In War-Torn Iran Air Pollution Unleashes Invisible Health Threats
Phoenix (USA): (Chat) Waves of bomb attacks by the US and Israel on Tehran and Beirut, and Iran’s missile and drone attacks on neighboring countries, are causing more damage than buildings; It sends toxic waste into the air in cities that are home to millions of people.
Military strikes have hit Iran’s missile stockpiles, nuclear facilities and oil refineries. When the strike set an oil depot on fire, toxic dark clouds floated over Tehran and rain poured down on buildings, cars and people. Neighborhood residents stated that they experienced headaches and difficulty breathing.
As a chemical and environmental engineer who studies the behavior and effects of airborne particles, I follow damage reports to understand the health risks residents face due to the release of toxic substances into the air.
Risks come from many sources, from heavy metals in ammunition to materials dispersed into the air.
Invisible enemy in war: Air pollution
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The effects of a disaster on air quality and public health depend largely on what is destroyed.
The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001 were local, but they spewed large amounts of pollutants into the air. These included gases such as dust, volatile organic compounds, and particles (often called aerosols) containing numerous substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals, asbestos, and polychlorinated biphenyls.
These pollutants can damage the lungs, make breathing difficult, and worsen cardiovascular problems by contributing to heart attacks, among other health harms. Particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers, called PM2.5, are particularly harmful because they can travel deep into the human respiratory system. But larger particles can also pose major airborne health risks.
When buildings are heavily damaged or collapsed, the debris often contains carcinogenic fibrous materials such as crushed concrete, gypsum and asbestos. Even after the initial dust settles, wind and other disturbances, including efforts to find survivors or clear rubble, can send these materials back into the air, putting more people at risk.
Many of the rescue and recovery workers who responded to the World Trade Center collapse in 2001 developed chronic respiratory problems. This is also a risk for people searching for survivors in bombed buildings after military attacks and when clearing rubble afterwards.
Fires pose additional hazards as vehicles, buildings, and the chemicals and other materials inside them burn. Fires in Los Angeles in January 2025 sent dangerous particles and gases into the lower layers of the atmosphere. Studies have shown how lead particles that fall on the ground rise back into the air and people can inhale them along with other pollutants.
Ammunition and oil facilities
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Military strikes deteriorate air quality in other ways, too. Gaza Strip, Iraq, Kuwait, Ukraine and finally Iran and surrounding countries suffered great damage from ammunition containing toxic substances. Bombs and artillery often contain explosives and heavy metals, such as lead and mercury, that contaminate soil, water and the environment.
When oil storage facilities and pipelines are damaged, they emit a particularly harmful cocktail of pollutants. This chemical mixture contains airborne soot particles that darken the skies and contribute to the “black rain” observed in Iran.
During the Gulf War in 1991, countries upwind experienced similar dirty rain as Kuwait’s oil fields burned. The U.S. Department of Defense found that the smoke clouds contained sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, among other gases and soot.
The serious consequences of environmental pollution during wars led the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to publish a series of reports on the health of Gulf War veterans starting in the early 2000s.
They documented illnesses experienced by soldiers after exposure to chemicals and heavy metals, including oil well fires. They also examined scientific evidence on potential associations between pollution in combat and reproductive and developmental effects in veterans’ children.
Elimination of air pollution
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Nature, including rain and wind, can help reduce pollution levels in the air.
Rain helps pull particles out of the air and deposit them back onto the ground and surfaces. Raindrops form around particles and collect more particles as they fall. But rain has fallen sporadically since the start of military offensives in Iran.
Rain also contributes runoff to streams, and pollutants can damage crops and contaminate waterways, soil, and vegetation.
Wind can help flush pollutants out of an area, although at the expense of downwind areas.
Tehran faces another challenge regarding pollution due to its terrain. The city is surrounded by mountains and is susceptible to the effects of low-altitude temperature changes in winter; This further concentrates pollutants by keeping them closer to the ground.
These attacks occurred slightly outside the coldest periods for Tehran, allowing deeper mixing of air, but the inversion still has an impact.
Can people in war zones protect their health?
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People in war zones, who are already under stress, can reduce their health risks by staying home if possible in the days after military strikes. Keeping windows and doors closed can help reduce the amount of polluted ambient air entering.
Indoor air quality is as important as the air outside. For example, babies crawling on the floor may be exposed to accumulated particles containing toxic substances that penetrate or penetrate under thresholds and doors, similar to wildfire smoke.
Pollutants can also contaminate agriculture and waterways as buildings continue to burn and harmful particles are sent back into the air after debris is cleared.
People may try to avoid crops, water, and seafood that are likely to be affected by toxic airborne pollutants. But in wartime, it becomes difficult to obtain information about risks, and scarcity can leave people with few options.
