February 01, 2023

Breathless in Tehran: the struggle with dangerous air quality

topic:	Air Pollution
located:	Iran
editor:	Goly Razzazi

Air pollution in Tehran, the capital city of Iran, has been a persistent issue for many years, growing in scale and complexity as the city expands in both size and population. This has led to year-round pollution: the temperature inversion in winter months traps pollution from carbon fuels, creating smog, while droughts and dust exacerbate the problem in the summer. The past year has seen a four-fold increase in days classified as dangerously polluted, and four days exceeding the levels of heavy or severe pollution. Tehran’s citizens have only experienced healthy air for two of the past 288 days.

For many years, the large number of old and non-standard cars has been blamed for the rise in air pollution. However, more recently, the use of mazut, a low-quality heavy fuel oil burned in power plants and factories, has been pointed out as a major contributor to the problem, particularly during the winter months. The geographical conditions of Tehran, surrounded by the Alborz Mountain range, also exacerbate the issue, as they trap the smog near the ground.

The problem of air pollution caused by cars in Iran is complex and has two main contributing factors: the use of low-quality gasoline and the presence of old and highly polluting vehicles on the roads. The sulphur content in gasoline sold in Iran is high and continues to rise, due to the country's outdated and inefficient refineries. The dominance of two major companies in Iran's car market has stifled competition and has not allowed for advancements in vehicle standards. As a result, even new cars emit excessive pollutants in a short period of time.

Those in charge have blamed the sanctions against Iran as the sole reason for these issues, including the production of outdated and poorly designed vehicles, as well as the use of low-quality gasoline.

Iranian refineries are also outdated, leading to high levels of mazut production, reaching 50 percent in most refineries compared to 5-10 percent in other countries. This low-quality mazut cannot be sold on the world market, and due to storage difficulties, it must be consumed domestically. When burned by power plants and industries, mazut generates much more pollution than natural gas. Energy experts have noted that industries, in order to reduce costs, burn mazut without removing or reducing its sulphur content, thereby contributing to the air pollution problem.

Another challenge stems from poor city planning and management. The Tehran municipality is a large and inefficient organisation that prioritises monetary gains over effective city planning, often selling off valuable land in the city to cover daily expenses. Unfortunately, a significant portion of its income (70 percent) is generated from high-rise construction projects, which are often built in the path of the city's main wind stream from the mountains. 

To address the sources of air pollution and the conditions that perpetuate it, several strategies can be employed. Improving economic relationships with other countries and allowing for the entry of foreign cars and technologies can improve the situation. Better planning and management of the city, with a focus on environmental needs - rather than immediate profit - can also allow for the natural dispersion of smog. However, these efforts can only be successful if the government maintains peace and stability, both domestically and globally.

Photo by Amir Hosseini

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