Latest news with #Salehi
Memri
a day ago
- Politics
- Memri
Former Iranian Nuclear Chief Ali-Akbar Salehi on Iran's Growing Domestic Nuclear Capabilities: Iran Now Produces IR-9 Centrifuges, Expanding Nuclear Facilities Nationwide; Needs 100 Tons of Uranium fo
In a June 4, 2025 interview on IRINN TV (Iran), former Iranian nuclear chief Ali-Akbar Salehi discussed the progress of Iran's nuclear program amid ongoing challenges with international cooperation. He said that while China initially helped Iran begin uranium mining, around 30 years ago Iran also launched a project with China at the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF), but the Chinese abandoned it halfway through. According to Salehi, the chairman of the China Atomic Energy Authority claimed that the United States pressured China to exit Iran's nuclear program after the JCPOA was signed, but Iran ultimately completed the project on its own. Salehi went on to describe Iran's turbulent nuclear cooperation with Russia, noting that Russia is currently building two new power plants in Bushehr. He explained that while Iran uses imported fuel for foreign-made reactors, it still requires domestically manufactured fuel - which in turn requires 100 tons of natural uranium - for its domestically built reactors. Emphasizing Iran's growing domestic capabilities, Salehi stated that the country is now producing its own centrifuges and has reached the IR-9 model, which is 50 times more powerful than the IR-1. He also discussed ongoing plans to expand nuclear facilities across the country.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Slow-release fertilizers can spread microplastics on US cropland
Fertilizers that shed microplastics are increasingly spreading on America's cropland, research shows, raising new worry about the soil contamination and safety of the US food supply. A peer-reviewed University of Missouri paper found common types of slow-release fertilizers are often encapsulated with plastic and can be so small that they could be considered microplastics. Those are designed to break down into even smaller pieces of plastic once spread in fields. The tiny bits of plastic can end up in water and soil at alarming levels, the paper's lead author said, and the substance is likely taken up by crops. Until now, the slow fertilizers have been thought to be safe, said Maryam Salehi, a lead author and researcher with the University of Missouri. 'We need to inform farmers,' Salehi said. 'When they choose their products, they need to know that these have some potential risks. Microplastics are tiny bits of plastic either intentionally added to consumer goods, or which are products of larger plastics breaking down. The particles contain any number of 16,000 plastic chemicals, of which thousands, such as BPA, phthalates and Pfas, present serious health risks. The substance has been found throughout the human body, and is linked to an increased risk of heart attack and cancer. It's also considered to be a neurotoxicant that can cause multiple forms of brain dysfunction, such as Parkinson's disease. Salehi said it is unclear which other chemicals are in the fertilizer plastic. Testing has found microplastics in a wide range of foods, including produce. Some of the slow release fertilizer pieces are less than five millimeters, which makes them microplastics by definition. But once they are in the soil, they 'break down into tiny, tiny particles' when a tractor runs over them, or someone walks on ground where they've been spread, Salehi said. That is worrying because smaller bits can more easily move through the environment than larger pieces of plastic, Salehi said. The study found most of the microplastics stayed in the soil, but some were washed into nearby water sources by rain or irrigation processes. The paper did not measure how much of the microplastics ended up in crops, but previous research has found that they can be taken up. Other papers have found that the bits of plastic may actually reduce soil quality. 'There is additional concern about the impact on food safety,' Salehi said. But the problem may be rather easy to solve. There are many types of slow release fertilizers, including those that are encapsulated with biodegradable materials, Salehi said. However, the plastic versions work well so the industry for now seems to be sticking with them, she added.
The Guardian
11-03-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Slow-release fertilizers can spread microplastics on US cropland
Fertilizers that shed microplastics are increasingly spreading on America's cropland, research shows, raising new worry about the soil contamination and safety of the US food supply. A peer-reviewed University of Missouri paper found common types of slow-release fertilizers are often encapsulated with plastic and can be so small that they could be considered microplastics. Those are designed to break down into even smaller pieces of plastic once spread in fields. The tiny bits of plastic can end up in water and soil at alarming levels, the paper's lead author said, and the substance is likely taken up by crops. Until now, the slow fertilizers have been thought to be safe, said Maryam Salehi, a lead author and researcher with the University of Missouri. 'We need to inform farmers,' Salehi said. 'When they choose their products, they need to know that these have some potential risks. Microplastics are tiny bits of plastic either intentionally added to consumer goods, or which are products of larger plastics breaking down. The particles contain any number of 16,000 plastic chemicals, of which thousands, such as BPA, phthalates and Pfas, present serious health risks. The substance has been found throughout the human body, and is linked to an increased risk of heart attack and cancer. It's also considered to be a neurotoxicant that can cause multiple forms of brain dysfunction, such as Parkinson's disease. Salehi said it is unclear which other chemicals are in the fertilizer plastic. Testing has found microplastics in a wide range of foods, including produce. Some of the slow release fertilizer pieces are less than five millimeters, which makes them microplastics by definition. But once they are in the soil, they 'break down into tiny, tiny particles' when a tractor runs over them, or someone walks on ground where they've been spread, Salehi said. That is worrying because smaller bits can more easily move through the environment than larger pieces of plastic, Salehi said. The study found most of the microplastics stayed in the soil, but some were washed into nearby water sources by rain or irrigation processes. The paper did not measure how much of the microplastics ended up in crops, but previous research has found that they can be taken up. Other papers have found that the bits of plastic may actually reduce soil quality. 'There is additional concern about the impact on food safety,' Salehi said. But the problem may be rather easy to solve. There are many types of slow release fertilizers, including those that are encapsulated with biodegradable materials, Salehi said. However, the plastic versions work well so the industry for now seems to be sticking with them, she added.
Rudaw Net
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iranian rapper faces new charges
Also in Iran Khamenei says 'unwise' to negotiate with US Iranian court refuses retrial for Kurdish woman sentenced to death Iran calls Trump's maximum pressure a 'failed experience' Trump reimposes 'maximum pressure' on Iran A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Well-known Iranian rapper and outspoken critic of the authorities Toomaj Salehi said on Saturday that he has been summoned to court after releasing a new music track. 'On February 18, I was called to court with several different charges regarding the music Tifus, and I don't think I need to be in court because of this music unless the people I dissed come to court with their national ID cards and file a complaint,' Salehi said in a video on Youtube. Salehi was arrested during the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom uprising in connection with his support for the movement, as well as for his music, in which he publicly denounced repressive policies of the Iranian authorities and use of the death penalty, according to Amnesty International. He was detained in Esfahan Central Prison and sentenced to death for charges of corruption on earth. His death sentence was overturned after the case gained widespread attention and he received significant international support. He was instead sentenced to one year in jail, as well as 'a two-year revocation of his passport, and mandatory participation in a "behavior management" class,' Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported on January 1, 2024. Salehi announced in a post on X that he was released on December 1, 2024. In his Youtube video, he said he does not understand why he is being prosecuted again. 'I was taken to court once for every piece of music I played and everything else - not just once, but multiple times - and I don't think it should be necessary anymore. It's strange to me that I have to go to court again,' Salehi said. In his new song Tifus, Salehi criticizes musicians who support the Iranian government.
