TEHRAN – Running from January 16 to 22, the National Clean Air Week is being observed this year under the theme of 'Clean Air, Responsible Official, Responsible Citizen’.

Every year, January 19, is the National Clean Air Day in Iran in order to remind and highlight the main factors in maintaining air quality, as well as promoting a sense of responsibility and citizen participation in protecting the urban environment and fulfilling social responsibility for the environment.

This year's theme highlights the significance of raising people’s awareness about the effects of air pollution, providing necessary information and health recommendations when confronting unhealthy conditions caused by air pollution, and attracting people’s contribution.

The days of the week are named as follows.

Tuesday, January 16, is named ‘Clean air, public rights’.

Wednesday, January 17, is ‘Clean air, expanding and modernizing public transport fleet’.

Thursday, January 18, is ‘Clean air, development of renewable energy’.

Friday, January 19, is ‘Clean air, education and public participation.

Saturday, January 20, is ‘Clean air, worn-out cars’.

Sunday, January 21, is ‘Clean air, fuel quality’.

Monday, January 23, is ‘Clean air, health’.

Clean Air Law

Air pollution is one of the main concerns of the government; Therefore, all organizations are obliged to act based on the Clean Air Law.

The Clean Air Law, enacted in July 2017, was supposed to be a solution to ease air pollution across the country. Still, now, the air is severely polluted, as the responsible bodies neglect their legal duties to implement the law.

The law has defined responsibilities for the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Oil, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Transport and Urban Development, the Ministry of Industry, Mining, and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Environment, the police, the municipality, the National TV, and some other organizations.

In this regard, according to the three-year plan of the Ministry of Oil, which was presented to the Department of Environment, the amount of sulfur in diesel fuel is supposed to be reduced to a great extent, in order to meet the national standard.

The importance of having clean air is such that a week in the country is named after the Clean Air Week.

A total of 1.8 quadrillion rials (nearly $5 billion) is required to implement the Clean Air Law, Department of Environment chief Ali Salajeqeh has said.

The first vice president is the chairman of the national working group on air pollution, he noted.

The Department of Environment, as a governing and supervisory body, has determined the duties of the bodies in the implementation of the Clean Air Law, he added.

There are two main types of air pollution sources, mobile sources including cars, buses, planes, trucks, and trains, and stationary sources such as oil refineries, industrial facilities, and factories.

Some 40 percent of the emission is produced by stationary sources, while 60 percent of the pollution is generated from mobile sources.

However, due to severe air pollution in recent days in some metropolises of the country, including Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan, Arak, and Tabriz, many experts have emphasized the share of stationary sources in air pollution in these areas because there are signs of non-standard fuel consumption such as Sulfur gasoline or mazut (a heavy, low-quality fuel oil, used in power plants and similar applications).

Even mazut consumption has been approved in some power plants across the country.

According to Article 18 of the Clean Air Law, the Ministry of Oil is obliged to produce fuel, including gasoline, gas oil, fuel oil, and kerosene in accordance with approved national standards (Euro 4).

Also, the share of motorcycles in the production of gaseous pollutants is about 21 percent and in the production of suspended particles is 10 percent.

In addition, each ten carbureted motorcycles emit as much particulate matter as an old diesel bus per kilometer, which is a major cause of air pollution.

While moving sources of pollutants such as diesel cars, motorcycles, private cars, etc. are one of the most important causes of particulate matter less than 2.5 microns - the most important cause of air pollution in the second half of the year - which unfortunately vehicles that do not have technical inspection are only fined in Tehran and several other metropolises.