TEHRAN – The main reason behind Tehran's air pollution is the traffic of old cars and diesel motorcycles, head of air health and climate change department of the Ministry of Health has said.

Over the past days (especially on December 13-16), Average Air Quality Index rose to values between 150-200, prompting Tehran local authorities to close down school and university classes for three days and switch to online learning. SO2 pollutant also increased by 3-5 times.

Implementing the articles of the clean air law approved by the parliament can greatly help to improve Tehran's air quality, ISNA quoted Abbas Shahsavandi as saying on Tuesday.

There are many clunker vehicles and diesel motorcycles in Tehran, which must be removed from the consumption cycle, he added.

Dealing with air pollution is necessary due to its diverse effects on people’s health. Air pollution is known as the fourth cause of premature death in the world, and all institutions must do their best to implement the clean air law, he further explained.

Meanwhile, in developing countries, air pollution is the third risk factor for death. In fact, global studies have shown that outdoor and indoor air pollution in urban and rural areas leads to more than seven million premature deaths every year.

During the last [Iranian calendar] year (March 2021-March 2022), the number of all deaths attributed to long-term exposure to PM2.5 particles increased by more than 87 percent compared to a year before, according to Shahsavani.

Some 83 percent of air pollution in Tehran and 70 percent in other big cities of the country are caused by mobile sources, Abdollah Motevalli, deputy director of the Standards and Quality Inspection Company, said.

All motor vehicles, including light, semi-heavy, and heavy motorcycles used by government, public and non-government sectors; are required to obtain a technical examination certificate, which can be highly effective in reducing air pollution, optimizing fuel consumption and car safety, and consequently the health of citizens.

Air pollution kills more than AIDS and malaria

The number of people who die annually from air pollution in the world is 6 times the number of people who die from malaria and 4 times those killed by AIDS.

The probability of death in children under the age of five in low-income countries due to exposure to air pollution is more than 60 times higher than in high-income countries. Also, the number of people who die annually from air pollution in the world is more than 6 times the number of people who die from malaria and more than 4 times the number of people who die from AIDS.

The guidelines of the World Health Organization in 2005 show that reducing the concentration of PM10 particles from 70 micrograms per cubic meter to 20 micrograms per cubic meter will reduce the death rate by 15 percent.

The World Health Organization estimated in 2019 that outdoor and indoor air pollution in urban and rural areas leads to more than 7 million premature deaths annually. Also, based on a report in 2019, it was found that in the world, on average, about 54 percent of premature deaths related to outdoor air pollution are due to ischemic heart disease and stroke.

Also, seven percent of premature deaths of lung cancer and 19 percent of premature deaths of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are related to outdoor air pollution.

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