DoE, industries to cooperate to combat Persian Gulf pollution
The Director General of the Marine Pollution Investigation and Counteraction Office of Iran’s Department of the Environment (DoE) has announced a collaborative effort between the environmental and industrial sectors to combat pollution stemming from petrochemical and oil activities in the southern regions of the country, including the Persian Gulf.
Omid Sediqi highlighted the two main sources of pollution in marine waters. The first source comprises land-based pollutants that originate from various manufacturing industries located in coastal areas, such as refineries, petrochemical plants, and steel mills. These industries discharge their wastewater into the sea, including those in the Persian Gulf watershed, which release their wastewater into underground waters or rivers, ISNA reported.
Sediqi further explained that important areas like Asaluyeh and Bandar Imam, which house extensive petrochemical complexes, contribute to both air pollution caused by flares and torches, as well as water pollution due to effluents. The Marine Pollution Investigation and Counteraction Office is actively collaborating with these complexes, urging them to complete their sewage treatment systems.
He further emphasized that their work with petrochemical industries, particularly in Asaluyeh and Bandar Imam, is underway. “We have requested these industries to recycle their wastewater, and the process has already commenced,” Sediqi said, adding, “However, it is crucial for the treatment plants of these facilities to be completed first, as some were previously incomplete. Once the industrial wastewater is effectively treated, it can be reused.”