The Watson Institute of the University of Braun, USA, revealed a dangerous health disaster in Iraq, where the results of studies conducted in Fallujah showed the presence of uranium in the bones of 29% of the city’s population, while bullets were found in 100% samples of the study participants.
According to the report, the returnees to the areas that have been bombed may face increasing health risks due to their exposure to heavy metals, which affects their health and the health of future generations.
These results support previous studies that showed that the population who lives in devastating areas is more vulnerable to reproductive health problems and congenital defects, as Fallujah recorded a 17 -time increase in birth defects after the American invasion in 2003, according to the report.
Orthopedic samples showed that the rate of lead among Fallujah residents is 600% higher compared to the normal rate of similar age groups in the United States, and the analysis of soil samples revealed high levels of heavy metals in the areas most exposed to bombing, which reflects the long -term effects of military activities on the environment and public health.
The report pointed out that “the city recorded high rates of cancer, including 12 times an increase in child cancer rates, bypassing the levels of radioactive pollution recorded after Hiroshima bombed.”
The report warned, that “the cities that were subjected to intense bombing such as Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Ukraine may face similar health repercussions, as those returning to them may be exposed to long -term health problems as a result of environmental pollution with heavy metals.”
The report also described Fallujah, as “it is a clear case study of the long -term health effects caused by modern weapons,” noting that “the city witnessed collective waves followed by a return to the population who faced widespread pollution with heavy metals.”
Since the Fallujah War during the year 2004 and then ISIS occupied the city in 2014, wars have caused widespread destruction, as 60-70% of the city were destroyed, and thousands were killed, and the infrastructure was subjected to mass destruction, including hospitals, power stations and water networks.
The report pointed out that “the city recorded high rates of cancer, including 12 times an increase in child cancer rates, bypassing the levels of radioactive pollution recorded after Hiroshima bombed.”
The research was carried out, according to the report, between 2021-2025 by a team of anthropologists, doctors, genetics, epidemics, medical physicists, and geographic.
Meanwhile, analyzes revealed the presence of high levels of heavy metals in the soil of Fallujah, especially in the areas that were exposed to intense shelling, where uranium, thorium, bullets, arsenic and other heavy minerals were monitored in military operations.
During the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, 19040 guided bombs, 8,885 unguided bombs, and 1276 cluster bombs, spread to the spread of dangerous pollutants in the Iraqi environment, whose effects still exist today.
On referring to uranium, the report explained, “Other heavy mineral analysis is currently taking place in the city, and these samples are like those known to be widely used in military shelling, such as arsenic, cadmium, thorium, tentalum, and others.”
The report indicated that «the presence of uranium in the samples of the bones of the inhabitants of Fallujah may be compatible with the well -known and well -documented use of depleted uranium weapons during the nineties in the war led by the United States on Iraq, and in the first decade of the 21st century, where investigations found that the American forces and their allies used 116,000 kg of depleted uranium during the invasion of Iraq in the year 2003.
The report recommended taking preventive measures to reduce long -term health effects, especially for returning to the areas that were bombed, including wearing protection masks during the removal of rubble and cleaning to prevent inhalation of toxic particles, and to bury waste and building materials instead of burning them to reduce the spread of carcinogens.
It also recommended to avoid pregnant women participating in cleaning and rebuilding operations, and eating foods rich in calcium, vitamin C and vitamin D to reduce the absorption of heavy metals, as well as giving priority to foods rich in folic acid such as spinach, broccoli and subsidized wheat, especially for women in the first three months of pregnancy.
The report stressed, “The need to take into account policy makers of these long -term health effects,” noting that “wars survivors bear a dual burden, they are not only suffering from displacement and loss of property, but they face serious health risks that may be transmitted to future generations.”
Today, Fallujah is not just a city that has witnessed battles, but rather a flagrant model for environmental and health destruction left by modern wars, which requires an urgent response from the international community to reduce these health disasters.
