Joint Iranian-Russian studies of airborne asbestos concentrations in Tehran, Iran, in 2017

According to the results, all airborne fibrous particles sampled were either organic or mineral fibers, the appearance and specter of which were different from those of asbestos. Filter loading with mineral and organic fibers as well as soot particles from automobile exhausts indicated generally high ambient air pollution at all sampling sites. Optical and electron microscopy analyses of five dust samples collected from horizontal outdoor surfaces detected no asbestos fibers. We recommend regular monitoring of ambient air pollution in the streets of Tehran at different seasons of the year and establishing asbestos fiber concentrations using scanning electron microscopy for complete characterization of air pollution.