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Spatial Variablities and Health Impact Assessment of Ambient Pm2.5 in Tehran During 2023-2024



Nasiri Z1, 2 ; Naddafi K1, 2 ; Ahmadi Orkomi A3 ; Hassanvand MS1, 2 ; Faridi S1, 2
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Center for Air Pollution Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  3. 3. Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Guilan, Someh Sara, Iran

Source: Iranian Journal of Health and Environment Published:2025

Abstract

Background and Objective: The present study was designed to investigate the spatial and temporal (hourly, daily, monthly, and seasonal) variations in ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in Tehran from 21 March, 2023, to 19 March, 2024, and estimate the number of premature deaths attributable to PM2.5. Materials and Methods: Hourly PM2.5 data were obtained from 41 air quality monitoring stations across Tehran. Subsequently, 29 validated stations were identified for assessing spatial changes in pollutant concentrations and estimating the associated health effects. The latest version of the AirQ+ software (version 2.2.4) was employed to estimate health impacts attributable to PM2.5. Additionally, updated baseline data and the population of Tehran were used to assess the health effects of air pollution. Results: The annual average concentration of ambient PM2.5 in Tehran over the study period was approximately 32 µg/m3 for the entire city. At validated monitoring stations and across neighborhoods, the concentrations ranged from 20.8-47.5 µg/m3 and 22.2-46.3 µg/m3 respectively. These levels were approximately 4 to 9 times higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) annual air quality guidelines and 2 to 4 times higher than the NAAQS. The number of deaths attributable to long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 in adults aged 30 and above in Tehran during the study period was estimated to be 9, 321 (95% confidence interval: 7, 232-10, 313) for concentrations exceeding 5 µg/m3. Conclusion: The results of this study highlight that ambient PM2.5 concentrations in Tehran over the study period consistently exceeded the WHO air quality guideline and the NAAQS. Furthermore, a comparison of pollutant concentrations across all validated monitoring stations and neighborhoods reveals that residents in all parts of Tehran experienced poor air quality. However, concentrations were significantly higher in some areas, particularly the central and southern parts of the city, compared to the northern regions. Copyright © 2025 Iranian Association of Environmental Health, and Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
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