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.

Najaf

Salt mining has been a generational trade in Iraq's Najaf basin, supporting dozens of households. However, the industry now faces significant health and environmental challenges due to the contamination of salt pans by untreated sewage and traces of radioactive substances. 

Tests have revealed that wastewater and potentially radioactive gases have seeped into the salt, raising concerns about its safety for use in various industries. While experts have recorded a rise in cancer cases in the area, they caution that more studies are needed to directly link the illnesses to contaminated salt. The situation highlights the urgent need for greater oversight to protect both public health and the livelihoods of local miners.

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

In the golden light of dawn, the salt pans of Najaf shimmer on the desert plains. For generations, families have mined salt from these shallow pools, a trade passed down over decades. Hassan Khuwait is a salt miner, like his father and grandfather before him. He says the work is demanding and the process takes time. The process is like cultivation. It can take from six months to two years, depending on the water levels. When water dries up, the salt thickens. We flood the land, then wash and dry the salt. Drought makes it easier to collect more. Now we just pump in more water from the stagnant nearby ponds. It's also lucrative and sustains dozens of households. Hassan says each season his team can extract a ton of salt. His team can extract up to 12 tons a day. This is one of Iraq's vast salt flats. The worsening water shortage is causing new pans to emerge. But these glittering crystals contain a hidden danger. Tests have shown traces of wastewater and radioactive substances, raising concerns about their safety. Untreated sewage is seeping into parts of the Najaf basin, threatening the entire ecosystem. The Najaf basin area collects untreated sewage, which has contaminated the salt. We've also detected gases that could indicate radioactive elements, though more studies are needed to confirm this. From tanneries to farms and even factories, this salt is used in multiple industries, spreading the risk of contamination across the supply chain. Contaminated salt poses serious risks, from kidney damage to cancer. We do our best to report any product that fails to meet national health standards. We've recorded hundreds of new cancer cases this year, but without extensive studies we cannot confirm salt as the cause. Experts are warning that without greater oversight, one of Iraq's oldest trades could cause a public health crisis, leaving miners like Hassan caught between economic need and environmental risk. Mahmoud Abdelwahid, Al Jazeera, Najaf, Central Iraq.

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