Smog Martyrs

What, Revolutionary Guard, you can’t take a choke? Don’t like the abysmal quality of gasoline at your Teheran Texaco? OK, there aren’t any Texaco stations there, but there are plenty of pumps pushing under-grade gasoline, with double or more of those “impurities” (aromatics) that aren’t allowed in our fuel pumps. And then there is that nasty MTBE you Iranians add to your gasoline that we have pretty much banned here in the States. The December 7^th Los Angeles Times: “The owner of a chain of private gas stations in Tehran [noted that] his customers were complaining that the domestically produced gasoline was harming their car engine s… [and] the exhaust from the homemade gasoline also may be the cause of the headaches, respiratory illnesses, insomnia and exhaustion that Tehran residents are experiencing… According to [a local] report, gas stations are selling three types of fuel: gasoline produced at petrochemical plants; with the additive MTBE; and normal fuel produced at refineries… According to experts, the aromatic level of the petrochemical fuel is 14, more than twice the permitted level of six.”

MTBE? Oh yeah. “Methyl tert-butyl ether, also known as methyl tertiary butyl ether and MTBE, is a chemical compound with molecular formula C₅H₁₂O. MTBE is a volatile, flammable and colorless liquid that is immiscible with water. MTBE has a minty odor vaguely reminiscent of diet hyl ether, leading to unpleasant taste and odor in water. MTBE is a gasoline additive, used as an oxygenate and to raise the octane number, although its use has declined in the United States in response to environmental and health concerns. It has been found to easily pollute large quantities of groundwater when gasoline with MTBE is spilled or leaked at gas stations. MTBE is also used in organic chemistry as a relatively inexpensive solvent with properties comparable to diethyl ether but with a higher boiling point and lower solubility in water. It is also used medically to dissolve gallstones.” Wikipedia. Dissolves gallstones?! Pollution levels in Teheran are bordering on catastrophic.

Why, oh sooth-sayer, are such horrific levels of gasoline being produced by one of the largest oil-producing nations on earth? Two words, Grasshopper: “refining capacity.” Wikipedia summarizes Iran’s sorry state of generating usable gasoline from crude petroleum, exacerbated by those sanctions being applied against Iran by most of the rest of the world: “In 2008 Iran has imported nearly 40% of its market needs because of lack of refining capacity and contraband. In 2009, Iran spent paid $11 billion on imported fuel. In 2010, gasoline import declined to 30% of its market needs at 25 million liters of gasoline and 11 million liters of diesel fuel per day… As of July 2010, Iran produces between 280,000 barrels and 285,000 barrels of gasoline a day and until recently had acquired the remaining 30 percent, which is about 115,000 barrels per day to 120,000 barrels per day, through big oil companies.” They import oil and recycle when they can. Look at the picture above; it’s pretty typical smoggy day in Iran’s capital city. They’re dying over there!

How could Allah allow such a travesty to occur? But then, if you simply deny there is problem, officially, there’s no problem, right? “The oil ministry denied that Iranian-produced fuel was the cause of the pollution. But [local Website] Khabaronline couldn't hide its skepticism. ‘Despite the definitive rejection of the claim by the oil ministry, there was no reasonable scientific response to the allegations,’ said the report…It added that the lack of up-to-date equipment for the production of gasoline also could be contributing to poor fuel quality… Meanwhile, the pollution issue may be turning into another headache for the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad… ‘Air pollution is a natural phenomenon and will always exist in today's industrial world,’ said a column Monday in the moderate daily Mardo msalari. ‘What is unnatural is the unpreparedness to handle the management of this crisis.’” LA Times.

Funny if air pollution could bring down a government when local riots and protests failed. As they say, “to air is human, to breathe divine.”

I’m Peter Dekom, and I took a deep, refreshing breath this morning of sparkling clean Los Angeles air!