Air pollution claimed 50 thousand lives in Iran last year: Iranians breathe polluted air for 247 days

Iranian Minister of Health Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi reported that air pollution caused the deaths of approximately 50 thousand people in the country last year.

Zafarghandi spoke at the National Clean Air Day Conference.

Zafarghandi stated, '12.56 percent of deaths in our country, meaning approximately 50 thousand people, lost their lives due to causes related to air pollution.'

Noting that the economic damage caused by air pollution is around 12 billion dollars, Zafarghandi used the following expressions:

'International standards accept the presence of more than 5 micrograms of particles per cubic meter of air as pollution; we set this at 12 micrograms. Even according to our own criteria, cities in our country breathe polluted air for an average of 247 days a year. This duration rises to 353 days for the capital, Tehran.'

IRAN'S CAPITAL TO CHANGE DUE TO AIR POLLUTION

Last December, Iran announced that the country's capital would be moved from Tehran to the coastal region of Makran in the south of the country. The air pollution in Tehran and the increasing population density were cited as reasons for the decision.

It is stated that the air pollution in Tehran is caused by the city's unsuitability for air circulation, population density, and exhaust gases emitted by old-model vehicles and widely used motorcycles.

The Iranian Minister stated that Zabol is the most polluted city in terms of air pollution, while Sanandaj is the cleanest.