Dr Semih Ayta, representative of the Turkish Neurological Society at the Clean Air Rights Platform: “The scale of the incident in Iran is enormous. According to modelling, it appears that the pollution could reach as far as the mountains in the Altai region of Siberia.”
The severe air pollution resulting from attacks on oil storage facilities and energy infrastructure in Iran poses a threat to public health. Pollutants released by explosions and fires can cause inflammation of the respiratory tract and may also affect the cardiovascular and nervous systems. According to experts, the cumulative effects of air pollution will become apparent in the long term; those at greatest risk are foetuses, young children and the elderly.
These events demonstrate once again that fossil fuel infrastructure can pose significant environmental and health risks under wartime conditions.
We share below the assessments of Dr Semih Ayta, representative of the Clean Air Rights Platform and moderator of the Turkish Neurological Society’s Working Group on Environmental Health and Occupational Diseases in Neurology:
The health impacts will grow exponentially in the long term
This is a major incident in Iran. When we examine both the data we have produced whilst studying the health impacts of coal-fired power stations in Turkey and global data, we can say that the effects of air pollution will grow exponentially in the long term, affecting the people of Iran and Tehran.
Air pollution comprises numerous components, including fine and coarse particulate matter (PM 2.5, PM 10), nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, ground-level ozone and carbon monoxide. In the acute phase, these can cause what we call ‘inflammation’—a non-infectious inflammation—particularly via the respiratory tract. You can think of this as a reaction similar to what occurs when we injure or burn a part of our body. They can also affect the cardiovascular and nervous systems.
In the long term, however, air pollution will have cumulative effects. Chronic effects will also emerge on an increasingly larger scale.
Heavy metals are contaminating the soil and water
Another significant consequence of the attack on the oil storage facilities is that the heavy metals contained within the burning material are settling into the soil and water. Reports are also emerging that these have entered drainage channels. They will also contaminate the soil and groundwater.
We can say that the health effects of all this will grow exponentially and become more pronounced over time, because heavy metals such as methylmercury or lead are highly toxic substances.
Air pollution also has a negative impact on our genes
In this context, there is one topic we rarely discuss: in fact, air pollution also affects our genes. Whilst it does not directly alter the genes themselves, it changes gene expression. This is known as an ‘epigenetic effect’ and can increase susceptibility to a wide range of conditions, from cardiovascular diseases to respiratory illnesses.
These effects are particularly pronounced in foetuses, young children and the elderly. It may be necessary in the future to investigate what effects this has on the children of women who are currently pregnant.
High-risk groups
The groups at highest risk in this context are: pregnant women, foetuses, young children and the elderly.
However, even young people with conditions such as chronic bronchitis or heart disease are at risk. Conditions such as coronary heart disease, or those that increase susceptibility to it—including high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and diabetes—are all risk factors. The health effects of air pollution are more pronounced in these groups.
Demolished buildings: The asbestos threat is growing
We always talk about fires, but asbestos released when buildings are demolished as a result of attacks is also a significant problem.
This issue has also been widely discussed in Turkey: until the late 1990s, asbestos-containing pipes, paints, roof insulation materials, floor coverings, etc. were used in construction. Today, as buildings are demolished during urban regeneration projects, these toxic substances are being released. Unfortunately, insufficient attention is still being paid to this issue. In Iran, however, the problem is even greater, and its full impact will become apparent over time.
We know that the particulate matter causing air pollution can sometimes remain suspended in the air and at other times be carried by the wind to very distant locations. However, the scale of the incident in Iran is immense. According to modelling, the pollution could reach as far as the mountains in the Altai Region of Siberia. This is a serious threat.
Sulphuric acid causes irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract in the acute phase. It also creates a chronic problem by affecting the body’s defence system through inflammation. In Iran, all of this will be experienced on a much larger scale.
We must move away from fossil fuels
Although it wasn’t black rain, we have experienced ashfall in Turkey, for example in Afşin-Elbistan. Unfortunately, the filters at a significant proportion of our coal-fired power stations are inadequate and are not being updated.
The impact is likely more intense in Iran due to the burning of petroleum products, but ultimately both oil and coal are fossil fuels.
This important issue has come to the fore today because of the war, but we need to move away from fossil fuels as much as possible. As renewable energy also creates other environmental problems, we need to change our consumption habits and consume less in order to reduce our energy needs.
If we consider that renewable energy sources can also cause different environmental problems (such as the fact that a large amount of heavy oil is required for wind turbines to operate, and that trees are sometimes felled to make way for turbines), we need to change our consumption habits and consume less in order to reduce our energy needs.
Source: Bianet