Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr.22
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
The amount of benzene in Euro-4 gasoline produced in Iran is 0.8 pct.
Saeid Motesaddi, an official at Iran's Environment Protection Organization, said samples were taken from 12 gas stations in Tehran, based on which the amount of pollutant benzene was measured to be 0.8 per cent, Iran's Shana news agency reported on April 22.
The amount of benzene is planned to be measured as well in gasoline which is supplied to the two other big cities of Arak and Karaj, he added.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency introduced new regulations in 2011 that lowered the benzene content in gasoline to 0.62 pct. It was previously 1 pct.
On January 7, the managing director of National Iranian Oil Refining & Distribution Company, Abbas Kazemi, said that Iran plans to turn to high-quality and standardized gasoline in order to reduce the capital's constantly increasing air pollution.
He said that in 2 years Tehran's gas stations will only distribute gasoline conforming to Euro-5 standard.
Iran currently distributes 13 million liters of gasoline conforming to Euro-4 and Euro-5 standards in big cities including Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan, and Arak.
Iran currently imports some gasoline and octane boosters, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said. Mehr News Agency puts the figure at 5-7 million liters per day.
Last year, according to PSI (Pollutant Standards Index), Iran had 147 days during which air quality was substandard. Two years ago, this number stood at 217 days.
The air over Iran's capital, Tehran, is amongst the most polluted in the world. Experts say many Iranians suffer serious health problems as a result. Motor vehicles account for 70 percent of pollution in the Iranian capital.
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