‘Black rain’ fell on Iran over the weekend after US-Israeli strikes hit oil depots.
Alongside acid rain precursors – sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide – the plumes of pollutants are likely to contain a cocktail of hydrocarbons, PM2.5 and carcinogenic compounds, according to Gabriel da Silva, associate professor of chemical engineering at the University of Melbourne. Heavy metals and inorganic compounds from infrastructure caught in the explosions may also be in the mix.
