With the sealing of mazut-burning machinery in Isfahan power plants and the ban on its utilization even in winters, the quality of Isfahan Province air has improved by 25% in the first six months of the current year (started March 21).
Hamid Zahrabi, head of Isfahan’s Department of Environment (DoE), said the concentration of nearly two-thirds of Isfahan’s industrial and service units in just six percent of the total provincial area and the use of mazut as fuel for power plants, are among the major causes of air pollution in the province.
Isfahan’s industrial development had destructive effects on the provincial environment and utilizing mazut as fuel for power plants was leading to emission of more than 450 tons of sulphur per day, he said. Mazut is a heavy, low quality fuel oil, used in plant generators and similar applications.
Gasoline Better
“We have asked the department of energy to use gasoline instead of gas in case of shortage; as the effect of gasoline pollution is six times lower than mazut,” Zahrabi said.
The measure has been taken to save the provincial environment.
Meanwhile, Tehran Province has the maximum number of industrial units numbering 17,000 and constituting 26% of the nation’s total industrial units.
