An Iraqi environmental watchdog has issued a serious health warning after revealing that the waters of the Tigris River contain extremely hazardous organic pollutants, posing what it said is a direct threat to the health of millions of residents in Baghdad and several southern provinces.

In a statement on Saturday, the independent Green Iraq Observatory said the river’s waters contain dangerous industrial and agricultural organic contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates (DEHP), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The observatory warned that these substances cause severe health damage, including cancer, endocrine disorders, and liver and kidney damage, in addition to contaminating the ecosystem, noting that they are difficult to filter or remove through existing water treatment plants.

The observatory said the Tigris has become "heavily polluted", with contamination beginning in the capital and extending downstream to other provinces, including Wasit, Maysan, and Basra, which rely on the river as a primary source of water for daily use.

It added that the pollution has a significant impact on human health as well as on other living organisms.

The observatory revealed that one ministry had recently prepared a report assessing water quality in Baghdad at the direction of senior authorities.

After the report was completed and submitted, it was withheld, when its findings revealed what the observatory called "disasters that cannot be disclosed" in the waters of the Tigris, which is used as a main source for daily human consumption.

The observatory stressed the need to resolve the issue "as quickly as possible", warning that the river has effectively been transformed into a "waste dump", while arguing that it remains possible to preserve what remains of the river’s water as a viable source for residents of Baghdad and other provinces.

Eyewitnesses said sewage water is being discharged directly into the Tigris in several areas of Baghdad, raising concerns over the absence of fundamental treatment solutions. Health specialists said the warnings cannot be postponed.

Samer Saadi, an internal medicine specialist, told The New Arab's sister outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that "continuous exposure to organic pollutants does not cause immediate or obvious symptoms, but it significantly increases the risk of tumours and affects the hormonal and immune systems".