The head of the Abadan Department of the Environment says the concentration of dust particles in the city’s air has reached 10,000 micrograms per cubic metre, which is 66 times the acceptable standard.
Ahmad Mousavi Azad told IRNA on Tuesday September 8 that Abadan air quality is at the “severely dangerous” level. Accordingly, he has called on Abadan residents to refrain from unnecessary trips outside.
Cities in Southern and Western Iran have been regularly facing severe dust storms in recent years and they appear to be intensifying.
The Department of the Environment spokesman stated that about 70 percent of the dust storms originate outside the country.
Meteorological reports indicate that severe winds will persist in Khuzestan Province this week and its cities will continue to experience dust storms.
A decline in rainfall and a lack of mulching in Iraq and Saudi Arabia are cited by Iranian officials as two chief causes of the growing problem of dust particles in the air.
