Volume 14, Issue 1 (6-2026)
J Environ Health Eng 2026, 14(1): 66-85 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Sheykh Rabiee M R, Gholamnia R. Comparative Evaluation of Dust Control Strategies in Arid Regions of Iran: A Review on the Role of Watershed Management and Health Consequences. J Environ Health Eng 2026; 14 (1) :66-85
URL: http://jehe.abzums.ac.ir/article-1-1169-en.html
URL: http://jehe.abzums.ac.ir/article-1-1169-en.html
1- Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Applied Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran , rabiee@uast.ac.ir
2- Department of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2- Department of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract: (213 Views)
Background: Dust storms and particulate matter are major environmental and health threats in Iran's arid regions, causing soil degradation, ecosystem instability, and land loss. This systematic review compared the effectiveness and health impacts of dust mitigation strategies, focusing on integrated watershed management.
Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we systematically searched SID, Magiran, Civilica, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar using keywords "Dust," "Watershed Management," and "Health." From 247 initial records, 35 peer‑reviewed articles met inclusion criteria. Interventions were classified as biological (drought‑tolerant vegetation), mechanical (mulches, windbreaks), managerial (grazing exclusion, land‑use change), and watershed‑based (runoff control, soil‑water conservation, vegetation restoration). These were compared for cost, efficacy, sustainability, and health consequences.
Results: Watershed interventions, especially runoff management and restoration with native species like Haloxylon, Tamarix, and Nitraria, effectively stabilized dust sources, increased soil moisture, enhanced vegetation, and boosted ecosystem resilience. Compared to chemical mulching, watershed approaches showed greater long‑term sustainability and fewer adverse health/ecological effects. Dust exposure was linked to a 23–40% rise in respiratory diseases (asthma, chronic bronchitis) and exacerbation of cardiovascular conditions.
Conclusion: Integrated watershed management is one of the most sustainable and least harmful dust‑control strategies for Iran. The findings urge policy revision in western/southwestern Iran, promotion of ecosystem‑based transboundary cooperation, and stronger water diplomacy with neighboring countries to address dust sources and protect public health.
Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we systematically searched SID, Magiran, Civilica, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar using keywords "Dust," "Watershed Management," and "Health." From 247 initial records, 35 peer‑reviewed articles met inclusion criteria. Interventions were classified as biological (drought‑tolerant vegetation), mechanical (mulches, windbreaks), managerial (grazing exclusion, land‑use change), and watershed‑based (runoff control, soil‑water conservation, vegetation restoration). These were compared for cost, efficacy, sustainability, and health consequences.
Results: Watershed interventions, especially runoff management and restoration with native species like Haloxylon, Tamarix, and Nitraria, effectively stabilized dust sources, increased soil moisture, enhanced vegetation, and boosted ecosystem resilience. Compared to chemical mulching, watershed approaches showed greater long‑term sustainability and fewer adverse health/ecological effects. Dust exposure was linked to a 23–40% rise in respiratory diseases (asthma, chronic bronchitis) and exacerbation of cardiovascular conditions.
Conclusion: Integrated watershed management is one of the most sustainable and least harmful dust‑control strategies for Iran. The findings urge policy revision in western/southwestern Iran, promotion of ecosystem‑based transboundary cooperation, and stronger water diplomacy with neighboring countries to address dust sources and protect public health.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/04/20 | Accepted: 2026/05/31 | Published: 2026/06/20
Received: 2026/04/20 | Accepted: 2026/05/31 | Published: 2026/06/20
References
1. Ashrafi K, Shafiepour-Motlagh M, Aslemand A, Ghader S. Dust storm simulation over Iran using HYSPLIT. J Environ Health Sci Eng. 2014;12(1):9. [DOI:10.1186/2052-336X-12-9]
2. Rashki A, Kaskaoutis DG, Goudie AS, Kahn RA. Dryness of ephemeral lakes and consequences for dust activity: the case of the Hamoun drainage basin, southeastern Iran. Sci Total Environ. 2013; 463:552-564. [DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.06.045]
3. Shahbazi A, Salehi Komroudi M. The estimation of the willingness to pay to decrease haze in Ahvaz and its determinants. J Environ Sci Stud. 2019;4(3):1125-1131. [In Persian]
4. Birjandi N, Ghiyadi M. Evaluation of climatic effects of dust on air pollution in southwestern Iran. J Environ Health Eng. 2021;9(2):211-220. [In Persian] [DOI:10.61186/jehe.9.2.207]
5. Rahimi R, Seddough SN. Patterns and internal sources of Tehran dust. Res Earth Sci. 2021;12(48):86-107. [In Persian]
6. Ahmady-Birgani H, Engelbrecht J, Bazgir M. What different source regions across the Middle East change aerosol and dust particle characteristics. Desert. 2019;24(1):61-73.
7. Aghababaeian H, Ostadtaghizadeh A, Ardalan A, et al. Global health impacts of dust storms: a systematic review. Environ Health Insights. 2021; 15:11786302211018390. [DOI:10.1177/11786302211018390]
8. Middleton N. Sand and dust storms: a global problem requiring international cooperation. Nat Hazards. 2023;117(2):1085-1105.
9. Molamiri S, Rashki A, Kaskaoutis DG. Assessment of heavy metal contamination and ecological risk in dust fall around cement industry, Kerman province. J Environ Health Eng. 2025;13(1):45-62. [In Persian]
10. Davari M, Khabiri MM, Fallah Tafti M. The effect of pollutants, dust and dune sand covered over the surface of asphalt pavements on road safety (Case study: Sistan and Blouchestan province, Iran). J Environ Sci Stud. 2019;4(1):1123-1129. [In Persian]
11. Tobias A, Karanasiou A, Amato F, et al. Short-term exposure to desert dust and sandstorms and all-cause and cause-specific mortality and morbidity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Int. 2025; 196:109277. [DOI:10.1016/j.envint.2025.109277]
12. Tobias A, Rodríguez-Miguel A, Pérez-García M, et al. Desert dust, sandstorms, and infectious diseases: a scoping review. Environ Res. 2025; 268:122582. [DOI:10.1016/j.envres.2025.122582]
13. Bredeck G, Schmid O, Wick P, et al. Models to evaluate the pulmonary toxicity of desert dust and what we have learned from them so far: a mini-review. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2025;398(9):11349-11356. [DOI:10.1007/s00210-025-03891-9]
14. Lwin KS, Tobias A, Chua PL, et al. Effects of desert dust and sandstorms on human health: a scoping review. Geohealth. 2023;7(3): e2022GH000728. [DOI:10.1029/2022GH000728]
15. World Health Organization. WHO air quality guidelines for particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Geneva: WHO; 2021.
16. Goudarzi G, Shirmardi M, Naimabadi A, et al. Chemical and organic characteristics of PM2.5 particles and their in-vitro cytotoxic effects on lung cells: the Middle East dust storms in Ahvaz, Iran. Sci Total Environ. 2019; 655:434-445. [DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.153]
17. Hamidian M, Mousavi Bideleh S, Rahmani A. Dust air pollution and hospital visits for respiratory, cardiovascular, and eye diseases in Eastern Iran. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):2237. [DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-29771-z]
18. Kamani H, Ashrafi SD, Isazadeh S, et al. Heavy metal contamination in street dusts with various land uses in Zahedan, Iran. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 2015;94(3):382-386. [DOI:10.1007/s00128-014-1453-9]
19. Saeedi M, Li LY, Salmanzadeh M. Heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: pollution and ecological risk assessment in street dust of Tehran. J Hazard Mater. 2012; 227:9-17. [DOI:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.04.047]
20. Sadeghdoust F, Ghanavati N, Nazarpour A, Babaenejad T. Hazard, ecological, and human health risk assessment of heavy metals in street dust in Dezful, Iran. Arab J Geosci. 2020;13(19):1-14. [DOI:10.1007/s12517-020-05915-5]
21. Soltani N, Keshavarzi B, Moore F, et al. Ecological and human health hazards of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in road dust of Isfahan metropolis, Iran. Sci Total Environ. 2015; 505:712-723. [DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.09.097]
22. Sobhanardakani S. Ecological and human health risk assessment of heavy metal content of atmospheric dry deposition, a case study: Kermanshah, Iran. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2019;187(2):602-610. [DOI:10.1007/s12011-018-1383-1]
23. Keshavarzi B, Tazarvi Z, Rajabzadeh MA, Najmeddin A. Chemical speciation, human health risk assessment and pollution level of selected heavy metals in urban street dust of Shiraz, Iran. Atmos Environ. 2015; 119:1-10. [DOI:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.08.001]
24. Nature of Iran Journal. Challenging dialogue on the history, process and consequences of dust in Iran and the world. Nature Iran. 2021;5(6):69-80. [In Persian]
25. Querol X, Tobias A, Pérez N, et al. Monitoring and forecasting of desert dust events in the Mediterranean. Atmosphere. 2023;14(8):1256.
26. Sarani A, Miri M, Rakhshani T, et al. Mitigation strategies of healthcare centers for dust hazard: a systematic review. J Educ Health Promot. 2025; 14:87. [DOI:10.4103/jehp.jehp_1588_23]
27. Faraydoni Gavasaraei M, Sorahinobar M, Kiarostami K. Application of plants in the removal of oil contaminants. J Biosci. 2022;7(77):31-45. [In Persian]
28. Zhang Z, Zhou Q, Peng S, Cai Z. Remediation of petroleum contaminated soils by joint action of Pharbitis nil L. and its microbial community. Sci Total Environ. 2010;408(22):5600-5605. [DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.08.003]
29. Abdollahinejad B, Pasalari H, Farzadkia M. Ecological risk assessment of soils contaminated with heavy metals around landfill sites in Iran: a systematic review. J Environ Health Eng. 2025;13(3):251-267. [In Persian] [DOI:10.66224/jehe.13.3.251]
30. Moher D, Shamseer L, Clarke M, et al. Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. Syst Rev. 2015;4(1):1. [DOI:10.1186/2046-4053-4-1]
31. Li T, Wang Y, Zhang Y, et al. Sand and dust storms: a growing global health threat calls for international health studies to support policy action. Lancet Planet Health. 2025;9(1): e1-e3. [DOI:10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00308-5]
32. Annesi-Maesano I, D'Amato G, Cecchi L, et al. Natural disasters and respiratory health. Eur Respir J. 2025;66(4):2402563. [DOI:10.1183/13993003.02563-2024]
33. Mohammadi MJ, Farhadi M, Ghanbari S, et al. Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in urban dust in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Toxicol Rep. 2023; 11:471-480. [DOI:10.1016/j.toxrep.2023.11.007]
34. Ghanavati N, Nazarpour A, Watts MJ. Ecological and human health risk assessment of toxic metals in street dusts and surface soils in Ahvaz, Iran. Environ Geochem Health. 2019;41(2):875-890. [DOI:10.1007/s10653-018-0184-y]
35. Nazarpour A, Ghanavati N, Watts MJ. Spatial distribution and human health risk assessment of mercury in street dust resulting from various land-use in Ahvaz, Iran. Environ Geochem Health. 2018;40(2):693-704. [DOI:10.1007/s10653-017-0016-5]
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
