Air Pollution in Iran Reaches Peak; Mazut Burning as Main Cause

In mid-December, with the weather getting colder, the air in major cities in Iran and even some rural areas has become heavy and unhealthy for breathing, similar to at least the last 15 years. The thirteenth government, like its predecessors in the Islamic Republic, has resorted to closing schools instead of solving the problem, but experts say that "mazut burning" must be stopped. The Tehran Air Quality Control Center announced an index of 157 for the air quality status of the capital on the holiday Friday, December 10, indicating that the air in this city is unhealthy for all groups. The Tehran Meteorological Organization also announced that due to the stable air and lack of significant winds, air pollution in the city and province of Tehran will increase over the next five days, especially from Sunday to Tuesday. The Air Pollution Emergency Committee also announced that on Saturday, December 11, preschools and elementary schools in Tehran province, except for the cities of Firuzkuh, Damavand, and the Roudbar Qasran section, will be held online, and kindergartens and exceptional schools in all grades will be closed. The Crisis Management of Isfahan Province also announced that all educational levels in the six districts of Isfahan city will be held online on Saturday, December 11, and kindergartens, preschools, and exceptional schools in the mentioned areas will be closed. University classes and higher education centers will also be held online, and cultural, sports centers, and sports competitions will also be closed. Roozbeh Eskandari, an environmental expert, told Voice of America that the intensification of air pollution in recent days in Iran, especially in the metropolitan areas of Tehran and Isfahan, is due to the widespread burning of mazut and the non-implementation of the "Clean Air Law." Eskandari stated that the government has no choice but to burn mazut in its outdated refineries to supply gas for the people, while the high sulfur content in the mazuts produced in Iran and their non-standard nature also prevent their export and even use in ships. Eskandari also mentioned that the emission of pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and soot is a result of burning mazut in Iranian refineries, adding that "these factors cause the persistence of the air pollution umbrella in Iran's metropolitan areas and consequently lead to various diseases among the people." He noted that approximately 18 billion cubic meters of flare gas are burned annually in Iran, which is carcinogenic. Winter is approaching with "mazut burning"; the loss of $6 billion due to power outages in the summer. Research results: Why has Iran fallen into a severe electricity and gas crisis? The Environmental Protection Organization: They did not provide enough budget for the Clean Air Law. Investigative report: Toxic chemical composition in Iran's polluted air due to poor management in the energy sector. "Hard winter" has also befallen the people of Iran, just like "hard revenge," not the residents of the West. Living in Tehran is like breathing in a gas chamber; there is no hope except for the wind. The Iranian Ministry of Health: Air pollution in metropolitan areas has claimed the lives of 21,000 people.