tiểu luận kinh tế môi trường air pollution in ha noi caused by dust and gas, reason and solution

INTRODUCTION Socio-economic development is the process of improving people's physical and spiritual living conditions through the production of material wealth, improvement of social relations, and improvement of cultural quality Development is a common trend of each individual and the whole human being in the process of living There is a very close relationship between environment and development: the environment is the locality and the object of development, and development is the cause of environmental changes In the socio-economic system, goods are moved from production, circulation, distribution and consumption along with the flow of raw materials, energy, products and waste These components are always in a state of interaction with the natural and social components of the environmental system that exists in that area The area where the two systems are intersected is the artificial environment The impact of development activities on the environment manifests itself in the beneficial aspect of improving the natural environment or generating the necessary funding for such improvement, but can cause environmental pollution or natural pollution On the other hand, the natural environment also affects the socio-economic development through the degradation of natural resources being the object of development activities or causing disasters, natural disasters for the activities Socioeconomic activities in the region At present, environmental pollution, environmental incidents and climate change taking place in Vietnam are mainly due to the country's socio-economic development activities which have been promoted with the rate of economic growth high To some extent, it can be said that in many places, sometimes the protection of the environment has been overlooked, the principles to ensure sustainable development have not been strictly followed This situation has negatively and negatively affected all aspects of social life Therefore, economic development with appropriate exploitation and use of natural resources and environmental protection has become a deep concern of the international community The exploitation and use of natural resources and the environment in Vietnam are not outside the common situation of the world, perhaps they are extremely complex, diverse and difficult Not only happening throughout the country, at present, in Hanoi, environmental issues are also very complicated Therefore, in this report, we will delve into the environmental issues happening in Hanoi according to the following: - Actual state of the matter - The cause of the problem - Impact of the problem - Solutions and tips We would like to express our gratitude to our lecturers who have instructed us to complete this assignment Due to our restricted knowledge, there might be inevitable mistakes in this report, therefore we would be grateful to receive any constructive comments LITERATURE REVIEW Air pollution has become an alarming concern for Hanoi residents recently While there have been numerous researches on Air pollution in developed countries such as the USA or Singapore, it seems that few papers are conducted on that issue of Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular According to data from the MONRE’s automatic monitoring stations, both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have experienced an increase in the number of days with the airborne dust concentration measurements in excess of government standards In “Air quality in Vietnam report 2017”, urban air pollution episodes are generally the result of a combination of locally emitted air pollutants and pollutants transported from areas outside the city with moving air masses in Vietnam and in other countries Moreover, Hanoi people not have much knowledge about air pollution despite the fact that the awareness proportion is high (99% concerned about air quality but only 17% accessed to any information regarding air quality in 2016) According to Urban Air Quality Modelling and Management in Hanoi, Vietnam by Phd Hung: Among several driving forces of air pollution such as urbanization, traffic, industries and domestic activities, gas emissions from factories and transports is the culprit which affecting urban air pollution It has been estimated that approximately 70-75 % of air pollutants of PM10, SO2, NOX, and CO comes from traffic Besides, the economic development continues to increase and leads to increase energy usage in both the industrial and domestic sector Although the government and environmental organizations have come up with several policies and campaigns, the air quality in Hanoi is getting worse and worse This report would want to update, analyze and give recommendations for the current air pollution situation in Hanoi AIR POLLUTION IN HANOI Definition 1.1 What is air pollution? Air pollution can be defined as the presence of toxic chemicals or compounds (including those of biological origin) in the air, at levels that pose a health risk In an even broader sense, air pollution means the presence of chemicals or compounds in the air which are usually not present and which lower the quality of the air or cause detrimental changes to the quality of life (such as the damaging of the ozone layer or causing global warming) 1.2 Types of air pollution Generally, air pollution has been divided into two types a Indoor pollution It is the pollution of air caused by the introduction of materials from smoking and burning fossil fuels such as kerosene, petroleum and coal indoors Fuels are burned indoors for cooking and cooling or heating purposes Chemicals from cleaning products, wall paints, pesticides and air fresheners also contribute to indoor air pollution One half of the population in the world or 80% of the population in South Asia and Africa is affected by indoor air pollution from burning of coal and biomass It is assumed that indoor air pollution is much worse than pollution outdoors b Outdoor pollution The levels of outdoor air pollution reach their peak in developing countries, most of them from Asia The air outside is polluted mainly from vehicle exhaust and emissions from industries Several pollutants are mixed in the air and a large portion of the world population is regularly exposed to harmful air quality Air pollution can also be divided into other types According to the American Lung Association, the two major types of air pollution which harm human health are c Smog Smog is the mixture of two components; smoke and fog The term was introduced first in mid-20th century in London Smog can cause several health problems like breathing problems, decrease in resistance to colds and infections, irritation of eyes and throat, asthma etc d Particle pollution Particle pollution is also a serious issue in the world It is widespread in cities and urban areas This kind of pollution is caused due to the exhaust from burning diesel fuels in heavy transportation, burning of fuels in power plants and burning wood It has been known to increase problems of heart diseases, cancer of the lungs, coughs and asthma 1.3 How is air quality measured? Air quality index (AQI) is a measure used for reporting the daily air quality, by factoring the level of pollutants in the air The AQI works sort of like a thermometer that runs from to 500 degrees However, instead of showing changes in the temperature, the AQI is a way of showing changes in the amount of pollution in the air Different countries use different indices for measuring air quality by monitoring some or all of the following pollutants: carbon monoxide, PM2.5, PM10, Nitrogen dioxide, ground Ozone (O3), sulphur dioxide among others An AQI under 50 means that the air quality is good At this low AQI level, a person can spend time outdoors and air pollution will pose very little risk to their health As the AQI number increases, so does the risk to human health (See the chart below for a summary of the AQI levels of health concern.) Air Quality Index Levels of Health Concern Good Moderate Numerical Value Meaning to 50 Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk 51 to 100 Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there are may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution Members of sensitive groups may experience Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 101 to 150 health effects The general public is not likely to be affected Unhealthy 151 to 200 Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects Very Unhealthy 201 to 300 Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects Hazardous 301 to 500 Health warnings of emergency conditions The entire population is more likely to be affected Air polluted situation in Hanoi Air pollution has always been one of the most concerned issues in Hanoi Since 2016, air polluted situation in Hanoi has become worse than ever Between March and 2016 , the Air Quality Index (AQI) measurements by the Hanoi-based US Embassy recorded alarming levels of air pollution in the capital Pollutant concentrations in the air ranged between 114 and 159 during the day and suddenly peaked at 388 at 9am on March - a level deemed hazardous and which can cause serious health problems The PM2.5 particulate level recorded was seven times higher than the permissible level set by the WTO PM2.5, also described as super fine particles, is the most harmful air pollutant to human health and can cause serious respiratory problems In 2017, Hanoi had more than 200 days when the air quality was polluted beyond the health standards set by the WTO It was reported to have a yearly average AQI of 103 and the PM2.5 index is five times higher than the WHO’s annual average level However, we still saw a positive improvement regarding air quality in Hanoi that is the average percentage of good and moderate hourly AQI in 2017 reached more than 50 per cent, while that in 2016 was only about 36 per cent Hanoi continued to suffer from severe air pollution exceeding air quality guidelines of the WHO on out of every 10 days in the first three months of 2018 Air quality in Hanoi has deteriorated, with 80 per cent of the recording hours experiencing an “unhealthy” level compared to 64 per cent in 2017 The latest air pollution data compiled in the 2018 World Air Quality Report ranks Hanoi as the second most polluted city in Southeast Asia, behind only Jakarta After that period, the air quality in Hanoi seemed to have a slight improvement until September 2019 At that time, air pollution levels in some specific areas of the city have reached alarming levels, prompting the government to issue advisories asking people to stay indoors and limit outdoor activities The highest AQI levels recorded was 278 on September 30, at the “very unhealthy” levels, which causes serious long-term health problems The PM2.5 index is eleven times higher than national standard (25 μg/m3) and 25 times higher than WTO’s annual average level (10 μg/m3) On September 27, Hanoi momentarily was recorded as the most polluted city in the world, as per the IQAir AirVisual monitoring app After that period, the air quality has improved a bit for a short time In November, Hanoi has been suffering from severe air condition again The highest AQI level recorded is 341 (6am November 12), hazardous threshold This is the highest pollution threshold in the air pollution scale according to the calculation of AQI in Vietnam, affecting people's health Sensitive groups are advised to avoid going out, while others should limit their time outside We can see that, in general, the air polluted situation in Hanoi is getting worse and worse Causes 3.1 Air pollution by transportation means in Ha Noi One of the main pollution sources is the exhaust gas from the internal combustion engines, which provide up to 80% of the total consumed energy in the world This is a major pollution source to the air and environment, especially in urban areas and densely populated areas The process of fuel combustion is creating polluting gas such as CO, CO2, SO2, NOx, Pb, CH4, HC Along with economic – social development, the quantity and density of vehicles increased rapidly Every year, the number of motorcycles increases by 20%, cars increases by 15% The increase in the number of vehicles is the cause leads to an increase in exhaust gas emissions into the air and causes the pollution of traffic emissions more severe The increasing rate of motors and car quantity is given in Figure Figure The number of cars and motorcycles in Ha Noi from 2000 to 2010 Figure shows that the number of private vehicles has increased rapidly and caused an increase in air pollution levels in Ha Noi Many private vehicles are not taken seriously warranty periodic maintenance, therefore, it causes the increase in emissions into the environment with ever-growing toxic levels In particular, dilapidated and out of using date facilities are still in traffic, they are not only threatening the safety of lives for people in traffic but also seriously affecting the quality of urban air, threatening the health and lives of people A different calculation in Hanoi showed that motorcycles are about 95% of total vehicles, they use 56% of gasoline consumption but discharge 94% of unburnt hydrogen carbon emissions (HC); 87% of carbon monoxide (CO); 57% of nitrogen oxides (NOx)… in total emissions of vehicles Besides exhausting directly polluting gas into the environment, many trucks carrying construction materials causing environmental pollution These vehicles are not covered with overloading cargo, scattering soil, sand, mud, even gravel, big rocks, which cause environmental pollution, urban sanitation and potential for traffic accidents 3.2 Air pollution by factory and industry On air quality regulations, factories have a huge advantage because, as the effects of air pollution are often widespread, it is difficult to calculate the number of emissions Moreover, exhaust gases can drift great distances and cause dangerous phenomena like acid rain in populations far away from the origin of the problem Another situation where you can find yourself in a much polluted environment in the petrochemical smog Factory processes include a wide range of activities like cleaning, painting or others Chemicals used in these processes evaporate, but they can react with sunlight and other pollutants, creating the peroxyacetyl nitrates, or commonly known as petrochemical smog This toxic fog is very dangerous because it can last days or even weeks Industrial pollution is one of the primary sources of environmental contamination This human-made source has profound effects on the health of living organisms and the entire planet A wide range of pollutants is emitted by human activities on factories and industries, like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ammonia, particulate matter, lead, hydrocarbons, organic compounds, and other chemicals Inhaling factories and industries fumes is very dangerous for human’s health, increasing the probability of several diseases like asthma or bronchitis However, the world is in permanent disease due to this issue, and climate change is not going to stop if manufacturing industries aren’t regulated 3.3 Air pollution by household activities One of the major sources of household air pollution is the fuel used for cooking as well as heating practices Almost homes use electricity, natural gas, or clean Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking, whereas houses in rural communities in Ha Noi use biomass fuel or coal for cooking Natural gas is primarily methane, whereas LPG is primarily propane or a mixture of propane and butane Natural gas requires less air for combustion (an air-to-gas ratio of 10:1) LPG, on the other hand, requires more air for combustion (an air-to-gas ratio of 25:1), releasing almost three times the energy released by burning natural gas (93.2 10 MJ/m through LPG versus 38.7 MJ/m through natural gas) LPG is relatively denser than air, which is further denser than natural gas (1.52:1:0.55) Gas leakage when using LPG, therefore, tends to settle in the household air at human levels, whereas leakage of natural gas ascends toward the ceiling, reducing health effects Burning of natural gas not only produces a variety of gases such as sulfur oxides, mercury compounds, and particulate matter but also leads to the production of nitrogen oxides, primarily nitrogen dioxide Biomass fuel includes wood, crop residue, animal dung cakes, and wood charcoal Approximately, billion people, or half the world’s population, use biomass for cooking or heating across the globe and burn about million kilograms of biomass every day These homes have very high levels of particulate matter and gaseous air pollutants such as carbon particles, iron, lead, cadmium, silica, phenols and free radicals, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, hydrocarbon complexes, and other inorganic and organic substances which include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds, and chlorinated dioxins Various studies have shown that, on average, the levels of particulate matter of less than 2.5 microns in mean aerodynamic diameter (PM 2.5) in such houses range from 500 to 1,500 µg/m3, which is very high, as the permissible indoor level of PM 2.5 according to the WHO ranges between 10 and 50 µg/m in a 24-hour mean value High levels of CO, especially during the burning of charcoal, are also produced However, burning of wood produces the least amounts of PM 2.5 and CO among the biomass fuels The method of cooking also has an impact on the levels of particulate matter released in the air Stir-frying, deep or shallow frying, charbroiling, roasting, and grilling have different emission levels of particulate matter The type of meat, the amount of fat in the meat, and the type of oil used for cooking also determine the emission levels Meat charbroiling, for example, emit large quantities of particulate matter of 0.1 to 0.2 µm in mean aerodynamic diameter Meat frying and charbroiling contribute to about 21% of the particulate matter emitted Regular meat emits about 40 g of particulate matter per kilogram of meat when charbroiled, whereas lean meat emits about g of particulate matter per kilogram of meat when charbroiled When subjected to frying, the same meat emits about g of particulate matter per kilogram of meat The oil used in cooking emits a significant amount of PAHs, which further add to the household air pollutants Stir-frying, a popular cooking style in Chinese cuisine, has been shown to emit particulate matter ranging from 300 to 1,700 μg/m Impact The most serious impact of urban air pollution is damage to human health (WHO, 2000) People living in urban areas are exposed to air pollutions which seriously affects 11 their health In Hanoi, poor people in the central urban areas are the most damaged by air pollution Exposure to air pollution may cause various diseases including short and long term effects Short-term effects, which are temporary such as pneumonia or bronchitis They also include discomforts such as irritation to the nose, throat, eyes, or skin, headaches, dizziness, and nausea Long-time exposure to air pollutions causes respiratory disease, throat inflammation, cardiovascular disease, chest pain, and congestion Chemical and radioactive substances can cause cancers According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is linked to 30% of deaths from lung cancer, 25% of brain strokes and heart diseases For respiratory illness alone, up to 435 deaths from respiratory illnesses are related to air pollution Similarly, dermatologists and ophthalmologists are concerned about the effects of air pollution on the skin and eyes The number of people hospitalized for skin diseases has also increased recently Like humans, animals can suffer health effects from exposure to air pollution Birth defects, diseases, and lower reproductive rates have all been attributed to air pollution Besides, entire ecosystems can suffer effects from air pollution Haze, like smog, is a visible type of air pollution that obscures shapes and colors Hazy air pollution can even muffle sounds Air pollution particles eventually fall back to Earth Air pollution can directly contaminate the surface of bodies of water and soil This can kill crops or reduce their yield It can kill young trees and other plants Air pollution also contributes to global warming Global warming is an environmental phenomenon caused by natural and anthropogenic air pollution It refers to rising air and ocean temperatures around the world This temperature rise is at least partially caused by an increase in the number of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere Greenhouse gases trap heat energy in the Earth’s atmosphere Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that has had the biggest effect on global warming Carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (coal, gasoline, and natural gas) Humans have come to rely on fossil fuels to power cars and planes, heat homes, and run factories Doing these things pollutes the air with carbon dioxide Solutions and recommendations 5.1 Hanoi’s current solutions The city has implemented many measures such as installing observation stations to monitor the situation of polluted air in the city (currently, Hanoi has 10 air monitoring stations to monitor air pollution regularly By 2020, the city will install 20 more air monitoring stations, mobile monitoring station ); treatment of environmental pollution 12 in some places; transferring waste from manual form to machine; deploy sludge treatment plant; regularly inspecting vehicles carrying construction materials in the area The city also plans to make sure that no households use honeycomb charcoal stoves or straw burning in suburban areas According to statistics, with the use of 582 tons of honeycomb coal/day, the extremely large amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere in the city plus burning straw in the suburbs makes the vision obscured In addition, issues of construction, demolition of construction works and traffic participation of vehicles, especially vehicles not up to standard, lead to huge emissions The Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment also recommends that, if the air environment is in poor level, people participating in outdoor activities should use masks and old people, children are limited to the outdoors 5.2 Recommendations a Transportation and Infrastructure - Roads with signs of deterioration, especially belt roads and roads leading to urban areas should be split and spread with plastic carpets - The city should build and complete the urban public transportation system (bus, tram ) to reduce the number of personal vehicles or even possibly consider the solution of relocating the population to low-density areas, and gradually eliminate motorbikes like Beijing or minimizing motorbikes and private cars as Singapore - Encouraging the development of vehicles and transport modes that cause less air pollution - Establishing mechanisms and policies for the full choice of circulation of vehicles (environmental tax, the prohibition of motorized vehicles, 3-wheel vehicles ) - Building a system of greenery on both sides of the street to limit the spread of pollutants to the surrounding environment - Planning and installing car wash stations on a number of gateway roads in the capital, combining small car wash networks in the inner city and trucks before going to the city b Industry - The old industrial clusters in the inner city need to be renovated and gradually move factories out of the city - As for newly-built industrial clusters, specific environmental regulations are needed for these production facilities, during and after the construction project is built 13 Encouraging establishments to use machines, equipment with environment- friendly technologies - Planning of classifying industrial zones and spatial distribution in Hanoi city must be consulted by the Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment - It is necessary to strictly conduct an environmental impact assessment, inspect waste treatment activities, and increase severe fines for violations to raise funds for the reconstructive environment, discouraging and not granting permits to factories with a high risk of pollution such as thermal power, limiting tree felling and planting more trees … - It is necessary to raise environmental protection standards, such as requiring the entire project to be covered during construction, spraying and cleaning vehicles before leaving the site, and heavy fines for vehicles carrying materials that not guarantee safety for the environment c Personal and service issues - Encouraging limited use of fossil energy, traditional fuels and instead, using a clean, environment- friendly energy without polluting such as electricity, biofuels - Promoting many ideas in utilizing and treating waste into oil, fertilizer will be a good way to solve the problem of waste polluting the air environment 5.3 Other suggestions To thoroughly solve the air pollution situation, there must be the coordination of many related ministries, branches, and agencies Calling everyone to be more environment-conscious: not throw litter indiscriminately and not use obsolete vehicles causing more dust , encourage people to ride bicycles more , establishing environmental inspection teams to directly inspect and assess the quality of production facilities Besides, the city council should set up propaganda for people through banners, slogans, radio, television and bringing environmental protection into teaching in schools so that people can see the need of protecting environmental protection as well as promote international research and cooperation activities in many aspects (technology, management methods) 14 CONCLUSION The environment and socio-economic development show a very close, close and intermittent relationship with each other Economic and social development cannot be separated from environmental factors but can only exist and develop based on the environment Without the environment, society cannot proceed with production and development, and in turn is a factor that changes the environment People are increasingly changing the environment in a negative direction, environmental pollution, environmental degradation are increasing in both quantity and level And it is human society that will suffer the consequences of environmental destruction again A series of pressing environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity degradation, land degradation and desertification, depletion of natural resources, etc are challenging social development and threats Therefore, it is time for us to act, agree, be positive and proactively prevent and prevent the negative impacts on the environment caused by human activities Well performing the social management, environmental management; complete the socioeconomic development policies associated with environmental protection Strengthen the propaganda work towards creating public awareness to go to socialization in environmental protection, preservation, regeneration and development Towards sustainable economic development, the economy will be stronger and safer Along with environmental protection is to protect the life and development of society, towards building a sustainable development society The important issue here is to renew thinking, have a proper awareness of the relationship between environment and social development, human attitude and role in that relationship Once people perceive correctly, have the right direction, unify from the thought, the consensus in the new action is easy and its effectiveness will be much greater 15 REFERENCES Hồng Xn Cơ (2005) Nghiên cứu trạng nhiễm bụi thành phố Hà Nội đề Xuất giải pháp khắc phục Báo cáo tổng hợp (2005) Nghiên cứu đề xuất cải thiện môi trường không khí Hà Nội https://www.google.com/url?q=https://hanoimoi.com.vn/tin-tuc/Khoahoc/946795/ha-noi-thong-tin-ve-cac-giai-phap-khac-phuc-o-nhiem-khongkhi&sa=D&ust=1573963806495000&usg=AFQjCNHPsw6ucSVBOT1qx UVYBw-RlmedVQ http://luanvan.net.vn/luan-van/de-tai-o-nhiem-moi-truong-khong-khi-oha-noi-thuc-trang-thach-thuc-va-giai-phap-36229/ Maczulak, Anne Elizabeth (2010) Pollution: Treating Environmental Toxins New York: Infobase Publishing p 120 Numbeo.com (2019) Pollution in Hanoi [online] Available at: https://www.numbeo.com/pollution/in/Hanoi [Accessed 18 Nov 2019] “Effective Air Management for Surface Supplies” AWWARF report ISBN 0-89867-550-2, 1991 “Quality Assurance And Quality Control For Air Treatment Utilities’ Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment”, (2003) [ebook] Available at: http://www.saskh2o.ca/dwbinder/epb242.pdf [Accessed 16 Nov 2019] 16 ... update, analyze and give recommendations for the current air pollution situation in Hanoi AIR POLLUTION IN HANOI Definition 1.1 What is air pollution? Air pollution can be defined as the presence... in Hanoi Since 2016, air polluted situation in Hanoi has become worse than ever Between March and 2016 , the Air Quality Index (AQI) measurements by the Hanoi-based US Embassy recorded alarming... cars and motorcycles in Ha Noi from 2000 to 2010 Figure shows that the number of private vehicles has increased rapidly and caused an increase in air pollution levels in Ha Noi Many private vehicles