Clouds of toxic smoke that permeated the air after the US-Israeli airstrikes on oil facilities in Iran returned to the ground in the form of dangerous black rain. In this context, foreign experts in the field of health have drawn attention to the serious risk for local residents, reports TASR on Sunday, according to a report by the AP agency.
People in the Iranian capital Tehran have already complained of burning eyes and breathing difficulties last week after dark, oily precipitation fell around the capital. This was preceded by raids on several oil depots and a refinery in the area. Columns of dark smoke have been seen in other parts of the region over the past two weeks of war in the Middle East.
Experts warn that rain washes out dangerous chemicals from the atmosphere in a short time, and people exposed to this black rain should take precautions to avoid both short-term and long-term health risks.
Black rain occurs when soot, ash and toxic chemicals combine with water droplets in the atmosphere and then fall back to earth. This is a common phenomenon, for example, after fires in oil refineries or oil fields. However, it can also occur in forest fires, volcanic eruptions or industrial pollution.
Microscopic soot, whose particles are about 40 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair, can settle deep in the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing breathing and heart problems. This can lead to premature death or increase the risk of cancer, experts warn.
World Health Organization (WHO) officials have advised people in Iran to stay indoors and wear masks if possible. They also warned that such rain is often acidic, which can cause skin burns and lung damage. Residents of Iran are also concerned that polluted rain containing heavy metals may contaminate drinking water reservoirs and waterways, AP writes.
For fires that are extinguished quickly, most soot and chemicals are dispersed by wind and disappear from the atmosphere in about three to seven days. This usually only takes a few hours when the fuel tanks burn out. However, oil fields can burn for months, as happened, for example, in Kuwait during the Gulf War 25 years ago.
