A toxic black rain showered Tehran after Israel targeted fuel depots -Credit:AP
(AP)
Nearly two months since the U.S and Israel launched strikes on Iran, sparking the war on Feb. 28, experts are now warning that the conflict has triggered long-lasting environmental damage and health risks.
Earlier in the Iran war, overnight between March 7 and 8, Israel targeted Iran’s oil infrastructure, striking fuel depots and a petroleum logistics site, which unleashed large fires in Tehran with flames and thick black smoke filled with soot, oil particles, and sulfur dioxide. The smoke could be seen for miles, and satellite images captured the toxic fires still burning days later in Iran’s capital.
Hours after the oil depots were struck, burning thousands of tons of stored fuel, a storm showered the city with black rain — an oil-filled, acidic downpour.
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In a statement to Axios, the IDF claimed that the fuel depots “are used by the Iranian regime to supply fuel to different consumers including its military organs.” An Israeli military official told the outlet that the intention of the attacks, in part, was to signal to Iran to stop targeting Israeli civilian infrastructure. U.S. officials were reportedly dismayed by the strikes, responding to Israel with, “WTF.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Iran health authorities advised the millions of Tehran residents to stay indoors and wear masks following the shower of black rain. They warned that black rain is highly acidic and could cause burns to the skin and lung damage.
One of the most severe and historical incidents of black rain was from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, which produced a mix of radioactive ash in the rainwater with the consistency of tar.
Black rain is a mix of toxic matter, like soot, ash, or oil droplets, and atmospheric condensation, according to Earth.Org. It can release various environmental contaminants, including sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide, and soot.
The toxic haze that covered Tehran could cause significant long-term and short-term health consequences, which is particularly concerned as the war isn’t over and access to health care in the region has dwindled. On April 6, the Iranian Red Crescent reported that 307 health, medical, and emergency care facilities had been damaged in the conflict.
Toxic black rain showered Tehran with a mixture of environmental contaminants and atmospheric condensation -Credit:AP
What are the health impacts of black rain?
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a statement on the environmental damage in the Middle East, saying, “Heavy smoke from burning oil, which includes hazardous compounds, is now being directly inhaled by people in Iran – including young children – raising serious concerns about long-term impacts on both human and environmental health.”
Residents in Tehran described the oil fires as “hellscapes,” “a black monster,” and “apocalyptic,” according to the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS), a UK nonprofit aimed at assessing the environmental and humanitarian consequences of war.
Since the war began, the CEOBS has tracked over 300 incidents and assessed the majority of them for environmental risk. The organization has noted that strikes near Tehran are particularly concerning because the city is surrounded by the Alborz mountain range, which can trap smog and pollution. High-rise buildings can also hinder wind flow, thereby worsening air quality when pollutants aren’t dispersed from the area.
When the sky was shrouded in toxic air and smoke from the fuel depot strikes, residents reported that their throats hurt and their eyes burned, according to the Guardian.
Iran’s foreign minister called the strike on Iran’s fuel depots “ecocide,” which is a deliberate act of environmental destruction.
The black rain that fell in Iran likely contains cancer-causing pollutants, including benzene, acetone, toluene, and methylene chloride. Experts warned the Associated Press that the toxic chemicals in the black rain could contaminate soil and water supplies and pose long-term cancer risks. The microscopic soot could also pose the risk of lung and heart problems.
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