【Sarah Shevon Archives】

As Iraqi forces fight to retake Mosul from the so-called Islamic State (ISIS),Sarah Shevon Archives clouds of toxic fumes are spreading across northern Iraq.

The acrid smoke, which is so significant it is visible from space, is threatening to harm Iraqis' health just as hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing Mosul for their lives.

Militants from the Islamic State blew up the Al-Mishraq sulfur processing plant over the weekend and set fire to 19 oil wells in an effort to hamper the advance of Iraqi and U.S. forces.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

SEE ALSO: The battle for Mosul is being live streamed on Facebook

NASA released new images on Thursday showing sulfur dioxide plumes dispersing across northern and central Iraq as early as Oct. 20.

Large concentrations of sulfur dioxide can permanently damage the respiratory system and make breathing difficult. Depending where it is located in the atmosphere, sulfur dioxide can also contribute to acid rain and act as a temporary cooling influence on the climate.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

According to Al-Jazeera, at least two Iraqi civilians have died from toxic fumes, and nearly 1,000 people were being treated for breathing problems as of Oct. 22.

NASA said the sulfur dioxide was initially in lower parts of the atmosphere, but shifting winds pushed it higher, enabling the particles to travel longer distances.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

The agency's ozone monitoring equipment detected two streaks of plumes. The white-gray streak, from the sulfur plant, is rich with sulfate aerosols and droplets of light-reflecting sulfuric acid. Black plumes from the Qayyarah oil field are rich with black carbon and other light-absorbing aerosols.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

ISIS has ruled Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, for more than two years. The push to retake Mosul from the militants is the largest operation launched by Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

The Al-Mishraq sulfur facility was also set ablaze that year. The fire, which burned for nearly a month, release some 21 kilotons of sulfur dioxide per day, according to NASA satellite data gathered in 2003.

U.S. soldiers exposed to the fire suffered serious lung damage. Nineteen personnel had open lung biopsies and were diagnosed with constrictive bronchiolitis, a disease similar to asthma that restricts the airway, the Department of Veterans Affairs said in 2010.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

NASA has not yet calculated the total output of this month's toxic fires near Mosul, a city of more than a million. But the agency said the sulfur dioxide emissions have already been significant.

Simon Carn, an atmospheric scientist at Michigan Technological University, said that if the sulfur dioxide was coming from a volcano rather than a fire, it would already be among the largest volcanic eruptions of 2016, he noted in an Oct. 25 tweet.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The World Health Organization said Wednesday that 700,000 people were expected to flee Mosul as Iraqi forces continued their advance, a battle that is expected to take weeks, if not months.

The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.

• Shopping
• Digital Culture
• Science
• Social Good
• Deals
• Tech
• Entertainment
• Life

• The Best Gaming Concept Art of 2016
• Trolls are lashing out at Christian Bale's new movie before it even premieres
• Why Facebook's AR announcement should excite iPhone fans
• Facebook F8 Day 2: AR glasses, brain typing, skin listening, and more
• The Best Gaming Concept Art of 2016
• A French presidential candidate held 7 rallies at once with this technology
• The gender pay gap starts with your college major
• F8 makes it abundantly clear that Facebook has ambitions way beyond your social network
• Your 'wrong person' texts may be linked to Myanmar warlord
• A 'conveyor belt' of plastic is polluting the Arctic Ocean

• Neymar gives us the 2018 World Cup flop we truly deserve
• Why new parents shouldn't feel so guilty about sleep training
• Scarlett Johansson criticized for taking on trans role in 'Rub & Tug'
• 'Spider
• Facebook tells Congress apps had access to data after rule change
• We put 5 popular couples apps to the test and they all failed
• This story about two random people *maybe* falling in love on a plane is too perfect
• Kia's giant hamsters are back, and this time they're culturally sensitive
• University tweets no
• Lyft acquires Motivate, a bike

• 5 Ways to Access a Locked Windows Account
• Katy Perry's picture of Hindu goddess on Instagram offends Indians
• Facebook shows off its brain interface research and... wow
• This hologram David Attenborough is here to teach you all about nature
• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for May 5, 2025
• Facebook's top VR researcher explains why augmented reality is the future
• What's missing from Facebook's vision of a VR future
• North Koreans have been spotted playing volleyball at its nuclear test site
• Samsung Unpacked stream is set for May 12, 2025
• Rihanna's new jelly slides look like those cheap sandals found all over Asia

• Stablecoin bill advances in U.S. Senate as Trump critics call to end his crypto dealings
• China's answer to PayPal is coming to the rest of Asia
• Hooters to alter iconic uniforms for new outlets so it can be 'family friendly'
• I tried to join an Instagram pod and it was like high school all over again
• Stablecoin bill advances in U.S. Senate as Trump critics call to end his crypto dealings
• The state with the most polluted cities probably won't surprise you
• Creative girl revealed her crush via Spotify playlist and they lived happily ever after
• Instagram will soon work offline on your Android phone
• AMD Radeon RX 550 + Intel Pentium G4560
• Plates are boring, so serve your tacos in a plastic dinosaur instead