Air pollution in Iran has reached alarming levels, posing a serious threat to public health and economic stability. Mohammad Sadegh Hasanvand, head of the Air Pollution Research Center at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, recently revealed that air pollution accounts for approximately 12% of deaths in the country. With 450,000 deaths reported annually in Iran, 50,000 are directly attributed to this environmental hazard.
In an interview with IRNA on November 23, Hasanvand highlighted that air pollution ranks as the fourth—and occasionally the third—leading risk factor contributing to mortality in Iran. He described it as the most significant environmental risk factor, endangering the health of millions across the country. The primary pollutant of concern is suspended particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5), which has been monitored in Iran since 2010.
Hasanvand noted that PM2.5 levels in Iran are approximately six times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended limit. In Tehran, the situation is particularly dire, with PM2.5 concentrations measured at 5.5 times the global health standard and 2.5 times the national threshold of 12 micrograms per cubic meter. These hazardous levels of pollution result in an increasing number of unhealthy days and heightened risks of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
