Sprol

In 1991, and again in March of 2003, oil fires became a serious environmental concern. In 1991, it was the Kuwait oil fields, set ablaze by Sadaam Hussein. In March of 2003, it was the oil fields in Iraq itself, also believed to have been set on fire by Sadaam’s people.

This satellite imagery shows some of the burning oil wells of 2003. The intense, black smoke created a litany of environmental and human concerns, one of which focused on the carbon dioxide released by the smoke.

The Carbon Cycle is something every living thing (people included) is part of, but most people have never heard of it. Simply put, the Carbon Cycle is the cyclical exchange of carbons between atmosphere, ocean and biosphere. There are many stores, or “sinks”, of carbon, and many ways the sinks exchange carbon. Photosynthesis is the most well known aspect of the carbon cycle, though the process doesn’t end with carbon dioxide and water being made into food for plants. From there, the cycle continues. An animal eats the plant. The carbon dioxide, which has been transformed into glucose, is ingested, and the animal becomes part of the cycle. Carbon is then emitted from the animal either through various bodily functions (exhaling, etc.), or through death of the animal (decomposing bodies emit carbon dioxide). So the carbon in released back into the air and the process starts all over again.

An event like the Iraqi oil fires raises concerns because the Carbon Cycle is what’s called a closed cycle. In other words, the carbon never goes away, it is merely transferred, in various forms, from one thing to another. So when an abundance of carbon is released into the atmosphere by something like an oil fire, we’re stuck with that. Those carbons are now a permanent part of our environment and eco-system.

In a November, 1998 Department of Defense news briefing, Lt. General Dale Vesser (ret.) stated that the effects of the Kuwait oil fires (at least to humans) were negligible.

“….the exposure in Kuwait during the oil well fires…to many of these substances was lower than it was in Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix or Los Angeles during this same period of time.
Now why is that? The oil well fires burned so hot, first of all, much of this material was lofted high. But in addition, much of the material was destroyed, so there were fewer contaminants left after the fire because the fire burned so hot.”
Source

Based on this statement, it seems safe to say the effects of the Iraq oil fires were negligible to humans as well. However, long-term effects are still being assessed, and short-term effects were clear: people with asthma and other respiratory conditions found those conditions to be aggravated when exposed to the smoke and soot created by the fires.

There is also concern about something called a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), which is produced during the incomplete burning of oil, gas, or coal. PAHs are believed to be carcinogenic and have been the cause of reproductive problems and birth defects in laboratory animals. Some laboratory mice also passed these problems on to their offspring. In addition, PAHs can contaminate the water supply. They don’t readily dissolve in water, but rather, sink to the floor of rivers and lakes. Certain types will pass through soil and contaminate ground water, thus becoming a potentially more dangerous part of our eco-system as it can then be absorbed by plants, and eventually by animals and/or people.

Another official government statement claimed that the carbon particles released into the atmosphere were too large to be absorbed into the lungs or skin. Good news for U.S. troops and Iraqi citizens, potentially bad news for the rest of us.

One effect of an increased release of carbons is an intensified “greenhouse effect”. Carbon dioxide interferes with the Earth’s natural heat radiation. It essentially blocks heat rays, keeping them here on Earth. Consequently, a greater amount of carbon dioxide means more heat is trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere.
The Greenhouse Effect, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. The Earth’s eco-system was intentionally designed with a certain amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It’s one of the factors that make this planet conducive to life. The problem is that we’ve been producing more and more carbon dioxide. And remember, the Carbon Cycle is a closed one, so the excess we produce sticks around. This means that all the additional carbon produced by the Iraqi oil fires hasn’t dissipated, and never will. It’s now a permanent part of the cycle.

Debates will undoubtedly continue with regards to the true effects the Iraqi oil fires have had, and are having, on people and the environment. Some will claim there were no effects at all, others will make it sound as though the world is coming to end. So we may never know the absolute, untainted truth, but we do know this: excess carbons were released into an environment that’s already becoming carbon-heavy, and some of what was released is potentially toxic. And despite the fact that some carbon sinks (like the ocean) absorb more carbon than they release, we find ourselves dealing with an unnatural balance.