Spatial Statistical Analysis of Air Pollutants and Their Relationship with Respiratory and Cancer Diseases in Baghdad City using Satellite Data
Baghdad is one of the most polluted urban centers in the world. According to reported data, it has many power plants, industrial areas, and oil refineries within or near its residential communities. Continued exposure to toxic gases and fine particulate matter creates serious concerns for public health, especially when evaluating the risk of developing cancer. The health data covered major respiratory diseases, asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as cancer types including lung cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, colon cancer, and leukemia. Cancer recorded 2,783 cases in 2023, and 2,973 cases in 2024, and respiratory diseases recorded 2,617 cases in 2023 and 2,527 cases in 2024. Also, environmental data (i.e., nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), or carbon monoxide (CO)) for both years were provided by the Sentinel-5P satellite. Environmental data for the summer and winter seasons of 2023 and 2024, as well as from March to June of 2025, were collected using Sentinel-5P satellite data, focusing on pollutants such as SO2, NO2, and CO. Additionally, field measurements of gas concentrations were obtained for four months of 2025 using the iBrid MX6 multi-gas detector device, which measures CO2, SO2, NO2, NO, CO, and H2S. After the data collection phase, the datasets were verified and analyzed. So, a prediction model was done by using the OLS model applied in two stages. Stage I was used to examine the relationships between air pollutants and disease incidence only. In Stage II, a separate OLS model was developed using a comprehensive set of spatial, temporal, environmental, urban, demographic, and health-related variables.