Iranian MP says evaporation of Lake Urmia could cause health hazard

TEHRAN, July 17 (MNA) – MP Abed Fattahi warned that the evaporation of Lake Urmia may cause salt storms that could affect people’s health. A salt storm is a low-lying cloud of airborne salt that hovers over large areas, caused by wind sweeping over salt flats. In an interview with the Persian service of the Mehr News Agency published on Monday, Fattahi, a member of the Majlis Health Committee, said, “Unfortunately, nothing has been done so far to save the lake.” He emphasized that when the lake dries up, the problems may not be limited to the residents of West Azerbaijan Province. Fattahi, a physician, said that the lake’s dried salt can change into small airborne salt particles which, when inhaled in, can cause pulmonary diseases as well as eye and facial cancers. He called on the government to take action and save the lake. “If we need to, we will use all national foreign experts to save the lake, because we believe that the lake belongs to all Iranians,” he said. Lake Urmia, in northwest Iran, is the world’s third largest salt water lake. It is drying up mainly due to drought; however locals say they the construction of 35 dams upstream from the lake have contributed to its current condition. The lake has been shrinking for a long time and currently occupies 80 percent of the area it once did.