Air quality in Nehbandan

What is the current level of air pollution in Nehbandan?

Nehbandan also known as Neh or Neh-bahn-dahn is a city in, and the capital of, Nehbandan County, South Khorasan Province, Iran. According to the 2016 census, there was an estimated population of approximately 18,500 inhabitants.

Towards the middle of 2021, Nehbandan was experiencing a period of “Moderate” quality air with a US AQI reading of 66. This United States Air Quality Index number is an internationally used set of metrics supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is used to compare the air quality in different cities throughout the world using comparable standards. It is calculated by using the levels of the six most commonly found pollutants. If figures are not all available, the figure is calculated using what information is available. In the case of Nehbandan, there were two recorded concentrations of both PM2.5 and PM10. The figures recorded were as follows: PM2.5 - 19.3 µg/m³ and PM10 - 63.2 µg/m³. It can be seen that the level of PM2.5 is almost twice the recommended safe level by the World Health Organisation (WHO). They suggest a level no higher than 10 µg/m³.

With levels such as these, the advice is to close doors and windows to prevent more dirty air from entering the room. Those of a sensitive disposition are advised to remain indoors or if travel outside is unavoidable, then a good quality mask is recommended. The table at the top of this page will help with that decision.

Is the level of air pollution in Nehbandan constant throughout the year?

Air pollution can be very volatile and, as such, can change very quickly depending on many variables, such as wind speed and direction and the strength of sunlight.

Looking back at the figures published by the Swiss air monitoring company IQAir.com for 2020 it can be seen that the best air quality was found in December when Nehbandan achieved the WHO target figure of being less than 10 µg/m³. The recorded figure was 8 µg/m³. November returned the next highest quality with a “Good” reading of just 10.1 µg/m³. During January and from May until the end of October, the quality was “Moderate” with figures between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. March and April saw a decline in quality when the classification was “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” with figures between 35.5 and 55.4 µg/m³. The month of February was the worst month of the year when the air quality slipped into the “Unhealthy” category with figures between 55.5 and 150.4 µg/m³. There were no records kept before 2020 when the average annual figure was 23.9 µg/m³. However, this may not be a true reading because of the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many vehicles were no longer used as the drivers were furloughed and not required to commute to and from work. There were also many factories and other non-essential production units which were temporarily closed in an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus.

What is the main source of air pollution in Nehbandan?

Air pollution can be divided into two parts: visible air pollution and invisible air pollution. If you want to look at air pollution differently, we have to say that pollution can be any substance that prevents air tolerance and affects the health of living organisms. The preservation of all living things on Earth is due to the combination of gases that make up the "atmosphere" as a whole. An imbalance caused by an increase or decrease in the percentage of these gases can be detrimental to survival.

In order to understand the main causes of air pollution, we need to understand several divisions. Primary air pollutants can be generated by primary or secondary sources. Contaminants that are a direct result of this process can be primary contaminants. A clear example of a major pollutant is factory-produced sulphur dioxide.

They are secondary pollutants that are created by the mixing and reaction of primary pollutants. Smoke generated by the interaction of several major pollutants is known as secondary pollutants.

Sulphur dioxide emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and others is a major cause of air pollution. Pollutants from vehicles, including trucks, cars, trains, and aeroplanes, cause a great deal of pollution. These fuels are always harmful, but we use them to meet the basic needs of our daily transportation. However, their excessive use is very harmful to the environment because the dangerous gases caused by them, cause its gradual destruction. Carbon monoxide from improper or incomplete combustion of fuel released from vehicles is another important pollutant associated with nitrous oxide, which is produced by both natural and human processes.

Can anything be done to improve the air quality in Nehbandan?

One of the main reasons for pollution in Iran is the lack of clean, cheap and environmentally friendly transportation. The low quality of cars is also an effective factor in creating air pollution, and the excessive presence of these cars on the street creates many environmental problems in the city. The age of public transport is also one of the issues that need to be addressed. The most important human factor in causing pollution is the non-observance of regulations by drivers, car owners and citizens and the lack of awareness that leads to their irresponsibility.

What detrimental effects on human health does the air in Nehbandan have?

The presence of any kind of pollutants, whether solid, liquid, gas or radioactive and non-radioactive radiation in the air in the number and during the period that endangers the quality of life for humans and other animals, is considered air pollution.

One of the most important factors that cause air pollution and its effects on the environment and human health are airborne particles, which are of course the most dangerous and deadly of all airborne particles that are less than 2.5 microns.

Health studies around the world have shown a significant association between exposure to particulate matter and premature death from cardiovascular disease, while this particulate matter can exacerbate heart and lung disease and cause effects such as cardiovascular symptoms, cardiac arrhythmias. Heart attacks, respiratory symptoms, asthma attacks and bronchitis.

These effects can lead to increased hospital and emergency admissions, absenteeism from school or work; People with heart and lung disease, the elderly and children are more exposed to particulate matter than others.