Hazardous air pollution continues to cast a shadow over Hanoi
VOV.VN - The global air quality tracking application Air Visual on January 5 recorded Hanoi as the third most polluted city in the world, trailed only by Dhaka in Bangladesh and Baghdad in Iraq.
On January 5 morning, Hanoi's pollution levels surpassed those of two cities that frequently rank as the most polluted globally—Delhi in India and Karachi in Pakistan.
Recent assessments indicate that Hanoi will continue to experience severe air pollution over the next few days. Specifically, from January 6-8, the pollution will reach hazardous levels, with a recommendation for the public to minimize outdoor activities.
This morning, the air pollution continued to blanket Hanoi and several northern provinces, including Thai Nguyen, Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, and Thai Binh.
The air quality monitoring system of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shows that pollution levels in the northern region this morning were generally in the “unhealthy” range, meaning harmful to public health.
At some monitoring points, pollution levels reached "very unhealthy" levels, such as in Thai Nguyen, Hung Yen city (Hung Yen province), and Thai Binh city (Thai Binh province). These levels are extremely harmful to health. The same results were also recorded by the air quality monitoring systems of the US Embassy in Hanoi and PAM Air.
The US Embassy’s air quality monitoring app reported that this pollution episode may last for another 3-4 days. On January 6-7, pollution levels are expected to remain at hazardous levels, posing serious health risks to everyone. The pollution may persist throughout the day.
Around January 9-10, a strong northeastern monsoon is expected to sweep down to Vietnam, potentially ending the prolonged pollution in the northern region. On January 9, pollution may only occur in the morning, with air quality improving by the afternoon and continuing on January 10. However, after those days, the risk of air pollution recurrence remains.
According to Dr. Angela Pratt, WHO Representative in Vietnam, air pollution worldwide causes 7 million deaths annually. In Vietnam, at least 70,000 people die each year due to air pollution-related respiratory diseases, exacerbation of underlying diseases like asthma, and other issues such as strokes, heart disease, and lung cancer. On average, every 7.5 minutes, a Vietnamese person dies from a disease caused by exposure to polluted air.
Dr. Pratt emphasized the need to treat air pollution as an emergency public health issue, similar to how we addressed COVID-19.
Experts recommend that Vietnam needs to strictly control the four major sources of air pollution: emissions from traffic, construction activities, industrial production, and household activities like burning waste, straw, and joss paper.
In addition, it is necessary to promote solutions for air quality forecasting to mitigate the impact of air pollution on public health.
