Official: Tehran ranked world’s 21st polluted capital city

An Iranian official says Tehran has been ranked as the 21st polluted capital city in the world, as air pollution in the Iranian capital reaches an unhealthy level once again.

Jafar Tashakori Hashemi, who heads the Transportation Commission of Tehran’s City Council, warned against the dangerous effects of pollutants on the people’s health and said, “Iran ranks 24th in terms of air pollution among 113 countries, while Tehran ranks 21st among 107 capital cities in the world.”

He said 26,000 people suffer early death each year due to air pollution, which inflicts losses worth $30 billion.

The comments come as Tehran’s air quality index currently stands at 130, which means it is dangerous for sensitive groups, official figures show.

Since the beginning of the Persian calendar year on March 21, residents of Tehran have had 144 days with acceptable air quality, 103 days of unhealthy air for sensitive groups, 12 days of unhealthy air for all people, days of very unhealthy air, two days of dangerous air and only 2 days of fully clean air, according to the figures.

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