Based on interdisciplinary biological, environmental, and anthropological research in Fallujah, Iraq, a recent Costs of War report finds that people who have returned to bombarded homes and neighborhoods may face increased risk of negative health impacts from heavy metal exposure, both for themselves and for future generations. The findings support prior research which has demonstrated that those who are first at the scenes of war-damaged areas may be at a higher risk of reproductive health harms, and that Fallujah’s population faced a 17-fold increase in birth anomalies and myriad other health problems linked with the 2003 U.S. invasion. This study found that exposure to remnants of war, amplified by vitamin deficiencies, may play a role in these health outcomes.
Date
March 24, 2025
Lessons from Fallujah: War Returnees Face Long-Term Health Risks from Heavy Metal Exposure
Costs of War's latest research links debris from bombardments in Fallujah, Iraq to poor health outcomes for returnees.