Air pollution in Tehran

Tehran faces severe air pollution, with large areas of smog often appearing in the city, making it difficult to breathe and causing lung diseases. An estimated 27 people die every day in Tehran from illnesses caused by air pollution. According to local officials, poor air quality can kill 3,600 people in a single month. 80% of the sources of air pollution come from vehicle exhaust, and the remaining 20% ??come from industrial pollution. Some estimates suggest that motorcycles alone account for 30% of Tehran's air pollution and 50% of its noise pollution.

Iran implemented a gasoline rationing plan in 2007, but it had little effect in reducing pollution. In 2011, the government hoped to improve traffic and pollution problems amid improvements to the transportation system and rising gasoline prices as a result of funding reform programs.

Tehran’s severe air pollution is mainly caused by the following reasons: Most industries are located on the outskirts of Tehran, and the city is filled with old vehicles that do not comply with today’s emission regulations. Many citizens use private cars or taxis to commute, causing serious traffic congestion. To the north of Tehran is the vast Alborz Mountains, which blocks the warm and moist airflow from the Caspian Sea. Frequent temperature inversions make it difficult for Tehran's air pollutants to dilute and dissipate. The year-round dry and cloudless weather makes Tehran extremely sunny, while ultraviolet rays and pollutants increase the ozone content in the air. In addition, the quality of gasoline produced in Iran is reportedly of poor quality, exacerbating the pollution problem. The government is committed to reducing air pollution and is encouraging taxis and buses to replace gasoline engines with compressed natural gas engines. In addition, since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, "traffic zones" have been established during peak traffic hours in the city center, and vehicles entering the "traffic zones" are subject to special restrictions. The government also hopes to raise citizens' awareness of the dangers of pollution. For example, it will install pollution indicator monitors throughout the city to monitor the levels of suspended particles, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. The monitors will also display air pollution indicators. The air pollution indicators are the above five types. A composite index of air quality measurements of pollutants, classifying levels of each pollutant as safe, hazardous, or hazardous.