HÀ NỘI — Though the average PM2. 5 concentration improved slightly in 2020, all provinces and cities in Việt Nam still had much higher levels than the WHO’s recommendation, according to data revealed at a workshop held virtually on Tuesday.
In 2020, the areas with high PM2. 5 concentration were mainly in the Red River Delta, the north-central region, and the southeast region, according to the findings from a report on the state of PM2. 5 in Việt Nam during the 2019-20 period.
The report is based on multisource data and is conducted by the University of Engineering and Technology under the Vietnam National University in Hà Nội ̣(VNU-UET) and Live & Learn for Environment and Community.
“The improved air pollution nationwide in 2020 was due in part to the social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ” said Associate Professor and Doctor Nguyễn Thị Nhật Thanh, from VNU-UET, an author of the report.
Data in 2018 showed that major sources of PM2. 5 pollution in Việt Nam came from burning agricultural by-products (40 percent), cooking (17 percent), transport (13 percent), forest fires (12. 7 percent), and industrial activities (11 percent), and thermal power (3. 3 percent).
In Hà Nội, 48. 3 percent of the PM2. 5 pollution was caused by industrial and craft village activities, 21. 3 percent from transport, and 20. 2 from burning agricultural by-products.
In HCM City, 58. 2 percent of the pollution came from transport, 22. 8 percent from industrial activities, and 12. 8 percent from cooking.
In 2020, Việt Nam had 10 out of 63 provinces and cities with higher PM2. 5 concentration levels than the nationally mandated threshold. These 10 localities are all in the north including Hà Nội with PM2. 5 level at 29 µg/m³ and Bắc Ninh Province at 33 µg/m³, much higher than the national allowed threshold of 25 μg/m³ and WHO's the guideline of 5 μg/m³.
In 2019, the number was 13 localities, of which 11 were in the north and the rest were in the south.
Data crucial for air quality control
In the past few years, the state of PM2. 5 in Việt Nam has been studied and published in reports and scientific journals by researchers from government agencies, universities, institutes, and social organizations.
However, the data used in these reports are often limited in terms of timespan or geographical coverage and have not utilized open-source data, including data from satellites, and citizen science monitoring networks.
“Our report provides comprehensive information on the spatial and temporal distributions of air pollution due to PM2. 5 in Việt Nam. The findings from the report will be a supplemental source of data, helping provinces and cities to develop air quality management plans, ” said Thanh.
Hoàng Dương Tùng from Vietnam Clean Air Partnership said: “It is crucial to promote research to identify the sources of PM2. 5 pollution and other air pollutants, especially in provinces and cities heavily polluted by PM2. 5. ”
“The findings from these reports will help authorities to determine priority plans to manage the air quality, ” he said.
The workshop “State of PM2. 5 in Việt Nam during 2019-2020 based on multisource data and application of satellite technology in air pollution monitoring and research” was held by Live & Learn for Environment and Community (Live&Learn/USAID), University of Engineering and Technology under the Việt Nam National University in Hà Nội, Việt Nam Clean Air Partnership and Tia Sáng Magazine.
Việt Nam is ranked 115th in air quality that measured household solid fuel use and PM2. 5 average exposure in the biennial Environmental Performance Index compiled by scientists at American universities Yale and Columbia.
According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is one of the greatest environmental risks to health. By reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma.
The organization estimated that in Việt Nam, around 60, 000 deaths each year are air pollution-related. — VNS
HÀ
NỘI
— Though the average PM2. 5 concentration
improved
slightly
in 2020, all
provinces
and
cities
in
Việt
Nam
still
had much higher
levels
than the
WHO’s recommendation
, according to
data
revealed at a workshop held
virtually
on Tuesday.
In 2020, the areas with high PM2. 5 concentration were
mainly
in the Red River Delta, the north-central region, and the southeast region, according to the findings from a
report
on the state of PM2. 5 in
Việt
Nam during the 2019-20 period.
The
report
is based
on multisource
data
and
is conducted
by the
University
of Engineering and Technology under the Vietnam National
University
in
Hà
Nội
̣(VNU-UET) and
Live
& Learn for Environment and Community.
“The
improved
air
pollution
nationwide in 2020 was due in part to the social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
”
said Associate Professor and Doctor
Nguyễn
Thị
Nhật
Thanh, from VNU-UET, an author of the report.
Data in 2018
showed
that major sources of PM2. 5
pollution
in
Việt
Nam came from burning agricultural by-products (40
percent)
, cooking (17
percent)
, transport (13
percent)
, forest fires (12. 7
percent)
, and industrial activities (11
percent)
, and thermal power (3. 3 percent).
In
Hà
Nội
, 48. 3
percent
of the PM2. 5
pollution
was caused
by industrial and craft village activities, 21. 3
percent
from transport, and 20. 2 from burning agricultural by-products.
In
HCM
City, 58. 2
percent
of the
pollution
came from transport, 22. 8
percent
from industrial activities, and 12. 8
percent
from cooking.
In 2020,
Việt
Nam had 10 out of 63
provinces
and
cities
with higher PM2. 5 concentration
levels
than the
nationally
mandated threshold. These 10 localities are all in the north including
Hà
Nội
with PM2. 5
level
at 29
µg
/m³ and
Bắc
Ninh
Province
at 33
µg
/m³, much higher than the national
allowed
threshold of 25
μg
/m³ and WHO's the guideline of 5
μg
/m³.
In 2019, the number was 13 localities, of which 11 were in the north and the rest were in the south.
Data crucial for
air
quality
control
In the past few years, the state of PM2. 5 in
Việt
Nam has
been studied
and published in
reports
and scientific journals by researchers from
government
agencies,
universities
, institutes, and social organizations.
However
, the
data
used
in these
reports
are
often
limited in terms of
timespan
or geographical coverage and have not utilized open-source
data
, including
data
from satellites, and citizen science monitoring networks.
“Our
report
provides comprehensive information on the spatial and temporal distributions of
air
pollution
due to PM2. 5 in
Việt
Nam. The findings from the
report
will be a supplemental source of
data
, helping
provinces
and
cities
to develop
air
quality
management plans,
”
said Thanh.
Hoàng
Dương
Tùng
from Vietnam Clean
Air
Partnership said: “It is crucial to promote research to identify the sources of PM2. 5
pollution
and other
air
pollutants,
especially
in
provinces
and
cities
heavily
polluted by PM2. 5. ”
“The findings from these
reports
will
help
authorities to determine priority plans to manage the
air
quality
,
”
he said.
The workshop “State of PM2. 5 in
Việt
Nam during 2019-2020 based on multisource
data
and application of satellite technology in
air
pollution
monitoring and research”
was held
by
Live
& Learn for Environment and Community (
Live&Learn
/
USAID
),
University
of Engineering and Technology under the
Việt
Nam National
University
in
Hà
Nội
,
Việt
Nam Clean
Air
Partnership and Tia
Sáng
Magazine.
Việt
Nam
is ranked
115th in
air
quality
that measured household solid fuel
use
and PM2. 5 average exposure in the biennial Environmental Performance Index compiled by scientists at American
universities
Yale and Columbia.
According to the World Health Organization,
air
pollution
is one of the greatest environmental
risks
to health. By reducing
air
pollution
levels
, countries can
reduce
the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma.
The organization estimated that in
Việt
Nam, around 60, 000 deaths each year are
air
pollution-related. —
VNS