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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World

Poison in the haze: documenting life under Ahvaz’s oppressive orange skies

Air pollution in Ahvaz, Iran, has been linked to increased deaths and a rise in cardiovascular diseases.
Air pollution in Ahvaz, Iran, has been linked to increased deaths and a rise in cardiovascular diseases. Photograph: Mohamad Madadi/Middle East Images

He vividly remembers the first dust cloud he was engulfed in. “The entire sky turned red. My throat started burning like hell. I couldn’t see because of the tears in my eyes. I was shocked, speechless, totally not understanding what just happened,” said Mohamad Madadi.

He was then just a child in his school playground but the choking smog clouds have only worsened in Ahvaz, in Iran’s western province of Khuzestan, his home –and one of the world’s most polluted cities.

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