Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 8
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
Managing Director of the Public Relations Department of the Environment Organization of Khuzestan Province Shahryar Askari said that dust particles in the air over the province are 35 times more than the healthy limit, IRNA news agency reported on Feb. 8.
The official said that 5,357 micrograms per cubic meter of dust was detected in the air that day.
Enumerating the statistics for other cities of the province he said that Abadan suffered 308, Andimeshk 139, Behbahan 203, Dezful 156, Shush 280, Gotvand 68, Shushtar 149, and Sousangerd 225 micrograms per cubic meter of dust in air.
The normal amount of dust in the air is 150 micrograms per cubic meter.
The province's Meteorology Organization announced that the horizontal sight range was 300, 400, and 2,500 meters in Ahvaz, Mahshahr, and Abadan.
The organization predicted that the dust storm would stay in the area for the rest of the day.
The worst dust storm in the area was reported 2 weeks ago with 10 thousand microgram per cubic meter of dust in air, 66 times the healthy limit.
Heavy dust storm in Ahvaz forced officials to call off the afternoon school sessions Jan. 27.
In recent years, dust storms in the western part of Iran have grown in frequency and density. It has on occasions caused people serious respiratory problems, sometimes even forcing them to seek hospital care.
The storms are believed to be the result of dust being carried by atmospheric circulation from lands to the west of Iran.
Some have blamed the desertification of lagoons in Iraq and the strong winds from the deserts of Saudi Arabia for the blanket of dust reaching Iranian cities.