TEHRAN, Iran — Primary schools will be closed on Monday in Tehran, as thick fog caused by pollution smothers the Iranian capital and most of the surrounding province, local authorities say.
They are also announcing on Sunday that they will impose traffic restrictions in Tehran, home to 8.5 million inhabitants, allowing cars onto the streets in alternating shifts, depending on their number plates.
An Iranian man wearing a mask to protect himself from pollution rides his motorcycle on the pavement in downtown Tehran on December 30, 2014. (Behrouz Mehri/AFP)
Similar measures were taken in December when primary schools in Tehran and most of its province were forced to close for several days because of the pollution.
Average concentrations of the finest and most hazardous airborne particles hit 144 micrograms per cubic meter in Tehran on Sunday and peaked at 169 in some areas, municipal authorities say.
That is far above the World Health Organization’s recommended maximum of 25 micrograms per cubic meter on average over a 24-hour period.
— AFP
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