Air Pollution Second Leading Cause of Death in Iran; Air Quality in Tehran and Many Cities Unhealthy and Dangerous

Kokcha News Agency: Mohammad Sadegh Hassanvand, head of the Air Pollution Research Center at the Environmental Research Institute of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, announced that air pollution is the second leading cause of death in Iran, following high blood pressure.

He said, “Over the past 24 hours, the concentration of particulate matter larger than 10 microns and smaller has been 10 to 15 times higher than the limit set by the World Health Organization for health safety.”

According to the Iranian News Agency (IRNA), Hassanvand stated that air quality in Tehran and many other cities has been reported as unhealthy, very unhealthy, and dangerous since Wednesday, July 2.

He added, “Based on available data, the air quality index is in an unhealthy state due to particulate matter of 10 microns and 2.5 microns, which are the main causes of air pollution.”

Hassanvand continued, “Data shows that dust storms and fine particles are the primary cause of this pollution, and this dust originates from both domestic sources and partially from outside the country—Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.”

He noted that the average concentration of particulate matter reported at monitoring stations in Tehran has been around 450 micrograms per cubic meter, and in some cases, it has reached up to 600 micrograms per cubic meter, which is an unfavorable condition.

He warned citizens: “If, for any reason, you must go outside, it is strongly recommended to use standard N95 masks or three-dimensional masks.”