#Tehran oil refinery strikes during the escalating #Iran conflict are raising fears about toxic pollution and environmental fallout, as burning petroleum releases chemicals that can create acid forming compounds during the widening #War involving the #UnitedStates.⁠ ⁠ When large oil facilities bu...

#Tehran oil refinery strikes during the escalating #Iran conflict are raising fears about toxic pollution and environmental fallout, as burning petroleum releases chemicals that can create acid forming compounds during the widening #War involving the #UnitedStates.⁠ ⁠ When large oil facilities burn, crude oil combustion releases pollutants including sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides along with volatile organic compounds and soot. These gases can react with atmospheric moisture and rainfall to form sulfuric and nitric acids, a process associated with acid rain and corrosive air pollution. Similar environmental concerns were raised during the 1991 Gulf War when more than 600 Kuwaiti oil wells were set on fire, producing massive smoke plumes containing sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, benzene, and other hazardous chemicals. ⁠ ⁠ Those fires created thick smoke clouds that spread across the region and exposed soldiers and civilians to pollutants linked to respiratory irritation and other health problems. Some Gulf War veterans later developed a chronic multisymptom condition known as Gulf War illness, affecting roughly 250,000 veterans with symptoms including fatigue, pain, and cognitive problems, though research indicates the syndrome is likely connected to multiple exposures such as nerve agents, pesticides, and other toxins rather than oil smoke alone. ⁠ —⁠ ⁠ . Follow @arianajasmine___ for more.⁠ ⁠ Help this information get to more voters. 🇺🇸 A well-informed electorate is a prerequisite to Democracy.—Thomas Jefferson https://instagr.am/p/DVs8mcIEQiR/