Pollution in some Khuzestan cities reached 25 times the acceptable limit on Monday July 14, according to a report in the Shargh daily.

On Tuesday July 15, the Shargh Newspaper wrote that the head of environmental protection for Khuzestan said that Dezfool, Masjed Soleyman, Mahshahr and Ahwaz had reached levels ranging from 3,656 to 1,200 micrograms/m3 of suspended particles in the air, whereas acceptable readings should be 150.

Despite the 25-fold increase in air pollution, government offices remained open on Monday, but some flights in and out of Ahvaz airport were cancelled.

Iran’s Weather Agency had already warned about the increase in airborne particles coming from the Western borders that now have also entered Kermanshah and Ilam Provinces.

The increase in airborne particles in Iran in recent years is due to the drying up of lakes and small bodies of water in Iran and the increase in the size of the desert in Iraq.

Radio Zamaneh