Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.17
By Temkin Jafarov - Trend:
Following the suspension of the process of production of gasoline that does not meet environmental standards and manufactured by Iranian refineries, the number of "dirty" days in the period from March to the current moment has decreased, advisor to the head of Iran's Environmental Protection Organization Esmail Kahrom told Trend.
Kahrom said that Euro 4 gasoline, which is imported and used in the country, is compliant with environmental standards, but there are other factors that play role in air pollution as well.
He also said that the admixture of benzene in Euro-4 gasoline is 2-3 percent, however in the gasoline produced at local refineries it is 45-50 percent."
"In Tehran, there are 2.8 million vehicles, and the amount of motorcycles is almost the same," said Kahrom. "In cold weather, their emissions pollute air."
He went on to say that air in such big Iranian cities as Tehran, Esfahan, Tabriz and Shirvan is polluted with dust and other harmful impurities, adding that air is clean only when it is raining, or when it is windy or snowing.
Tehran is regarded as being one of the most polluted cities in t he world. Holidays have been repeatedly announced in the departments, organizations and schools across the country in connection with the air pollution.
Many claim the vehicles in Iran are the main cause of heavy air pollution, as roughly 60 percent of Iran's population use their own cars.
Head of Environmental Protection Organization of Iran Masoumeh Ebtekar said that gasoline, which is produced in Iran, does not comply with international standards. She said currently the issue is under strict control.
Iran daily consumes more than 60 million liters of gasoline. Iran has been importing 10 million liters of Euro-4 gasoline daily since the beginning of this year (begins in March). Iran's refineries produce 44.7 million liters of gasoline per day.
An emergency plan on increasing the gasoline production was executed in the country during the last years of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government due to the international sanctions. Thus, its production reached 60 million liters per day.
Temkin Jafarov is Trend Agency's staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @JafarovTemkin