Director of Susa Research Database in Shush, Khuzestan Province has urged officials to study the recurring dust storms engulfing southwestern Iran in order to effectively protect Iran’s cultural heritage and monuments.
Speaking to ISNA news agency, Mohammad Hossein Arastoozadeh said, “Unless we understand the nature of dust storms, we are unable to preserve our cultural heritage.”
Natural phenomena and human activity can harm historical structures, he said, adding that natural phenomena are capable of causing untold damage.
“If the dust storms are composed of chemical or acidic particles, they will gradually erode the surface of the structures,” he warned.
Arastoozadeh stressed that an in-depth study needs to be conducted on the nature of the particles to determine whether or not they are acidic.
“But nothing has been done to answer that question, yet.”
Shush is equipped with a modern research facility which is also used to monitor harmful particles, ISNA quoted him as saying.
