Toxic Smog Puts Tehran on Alert

Outdoor physical exercises in all school grades have been cancelled until Friday (Nov. 15), as the sprawling city experienced its seventh consecutive day of dangerously high air pollution levels.
In an emergency meeting held on Sunday, the Air Pollution Emergency Committee announced that if the air quality deteriorates further in the following days, schools will be totally closed to minimize children's outdoor exposure, Tasnim News Agency reported.
When air pollution hits an emergency level, representatives from Tehran City Council, Traffic Police, Tehran Municipality and Department of Environment, along with those of interior and health ministries, convene the committee to tackle the phenomenon.
The density of toxic pollutants has been steadily increasing since the beginning of the current Iranian month (Oct. 23), reaching levels considered dangerous for vulnerable citizens, including children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with respiratory and cardiovascular problems, who are referred to as sensitive group.