Air quality in Bandar Mahshahr

What is the level of air pollution in Bandar Mahshahr now?

Bandar-e Mahshahr or Bandar Mahshahr is a city and capital of Mahshahr County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. It is a port city in south western Iran and is perhaps the most important for the country due to its exports of gas and refinery products. A census was conducted in 2016 which estimated the population to be approximately 163,000 people.

Around the middle of 2021, Bandar Mahshahr was going through a period of “Unhealthy” air with a US AQI reading of 152. This United States Air Quality Index figure follows an internationally recognised set of metrics that is used when comparing air quality in different cities throughout the world. It follows guidelines suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In order to ascertain the level, there are up to six of the most commonly found pollutants which are measured. However, there are times when all six figures are not available so the level is calculated using what figures are available.

This was the case for Bandar Mahshahr when just two pollutants were measured. They were PM2.5 - 53.1 µg/m³ and PM10 - 195.8 µg/m³.

With the level of pollution at this height, the advice that is given is to remain indoors as much as possible and close all doors and windows to prevent the ingress of more polluted air into the rooms. Those people of a sensitive disposition should avoid venturing outside until the air quality has improved. The table at the top of this page may help with that decision. Even otherwise healthy people should avoid strenuous exercise outside but instead should change their venue to an indoor arena or gym.

Is the level of air pollution in Bandar Mahshahr the same all year round?

Air pollution is governed by many variable factors such as temperature, wind speed and direction and the level and strength of sunlight, and is therefore very changeable.

The readings for 2020 have been published by the Swiss air monitoring company, IQAir.com and it can readily be seen that the best quality air was enjoyed from January until the end of August with the exception of May and July. During these months, the recorded figure classified the air quality as “Moderate” with readings between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. The months of May and July returned readings of 40.2 and 47.7 µg/m³, respectively which was classed as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups”. The remaining months of the year from September until the end of December were similarly classified with figures between 35.5 – 55.4 µg/m³.

Where does the polluted air in Bandar Mahshahr come from?

The severity of the health of citizens and the cleanliness of the air in the city exceeds the maximum risk by 12 times, making the city one of the most polluted cities in the area and the most prevalent of asthma and cancer.

According to the industrial group, oil, gas and petrochemical industries released the most air pollutants. Nitrogen dioxide with 83.22 per cent, carbon monoxide with 7.3 per cent, hydrocarbons with 1.3 per cent and particulate matter with 8.04 per cent have been allocated to emissions from the stationary sources sector. Management and reduction of air pollution in the industrial sector should be a priority for the oil and gas, petrochemical, power plants and non-metallic minerals industries such as cement, asphalt and brick making.

Various studies of the water, air and land of the region have shown that the pollution caused by the petrochemical and gas industry in this region is significantly higher than elsewhere. This is caused by atmospheric particulate matters (PM2.5 and PM10), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, hazardous air pollutants including nickel, chromium, cadmium, selenium, benzene, hexane, toluene, xylene, propylene and naphthalene.

What can be done to improve the air quality in Bandar Mahshahr?

Poor air quality and climate change are closely linked. Burning fossil fuels releases both air pollutants and greenhouse gases. Thus, reducing air pollution from these sources will help to improve air quality and address climate change at the same time. Some air pollutants are also climate-relevant and thus known as short-lived climate pollutants (SCLPs), such as ground-level ozone (O₃) and black carbon, a component of particulate matter (PM).

Certain measures are being considered such as the eventual removal of older buses and cars and replacing them with newer models that run on natural gas or electricity. The same can be said for motorcycles and scooters which can be very old and contribute a lot to air pollution.

It is also planned to have a tighter control over vehicles using the road through a tighter inspection system. Electric bicycles are also being introduced.

What effect does polluted air in Bandar Mahshahr have on human health?

According to a local news agency more than six thousand citizens suffer from cancer annually, with men accounting for about 53 per cent of this number and the rest is made up of women. The most common sources of cancer among men are skin cancer, lung cancer and bowel cancer. The most common among women is breast cancer, melanoma, leukaemia and lung cancer. In the past year alone, more than 10,465 citizens died, of whom 4,906 died of cardiovascular diseases and 1,156 died from cancer, 206 from diabetes and 480 from asthma and acute lung obstruction.

Apart from the problem of air pollution and dust, which is considered a dangerous and deadly factor in itself, Mahshahr is also facing the problem of mercury pollution. Mercury contamination causes several types of diseases, especially neurological disorders. Mental instability, insomnia, poor memory, headaches, nervous breakdowns, liver and kidney disease, and even genetic disorders are some of the effects of excessive mercury entering the human body.

Air pollution, which is the result of technological progress and industrial development of humans, is one of the biggest environmental problems, a national and global problem and a serious threat to human health and the environment. Carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrocarbons and particulate matter are pollutants. Their presence in the air has the greatest impact on human health and causes a variety of diseases. Air pollution is the fourth leading cause of death in the world and one of the most important causes of mental problems such as depression, anxiety and stress. Also, due to air pollution, altruistic behaviours decrease and vice versa. Pollutants and cosmetic compounds from polluted air that are absorbed through inhalation or through the skin reach the brain through the bloodstream and cause pathogenic inflammation.