Air quality in Qui Nhon

What is the current air quality in Quy Nhon?

Quy Nhon is the capital city of Binh Dinh province situated on the east coast of Vietnam. Commercial activities are moving towards the service sector and tourism. However, there is a substantial manufacturing sector.

Towards the end of 2020 the US AQI figure was classed as “Moderate” with a December figure of 55. These are according to the standards as suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The PM2.5 figure was recorded as 14.1 µg/m³. When air quality is classed as “moderate”, residents are advised to close doors and windows and those residents who are sensitive to poor air quality should reduce their time spent outdoors.

What is the cause of the poor quality air in Quy Nhon?

Quy Nhon is one of the key industrial centres in this South Central Coastal region with only Da Nang and Nha Trang being ahead of it. Two very large industrial areas are found in Phu Tai Industrial Park and at Nhon Hoi Economic Zone. Phu Tai is to the west of the city close to the arterial road, National Route 1. It has always been a major producer of quality wooden furniture because of the abundance of wood from the forests within the province.

In 2019 when the workshop which produces wood pellets from sawdust "grew" inside the premises of Phu Son Furniture Co., Ltd., hundreds of households in Nam hamlet, Phu Son area were often exposed to smog created during the manufacturing process of turning the by-product of sawdust into wood pellets which can be used as fuel. Every day, from about 12 noon to evening, smoke, dust and a burning smell from the wood pellet factory continuously spreads into the environment, then is blown by the wind into the surrounding residential areas.

Recently, households in Phu Son and Tan Hoa areas continuously send petitions to the authorities to propose a definitive settlement of the environmental situation. The school is polluted by smoke, dust, a burning smell, and noise from companies and enterprises operating here. These are the conditions under which the children are exposed to very day.

For about ten years, households in Nam hamlet have been subjected to rock dust, noise and vibration from blasting and breaking of rock by the 28/7 Binh Dinh Company Limited quarry.

Is air pollution in Quy Nhon getting better or worse?

People are now more aware of the dangers caused through breathing poor quality air. The more people who know about it, the stronger combined voice they have when approaching the local government. Many times, people have proposed to all levels and branches of the local government authorities to implement measures to deal with and limit the pollution of rock dust but nothing has yet been achieved.

According to a survey of over 1,400 people conducted at the end of 2016, the main cause of air pollution was found to come from industry, transportation and energy production. As these sectors are increasing, so is the amount of air pollution which they produce.

In June 2016, the Government of Vietnam issued an "Action Plan for Air Quality Management up to 2020 and Vision 2025" with the aim of managing pollutant emission sources and monitoring air quality. A process to control the spread of dust through a series of filters has been proposed by the Vietnamese government and the establishment of more ground station air pollution monitors are to be introduced. This lack of information affected the making of decisions as well as not having accurate measurement data on which to base decisions.

Can anything be done to lessen air pollution in Quy Nhon?

The People's Committee hopes that the functional departments of An Nhon Town and the province will soon take measures to deal with dust pollution and the burning smell from the wood pellet factory located inside the Phu Furniture Co., Ltd. Plant.

Most of the factories here operate in the field of mining, processing and grinding stones, so the amount of fine dust generated is considerable. This amount of dust that is created is suspended in the air, then blown by the prevailing wind into people's houses along National Highway 19. Many times, people have proposed to all levels and branches of the local government authorities to have measures to deal with and limit the pollution of rock dust but nothing has yet been achieved.

At a recent seminar held in Hanoi to address the problematic air pollution, figures were quoted from the Air Quality Index (AQI). The average AQI index of Vietnam in 2016 was 121, in the first quarter of 2017 it was 123. Meanwhile, the average PM 2.5 dust concentration in 2016 was 50.5 µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic metre), in the first quarter of 2017 it reached 54.6 µg/m³ which is twice the permitted national standard of 25 µg/m³.

The introduction of new laws on clean air protection and the reduction of coal-fired thermal power emissions need to be addressed. The use of renewable energy, and disclosure of information about the impact of air pollution will influence people's efforts to change behavior.

What are the health risks with Quy Nhon’s poor air quality?

Even relatively healthy people are at risk from breathing in poor quality air. These impacts are more noticeable to those suffering from pre-existing respiratory problems. The effects can vary depending on the state of your health, the length and frequency of exposure and the type of pollutant inhaled.

High levels of pollution are immediately noticeable with signs of added stress to the heart which makes it work harder in order to get the supply of oxygen that it needs to function.

Long-term exposure can lead to the ageing of the lungs, a decrease in effectivity and loss of capacity.

People who are suffering from lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or asthma are more likely to be affected by poor air quality. Oher groups of people who need to take extra precautions include pregnant women, children under the age of 14 years, outdoor workers and senior citizens. Caution should be take too when exercising outdoors.