Clean gasoline distribution helps controlling Iran’s air pollution
By Sara Rajabova
Iran, which is facing the big problem of air pollution for a long time is attempting to resolve it distributing clean gasoline in the country.
Head of the Iran's Environmental Protection Organization Massoumeh Ebtekar said the distribution of clean gasoline has helped controlling air pollution in four large Iranian cities, including the capital, Tehran.
Ebtekar said on September 11 that the country had begun distributing clean gasoline in the metropolitan cities of Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz and Arak in a move to improve the quality of vehicle fuels.
Tehran and other major Iranian cities have been hit by air pollution several times over the past months.
Many people in Iran were suffering from respiratory problems due to the smog caused by the consumption of unclean gasoline.
Ebtekar, however, added that the environmental indicators show the air quality in the four cities is not at an unhealthy level any more.
Earlier in June, Managing Director of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, Abbas Kazemi said the air pollution in Tehran, which reached to an alarming level in previous years, has significantly reduced.
Last June, Iran began distributing Euro-4 premium gasoline, which meets European fuel quality standards, in a number of large cities.
Euro-4 is a globally accepted European emission standard for vehicles which require fuel with significantly low amounts of sulfur and benzene.
Iranian government has ordered the Oil Ministry to distribute gasoline meeting Euro-4 standard and high quality diesel oil in big cities.
All the gas stations of Iranian capital, Tehran are currently distributing gasoline meeting Euro-4 standard.
Environmental experts believe a large part of air pollution in Iran is due to emissions from vehicles using low quality gasoline produced in petrochemical complexes.
In recent years, air pollution in Tehran and other areas including Khuzestan and Isfahan, reached a critical point. Thus, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani gave a special directive to address air pollution in Tehran.
The air over Iran's capital is amongst the most polluted in the world, and experts say many Iranians suffer from serious health problems. The problem of Tehran's air pollution has repeatedly forced the government to declare some days off in the capital due to the high degree of pollution.
Other major Iranian cities also struggle with air pollution on a seasonal basis.
The fact that some big cities like Isfahan, Mashhad, Arak, Karaj, Qom, and Ahvaz are facing a somewhat similar situation backs up this view.