Air quality in Bac Giang

What is the air quality index of Bac Giang?

Bắc Giang is the capital city of the province with the same name. It is located in North Vietnam some 50 kilometres north of Hanoi. It is in a very strategic position with regards to transportation links, including being situated on the Thương River, which runs through the town. In 2019 the estimated population was just over 200,000 people.

At the start of 2021, Bắc Giang was experiencing very “Unhealthy” air with a US AQI reading of 157. This is based on recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The PM2.5 concentration was 66.2 µg/m³.

With figures such as these, the advice is to wear a good quality mask when venturing outdoors and to close doors and windows to halt the ingress of poor quality air from outside. All types of outdoor exercise should be avoided until the quality improves. The use of an air purifier would be advantageous if that facility is available.

What is the main source of Bac Giang’s polluted air?

The main cause of air pollution is dust, exhaust emissions from vehicles, construction activities, industrial activities with a large amount of waste which is not yet effectively controlled; the area of green trees and water surface in urban development has not met the requirements; The implementation of legal regulations, programs and tasks on air pollution control has not been synchronous and effective.

In particular, from now until the middle of the year, it will be necessary to review and evaluate the observance of the law on dust and emission control in industrial establishments, traffic activities and construction and propose competent agencies to consider suspending establishments causing serious environmental pollution according to the provisions of law.

The open burning of garbage is a big problem in some areas of the province. Garbage is transported by truck where it is unloaded and piled up into huge piles. Garbage pickers remove items which can be recycled and sold, but a lot of garbage is left. This should go to an incinerator where it is burnt under controlled conditions. But the truth is that it is often burnt in the open which causes a huge amount of smoke and causes difficulty in breathing for those who live nearby.

Is air pollution in Bac Giang getting better or worse?

In order to control and mitigate negative impacts of air pollution, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment submitted a written request at the end of 2020, to the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to strengthen control of air pollution and effectively deal with hot spots regarding dust pollution and exhaust emissions.

The data collected from the ground-level monitoring stations should be analysed and the results made available to the public. This had proved to be very successful in other Vietnamese cities. In Ba Ria Vung Tau, giant LED screens have been erected at strategic points throughout the city giving details as to what the air quality is in real-time. Once armed with this information, the residents can decide how best to take care of their health. This information is also published on a site which has a downloadable app for modern smartphones giving access to this information 24/7.

What can be done to improve the air quality in Bac Giang?

Local authorities need to speed up the promulgation and implementation of public transport system development plans, giving priority to vehicles using clean energy, with zero emissions; withdrawing and eliminating old motor vehicles that fail to meet the emissions standards, causing environmental pollution in the city; development of non-motorised traffic; encourage people to use public transport; promote propaganda for the use of environmentally friendly means of transport; implementation of reasonable traffic regulation and flow to limit prolonged congestion, causing environmental pollution; organise and regularly maintain road washing activities on main roads and roads in the city centres to limit dust spread, especially in dry and windy weather conditions.

The long-term aim of the local authorities in Hanoi is to reduce harmful emissions and greenhouse gases by 20 per cent before 2045 with total solar power capacity estimated at about 700 MWp. The installation of solar panels to the roofs of low rise apartment buildings is in the planning stage.

People are being encouraged not to burn solid waste such as post-harvest straw to reduce sources of emissions causing environmental pollution. The local authorities need to carry out an inventory and assessment of emission sources in the area, determine clearly the causes to minimize air pollution and handle violations of the law on air environmental protection according to regulations. They also need to disclose information on sources of air pollution, individuals and organizations in the area under their management who violate the law on environmental protection on the mass media.

What are the effects of breathing Bac Giang’s poor quality air?

During the winter months in the north, the period when the concentration of pollutants in the air, including PM2.5, is usually the highest in the year. At night and in the morning, thick fog causes pollutants not to diffuse upwards but to become trapped in the lower layers. The air quality in the whole of Hanoi and surrounding areas is polluted at “Very Bad” levels, it can be said that pollution to an alarming level is very harmful to human health, people need to pay special attention to monitoring the changes in air quality.

Badly polluted air affects everyone, but some people are more prone to their adverse effects than others. Even short periods of time exposed to polluted air can cause respiratory irritation and breathing difficulties during outdoor activity and routine exercise. It is also dependant on the length of exposure to the polluted air, the content of the air and the concentrations of those pollutants. People with existing medical conditions will feel the ill effects before a strong, healthy person.

High levels of air pollution can cause immediate problems, such as aggravating cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses. Stress is added to the heart and lungs because they have to work harder to gain the level of oxygen needed by the body. Cells within the respiratory can soon become irreversibly damaged. Long-term exposure accelerates the ageing of the lungs which leads to loss of capacity and a decrease in their ability. Asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer are more common than before. It can also lead to a shorter lifespan.