Air quality in Long Xuyen

What is the quality of air in Long Xuyen now?

Long Xuyen is the capital city of An Giang province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. It is located in the south-western part of Vietnam and is 200 kilometres from the southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City. And at 45 kilometres it is very close to the border with Cambodia. In 2018 the population was approximately 400,000.

Towards the end of 2020, the AQI (air quality index) recorded moderate levels of air pollution at 66 US AQI. The PM2.5 levels were 19.3 µg/m³ for a similar period of time. At this time of year, the levels fluctuate between “Moderate” and “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups”. These figures are based on guidelines as suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

What are the main sources of air pollution in Long Xuyen?

As with most large developing cities, air pollution comes from various sources. One of the main causes is from vehicular usage, the manufacturing industry and the construction industry. There is a considerable number of brick kilns within the area that greatly contribute to the air pollution in Long Xuyen, because of their emissions. There are also many open landfill garbage dumps which emit many types of pollutants as the garbage degrades.

Other sources include mining and mineral processing, which includes cement production. Noise, smoke and dust are concentrated around the production facility which covers houses and roads in the vicinity. Many trees become covered with this dust and eventually begin to wither and die because their leaves no longer get the sunlight they need for photosynthesis.

Is air pollution in Long Xuyen getting better or worse?

The Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Transport to carry out the inspection of vehicles to ensure that they conform to the latest rules and regulations regarding emission levels. This will also include the upgrading of filtration systems if required. Drivers are encouraged to use of clean fuels and clean energy for motor vehicles. Residents are also being encouraged to consider using public transport whilst commuting to the city.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for guiding and controlling projects, chemical fertilizer production and processing plants, processing by-products and post-harvest waste products to ensure the treatment is safe, and in accordance with regulations. The burning solid waste, such as rice straw after harvest is being discouraged. The use of pesticides in agricultural production is also being discouraged unless it is essential to crop production. The farming community is encouraged to use clean fuel in their machines and not adulterated fuel which is currently used because of its low price.

The exhaust system is to be upgraded with a better filtration system fitted. Carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitric oxide (NO_x) pollutant levels were found to exceed the recommended levels.

What can be done to improve the air quality in Long Xuyen?

The assessment of air pollution has been assigned to the An Giang Provincial People's Committee to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. They will take on the responsibility of reviewing and strengthening the position, frequency, and parameters of the air environment monitoring program to ensure it meets the stated targets. They are to report the results to the Department of Information and Communications who will publish, publicize and promptly notify the People's Committees of districts, towns, cities and people about the current air quality and offer advice if necessary.

The local authorities are to invest in automatic continuous air monitoring stations in the area, in which priority will be given to Long Xuyen.

In addition, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment will organize the review and inspection of the equipment and request local businesses to install continuous automatic emission monitoring systems and advanced exhaust treatment filtration system which will help to lower the levels pf air pollution. The cement production factories have been issued with the latest guidelines in accordance with recommendations from the local authority, after their latest inspection. Dust generated from the grinding and input areas is to be collected by a vacuum extraction system and dust filter settling tanks are to be installed. Dust on the factory floor is to be regularly cleaned and inner road dust is to be misted so as to reduce dispersion.

The construction industry is to be encouraged to use shields when demolishing existing properties to stop the spread of dust within the locality. They are also required to spray the ground at regular intervals to stop the dust rising up into the air.

What effect does Long Xuyen’s poor air quality have on health?

Air pollution has a great impact, not only on climate change but also on human health by increasing morbidity and mortality. There are many pollutants within contaminated air, but the worst ones are the microscopic particles of PM2.5. Because of their size, they easily bypass the bodies’ defence mechanism and penetrate the respiratory system through inhalation. This can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases together with reproductive problems and central nervous system dysfunctions. Some types of cancer have been linked to poor air quality, too.

Ozone (O₃) in the stratosphere acts as a barrier against the sun’s harmful rays, but it is not the case for ground-level ozone. This too affects the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Other pollutants considered to be very harmful to humans are sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxide (NO), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and dioxins. Carbon monoxide (CO) is very dangerous as it can kill a person very quickly by asphyxiation if breathed at a high enough concentration.

Lead is a heavy metal which can be absorbed by the body which can then lead to chronic intoxication and direct poisoning. The diseases which may be caused by all these pollutants is extensive. Respiratory problems such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer, cardiovascular problems and central nervous system dysfunctions are amongst the worst.

Certain groups of people are more susceptible to air pollution than others. Senior citizens, pregnant women, children under the age of 14, outdoor workers and people with existing medical conditions are the ones who need to take extreme care.