The sky in Iran turned black as US and Israeli forces continued to pound oil storage facilities in parts of the country. The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India has now warned of serious health problems due to acid rain in Tehran.
In a post on X, the embassy said: “After the attack on two oil storage facilities in Tehran last night, a thick layer of smoke has formed over the city.”
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“As a result, today’s rainfall has turned acidic. There have already been reports of serious threats to public health due to today’s acid rain in Tehran, including lung, eye and skin irritation in children and the elderly,” the embassy noted.
As the war in Iran entered its 13th day, several videos and pictures appeared on social media showing thick black smoke filling the sky.
One video sent to Reuters by a WHO employee showed what they said was a cleaner cleaning black liquid at the entrance to an office in Tehran on March 8. Mint and Reuters were unable to independently verify the record.
‘black rain’
Several reports suggested that “black rain” fell over parts of Iran in the hours after the US-Israeli strike on oil depots last weekend, with some outlets describing it as “acid rain”.
Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, has warned that the US-Israeli strikes on fuel depots in Tehran have released toxic pollutants into the atmosphere, posing a serious health risk to civilians.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) also warned on Tuesday that “black rain” falling in Iran after attacks on oil facilities could cause respiratory problems, according to Reuters. She supported Iran’s advisory urging people to stay indoors.
The UN health agency also claimed to have received several reports of diesel rain this week.
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At a briefing in Geneva, Christian Lindmeier, a spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO), was quoted by Reuters as saying that possible “black rain” and acid precipitation could pose respiratory risks as authorities urged residents to stay indoors.
Asked if the WHO supported the advice, he said: “Given what’s at risk right now, the oil storage facilities, the refineries that have been hit, started fires and brought serious air quality problems, it’s definitely a good idea.”
What is ‘acid rain’ from US bombings in Iran?
An atmospheric chemist and chemical engineer who researches air pollution told The Conversation that this rain will include acids, but likely also a number of other pollutants that are harmful to people and the environment in both the short and long term.
It may even be worse than the term “acid rain”.
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On a broader scale, the thick plumes of toxic smoke over densely populated areas in Iran are also a major concern for anyone breathing that air, the expert wrote.
The expert said that one of the primary ways air pollutants are removed from the atmosphere is through rain. “When you have significant levels of pollutants in the air, they will be collected by falling water droplets and ‘rained’ out of the atmosphere,” the article said.
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“That’s why we’re getting these reports of black rain falling from the sky after oil depots have been hit – evidence of how contaminated the local air must be,” the expert explained.
He added: “To me, this black rain indicates that toxic pollutants such as hydrocarbons, ultrafine particles known as PM2.5, and carcinogenic compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have entered the rain.”
In addition, there would have been a mixture of other unknown chemicals, probably including heavy metals and inorganic compounds from the building materials and everything else that affected the initial explosions and subsequent fires.
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Smoke from bombed oil depots would also contain sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, which are precursors to the formation of sulfuric and nitric acids in the air.
This acid then gets into the water droplets and is responsible for what we commonly refer to as acid rain,” explained the expert
Health risks from ‘acid rain’
Residents of Iran reported headaches, breathing difficulties, and oil-contaminated rain settled on buildings and cars. Iran’s Red Crescent Society warned that rain from the strikes could be “highly dangerous and acidic”.
Experts also warned against headaches or breathing problems, especially if they have asthma or lung disease.
Vulnerable population groups, such as the elderly, young children and people with disabilities, are more at risk. Exposure to toxic air pollution during pregnancy can also lead to lower birth weight.
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In the longer term, exposure to compounds in the air and in this black rain potentially increases the risk of cancer in humans. When ultrafine particles (PM2.5) are inhaled, they can enter your bloodstream.
This is associated with a number of health effects, including cancer, neurological conditions (such as cognitive impairment), and various cardiovascular conditions.
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Once these heavily polluted air clouds wash their pollutants into natural waterways, they can also begin to affect aquatic life as well as human sources of drinking water.
Another problem is that this black rain deposits these compounds on buildings, roads and surfaces, meaning they can be blown back into the air when disturbed by strong winds, The Conversation reported.
