Black rain and health fears after attacks on Iranian fuel depots
Shortly after dark clouds of smoke settled over Tehran early Sunday morning, residents noticed a bizarre phenomenon: black rain. Some also reported a thick, oily film that covered their cars and roofs like paint.
Then migraines, dizziness and coughing set in.
Health experts were not surprised. Iranian fuel depots had just come under attack as American and Israeli forces intensified their campaign against the Iranian government.
Jonathan Levy, chair of the environmental health department at Boston University School of Public Health, called it a “throwback” to the first Gulf War, when burning oil fields in Kuwait caused a variety of health consequences.
Just a day after the strikes in Tehran, the health impacts were felt miles from the depots. One resident told the New York Times that she woke up to pitch-black skies and went outside. When she got home, her face itched and was covered in “black dots,” she said.
After just 15 minutes in the car, another Tehran man developed burning eyes and blocked airways. “It almost feels like there’s tear gas in the air,” she said. “The war has come down our throats.”
Burning oil releases enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, according to Marsha Wills-Karp, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who focuses on environmental factors of disease. This gas quickly displaces oxygen, which is why people near a burn site often show early signs of suffocation. The heart rate increases, breathing quickens and you may experience headaches, dizziness and a strong feeling of not getting enough air.
The dark debris that rained from the sky was made up of fine particles called PM2.5, including black carbon, which gives the pollutant its color, experts said. In addition, various other toxins were released: carcinogenic compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; gases such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides; Heavy metals such as lead, arsenic and mercury, all of which are among the top 10 chemicals of public health concern according to the World Health Organization.
After the drops fall, a variety of dangerous chemicals remain in the air, Dr. Levy, many of which are linked to heart and lung disease, cancer and cognitive problems such as neurodevelopmental disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.
In the short term, skin and eye irritation are common reactions to the toxins. Many people also begin coughing as a natural protective mechanism by “constricting the airways to prevent these substances from entering,” Dr. Wills-Karp. Compounds in the air can also enter the body through the olfactory bulb just above the nasal cavity, which leads to the brain.
Even in people far from the burn site, narrowing of blood vessels in the brain can occur, which can cause dizziness.
Long-term effects depend on both the duration and intensity of exposure, the experts said. The effects are most concerning for children, the elderly and people with pre-existing heart and lung disease. Pregnant women and fetuses are also particularly vulnerable to the chemicals that can inflame the placenta.
For those caught up in conflict, health risks can be exacerbated. Stress and trauma can weaken the immune system. And access to healthcare may be limited. “This does not happen in a vacuum,” said Dr. Levy.
The threat may not be limited to Iran.
Pakistan’s weather authorities have warned that wind could carry pollutants from Iran across the border, and the World Health Organization’s director-general issued a statement warning of possible contamination of food and water.
Anyone who cannot move away from pollution should stay indoors and close all windows, experts said, and, if possible, wear a mask and use air filtration systems.
Dr. Levy acknowledged that this may be easier said than done. “We recognize that it is a far more demanding set of recommendations to give to people in the midst of war,” he said.
