Iraq’s salt miners face toxic threat as sewage contaminates Najaf Basin

Iraq’s centuries-old salt mining tradition is facing a growing environmental threat.
In Najaf, families continue to extract salt from desert pans — a trade passed down for generations.
Worsening droughts and water shortages have made mining easier but also more hazardous.
Untreated sewage has seeped into the Najaf Basin, contaminating salt with toxins and possible radioactive elements.
The tainted salt is being used in farms, factories, and tanneries, heightening public health risks.
Authorities report increasing illness rates but say further studies are needed to confirm the cause.
Experts warn that without stronger regulation, one of Iraq’s oldest industries could spark a health crisis.

Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud AbdelWahed reports from Najaf in central Iraq.

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Post from Al Jazeera on October 29, 2025

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