arabian Gulf, as it includes berths for shipping goods as well as oil berths for importing and exporting oil derivatives and crude transport. Any disruption or disruption in port operations may lead to significant economic and material losses to Iraq. Marine accidents caused by bad weather are considered one of the most serious risks and obstacles facing marine work. In this study, we will investigate and evaluate the meteorological conditions that influence and cause marine accidents. The Salihiah tugboat accident, which collided with a foreign ship in 2020, and led to the sinking of the tow boat in the southern port of Umm Qasr. The disaster was caused by a violent dust storm and high wind speed. Two cases of dust storms were recorded on the day of the accident and several cases of dust raised, and there was also a significant drop in sea level pressure that led to the storm and the lack of visibility in the port of Umm Qasr. The aim of the study is to know the main causative weather factor for the accident and to advise the managers of Iraqi ports to take measures and reduce activity in bad weather conditions.

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