Carcinogenic Pollution in Kazaz Village, a Village Known by All Doctors

The Iran newspaper reported that "air pollution" in Kazaz village of Shazand in Markazi province has led to an increase in cancer, infertility, heartless fetuses, childhood disabilities, skin diseases, and ultimately mortality. This report, published in the Tuesday, September 17 issue of the newspaper under the title "All Doctors Know Kazaz," identified pollution from the "oil refinery, petrochemical plant, and thermal power plant" as the cause of the widespread serious illnesses among the village's residents. The reporter from Iran, after visiting this village of 1,900 people located 20 kilometers from Arak, quoted one of the villagers as saying: "It has been like this for two or three years; whenever anyone goes to the doctor, they say it is due to the refinery." Mostafa Arab, the governor of Shazand County, also confirmed the citizens' statements, stating that industrial pollutants have had "significant impacts on water, soil, and the health of people" throughout Shazand County. Mehdi Bakhshi, a member of the Shazand City Council, described the "incorrect placement" of heavy industries such as the refinery, petrochemical plant, and thermal power plant as a "wrongdoing" against the people of this region. According to Mr. Bakhshi, Kazaz is one of the villages where, "due to its proximity to the refinery, diseases such as cancer and skin diseases, miscarriages, and infertility are prevalent among its residents." He pointed out the illness of most people in this area and the poisoning of their agricultural lands and livestock, adding: "I wish the officials would live in Kazaz for 24 hours to witness the impact of industrial pollutants on people's lives up close, but unfortunately, officials are only concerned about their chairs and have abandoned the people." Residents of the village spoke to Iran newspaper about the "deaths of several women and men" suffering from cancer in the past 40 days, the existence of "35 exceptional children," "water pollution," and "hay that sticks to the hands." One resident of Kazaz named Abdollah Jafari, whose "fingers" have "blisters," told the Iran reporter: "80% of the people here have cancer. My hands are like this because of the refinery; there is no need to ask. My four-year-old son has developed a skin condition; his skin has become like leather, it is breaking out, but our voices do not reach anyone." The people of the region complained about the "bad smell" and "heaviness of the air" and "skin and respiratory diseases" caused by the pollutants, stating that even their gathering in the village mosque and protesting to the governor of Shazand has been ineffective. One of them told the Iran reporter that "everyone knows this place is polluted, but they do nothing. Don't bother yourself either." The Iran newspaper further mentioned the women of Kazaz village who are either infertile, have given birth to disabled children, or have had miscarriages. A woman who recently lost a fetus told the newspaper's reporter: "Doctors said its heart had not formed; as soon as I mentioned where I came from, the doctors quickly said it was due to the air pollution in your village. Many people have had this problem, and the doctors in Arak know this area." She added: "Here, you either get cancer and die, or you can't have children, or like me, you give birth to a heartless child. Those who have children are also constantly worried because breathing here is difficult, and some children get nosebleeds." According to this report and confirmation from local officials, industrial pollutants in Shazand have not only harmed the health of the people but have also contaminated their agricultural lands and apple and grape orchards. According to the Iran newspaper, "chemical wastewater has rendered lands that once produced cucumbers, tomatoes, and beans barren and unproductive. The Neyestan water reservoir, which once was the identity of the place, has dried up due to extraction from the springs and deep wells of the refinery, and even agricultural water has become polluted." According to a livestock farmer, "Animals that once had golden livers now seem to have eaten tar, and their fat (white liver) develops pus, forcing us to throw away the stomach, intestines, liver, and fat." One of the village shopkeepers said: "We sell one box of painkillers a day because most people have terrible headaches. If you ask anyone, they will tell you how much we all sleep as if we have been bewitched. In the morning when we wake up, it feels like we have been possessed; we can't get out of bed and fall back into it again." Ali Jafari, a 28-year-old villager who has currently survived after having a cancerous tumor removed, criticized the responsible authorities, saying they either need to relocate the people of this region or at least provide them with medical facilities. He added: "Every time I went for chemotherapy, it cost 700,000 tomans; everyone either has cancer or will get it soon. How much income do we have?" According to this villager, "there is no work left in this village; even none of us were given jobs in this refinery except for the fingers of one hand. The work and profit are for them, and the misery and suffering are for us." Reports about air pollution in various cities in Iran and its impact on the health and daily life of Iranians have been raised in domestic news for years. For instance, regarding Kazaz village, the Shahrvand newspaper previously published a report in 2014 titled "The Grief of Dead Children on the Hearts of Kazaz." However, so far, no report has been published in Iranian media holding responsible individuals accountable for creating this pollution. In addition to pollution caused by negligence, drought and water scarcity, rising temperatures, and dust storms have plagued people in various cities in Iran, and numerous reports have been published about the migration of citizens and villagers from areas facing serious problems.