Air quality in Bien Hoa

How bad is the air quality in Bien Hoa?

Bien Hoa is an industrial city and the capital of Dong Nai province on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, which is Vietnam’s large southern metropolis. It is classified as a grade one city and is a major traffic hub in the southern economic region. It is estimated that over 1 million people live in the city of Bien Hoa. With such a large population, it is understandable that the environmental pollution situation is currently very complicated. During the month of November, air quality is classed as moderate with an AQI US figure of 93. Readings of PM2.5 are 32.2 µg/m³, PM10 21 µg/m³, NO₂ 13µg/m³ and O₃ 16 µg/m³. The annual average being 43 µg/m³.

What can be done to alleviate the problem of Bien Hoa’s poor quality air?

Try to limit your exposure to the outside air when the quality is noticeably poor. The early morning and evening rush hours should be avoided if possible as these are the times when most traffic is using the road. If you must venture out then wearing a mask is highly recommended. Good quality ones are available from many sources including the IQAIR website. Try to exercise away from busy roads where the levels of pollution are at their highest. Consider speed walking through the air-conditioned shopping malls and enjoy their relatively clean air. Closing windows in the home will also reduce the amount of dirty air which can enter your rooms.

Certain groups of people should take extra care, especially the elderly, young children, pregnant women and those with pre-existing respiratory problems. Breathing dirty air will exacerbate the situation.

What are the main sources of pollution in Bien Hoa?

As with nearly all major cities, throughout the world, most of the air pollution within the city is caused by traffic. Currently, the air quality at many road junctions in Dong Nai is often polluted. To keep the air fresh is a very difficult problem. In fact, changes in the good or bad air quality along the traffic routes depend greatly on the traffic density, the time spent in traffic, and the road layout and infrastructure. In particular, vehicles such as cars and motorcycles contribute significantly to air pollution. This is particularly noticeable when vehicles are stood idling at junctions. With their engines still running it’s no surprise that the air quality near these junctions id exceptionally high.

Once the readings from the Dong Nai Monitoring Centre (Department of Natural Resources and Environment) are studied, it is seen that the air quality at intersections in 2010, 2011 and the first 6 months of 2012 were pollution of suspended dust and benzene, amongst others. In which, the pollution concentration of suspended dust particles and noise gradually increases from noon onwards and sharply increases rush hour.

The total number of cars registered in the province is over 62,000 units and there are more than 1.4 million motorbikes. Particularly in the first 6 months of 2012, the number of newly registered cars and motorcycles increased by 15% compared to the same period in 2011.

What are the health effects of air pollution in Bien Hoa?

According to figures released by the Dong Nai Monitoring Centre, a car that travels 1,000km will be the cause of between 0.07-0.8kg of dust and many other harmful gases, such as carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxide (NOx). Similarly, motorcycles travelling 1,000km will emit between 0.12 - 6.7 kg of dust and the same variety of harmful gases such as those produced by cars. These harmful gases that are emitted when it rains will create acid rain, which, in turn, can affect human health and have a detrimental effect on plants and animals. At the same time, excessive inhalation by humans can cause respiratory illness and a number of other diseases.

Perhaps the pollutant which has the most detrimental effects on the body is the microscopic particulate matter or PM2.5 as it is commonly known. These tiny particles are suspended in the air and breathed into the lungs. Due to their size, the body’s natural defence system cannot trap them so they become lodged in the alveoli at the base of the bronchial tubes. Form here they are able to penetrate the body tissue and travel as far as the heart. Respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema are commonly found in highly polluted areas.

What is being done about air pollution in Bien Hoa?

To help minimize air pollution, people riding motorcycles should be encouraged not use leaded gasoline such as A82. In urban areas, residents are actively encouraged to use public transport where available, thus reducing emissions. At the same time, all kinds of cars and motorcycles must be tightly controlled by the authorities at all government levels. According to some environmental experts, in order to limit air pollution, it is necessary to ban the use of older vehicles and replace them with modern, more fuel-efficient ones and introduce electric cars and vehicles which use clean fuels. In addition, planting trees and other areas of greenery will help reduce the flow of dust.

Households are being encouraged to reduce the use of traditional honeycomb charcoal stoves as their means of cooking. The fumes created by these stoves are very bad for health. The cost though plays a major part here as charcoal is very, very cheap. An electric alternative is both expensive to buy initially and the expensive to operate.

A 90-kilometre expressway which will connect Bien Hoa with the southern port city of Vung Tau is in the planning stage. It will run parallel to National Highway 51 which is currently used as the main route between the two cities. It is currently operating in excess of four times its original capacity. This will increase the flow of traffic through the area and prevent a lot of pollution around the big junctions. Once completed it will be a 4-lane expressway with permissible speeds of up to 100km/h.