Air pollution - silent assassin

Along with Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City is in the list of 10 cities polluting the air of Asia and the world, according to a ranking in a World Bank study.

The problem of dirt and air pollution is becoming more urgent than ever, but the level of public interest, according to many environmental experts, is still 'below average'.

Lesson 1: Copy of Bangkok

90% of air testing samples do not meet the permitted standards, always at a high level of health risk, in which the amount of suspended dust is the leading polluting factor in the area. Concentrations of dust, ozone, nitrogen, sulfur . increased from 1 to 3 times.

Assessment of the current level of air pollution in Ho Chi Minh City, Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Tuan, Rector of the College of Natural Resources and Environment, who has studied air quality during nearly 10 years of newspaper Action: HCMC is a Bangkok (Thailand) of 20 years ago.

Any index will go up. '

At one time, the atmosphere in Bangkok was filled with dust, lead and toxic chemicals. The sky is full of black smoke from car and motorbike chimneys. Now all the above images are transferred to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. We are the mirror of Bangkok in the early 90s of the last century, Mr. Tuan compares.

Through research, air pollution emissions have not been strictly controlled, leading to an increasing number of waste sources due to the massive increase in motor vehicles and the growing number of vehicles. industrial production facilities. In terms of quality, most of the waste sources are not controlled to meet emission standards: 100% of motorbikes are not controlled, only about 15% of industrial production establishments have pollutants emissions. Gas has installed exhaust treatment system.

The increase in vehicles is one of the causes of air pollution.

The results of Tuan's studies are also consistent with the results of the emission measurement recently conducted by the Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City. Specifically, 90% of air samples are not up to the permitted standards, always at a high level of health risk, in which suspended dust is the leading polluting factor in the area.

Concentrations of dust, ozone, nitrogen, sulfur . increased from 1 to nearly 3 times compared to the same period in 2010. Other indicators such as lead, benzene, noise at many routes have monitoring devices on The city is also showing signs of increasing compared to a year ago. Of which, alarmingly, the lead content increased by 2.2 times, benzene concentration increased by 1.4 times at all 8 monitoring stations - scattered in residential areas.

In addition, the measured NO ₂ concentration at monitoring stations also showed that this index also exceeded the permitted standard (usually fluctuating at 0.19 - 0.34mg / m³) and is showing signs of increasing. Frequency of measurement was exceeded when there was 68%.

Major culprits: traffic and industry

According to Prof. Dr. Le Huy Ba, Director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Environmental Management - Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, today, there are more than 5 million motor vehicles in Ho Chi Minh City. mainly following the main roads of the 500km² area of ​​the inner city, the air pollution concentration is more serious.

'Frequent, continuous traffic also increases pollution levels. Emissions emitted at low levels, concentrated in densely populated areas. That is not to mention the situation of soil and rock falling from trucks, incomplete construction roads of construction materials and stones filled both sides of the road washed away by rain down the roadway, which also caused the smoke situation. more dust , ' said Ba.

At one time, the leaves around Le Minh Xuan industrial park (Binh Chanh district) were simultaneously changed into white, many areas of leaves were dried or red, causing local people to be confused. Explaining this issue, Prof. Dr. Le Huy Ba said it was affected by dust, smoke from factories, lime kilns, bricks . of the industrial zone.

Toxic gases CO ₂ , H ₂ S, and CO often cause yellowing of dry leaves. 'The city still has many industrial and handicraft production establishments, many of which are not equipped with exhaust gas and smoke treatment systems. The quality of life of the country's largest urban residents has decreased considerably.

If it continues like this, in 10 years, we are afraid that we want to save the atmosphere, it's already too late , 'Mr. Ba said.