Air pollution behind over 30,000 deaths in Iran last year

Abbas Shahsavani, the head of the Air Health and Climate Change Group of the Ministry of Health, announced on Sunday that based on monitoring a statistical population of 48 million people, the number of deaths attributed to air pollution was 30,692 in the Iranian year 1402 (roughly March 2023-March 2024).

It represents a 17% increase (4,385 more deaths) compared to the previous year, when 26,307 deaths were recorded. Shahsavani noted that the year 1401 (March 2022-March 2023) also saw a significant 26% increase in air pollution-related fatalities compared to a year earlier.

The crisis is particularly acute in Tehran, where only 12 days – a mere 3% of the year – had safe levels of particulate matter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), a dangerous pollutant that can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.

Tehran's air pollution has persisted for 10 consecutive days, with Ahvaz, Mahshahr, and Abadan also experiencing "red zone" (very unhealthy) air quality on Sunday. Several other cities, including Zanjan, Ramhormoz, and Shadegan, reported unhealthy air for sensitive groups.

The worsening air quality has led to a 30% increase in visits to government medical centers for non-communicable respiratory diseases since late December.

Over the past week, hundreds of people across Iran have been hospitalized due to heart and respiratory problems, forcing school, university, and government office closures in some provinces.

While dust storms decreased in western regions last year, they intensified in eastern areas, particularly in Zabol and Iranshahr in Sistan-Baluchestan province, which Shahsavani identified as the country's most polluted cities.

The increase in sandstorms in Sistan-Baluchestan province is linked to the drying of key regional rivers and wetlands, including the Hirmand, Hamun, and Jazmourian.

Isfahan and Mashhad, two major metropolitan areas, are also experiencing high levels of pollutants.

As the cost mounts, the Ministry of Health has been tasked with investigating the health and economic impacts of air pollution since 1396 (March 2017-March 2018), aiming to advocate for effective measures to mitigate the problem.