Quang Ngai air quality map

What information is available on the air pollution map for Quang Ngai?

The air pollution map for Quang Ngai is easily assessed from the main city page. Select the map and click on it which will then open a new page dedicated to air quality in and around the city.

The user will first see the overall colour of the map which is a direct indication of the air quality for the area. The map colour in late June 2022 was a dark yellowish/green which could indicate “Moderate” air quality. The significance of the various colours is shown at the foot of the page where colours range from pale green to dark maroon. Pale green would show “Good” quality air whereas dark maroon would indicate the worst quality.

Usually, the viewer will see several coloured discs on the map which would indicate the positions of the ground-level air monitoring stations but all data in Quang Ngai comes from overhead satellites so there are no stations in the area. These discs would also show the US AQI reading for that station. This number is an internationally recognised system used when comparing air quality in different cities. It is calculated by measuring the levels of up to six of the most prolific air pollutants and is encouraged by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

On the main city page, it can be seen that at the end of the second quarter of 2022, Quang Ngai was experiencing a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 53. The main pollutant which was measured was PM2.5 with a level of 13.1 µg/m³. The WHO recommends a target figure of 5 µg/m³ so, at this level, Quang Ngai is just over two and a half times that recommendation.

Can any other information be gleaned from the air quality map for Quang Ngai?

With no ground-level monitoring stations, there is not much to see on the air quality map for Quang Ngai, however, there are four options on the left-hand side of the page which can be deactivated as and when required. The first choice would show the location of the monitoring stations but, of course, there are none around here. The second option shows the position of any fires that are burning in the vicinity. One can be seen on the map at Vinh An. When looking at the fourth option which shows the wind direction it can be seen that the wind is blowing away from the city so it is unlikely to be affected by the ensuing smoke from the fires.

The third option is perhaps the most surprising and unusual. As previously explained, the background colour of the map is reflected through this third option. Some may find this a little strange and confusing, but it can be deactivated and the map will then revert to a more standard set of colours.

Over on the right-hand side of the map can be seen a table which ranks world cities according to their air quality. The most polluted are at the top of the list. The appearance of some cities may come as a surprise as they are not usually thought of as being heavily polluted.

Are the areas of higher pollution visible on the air pollution map for Quang Ngai?

When there are no ground-level stations these areas of higher pollution do not show up on the air pollution map for Quang Ngai, because the air quality data is collected by satellite imagery which does not appear to differentiate between the areas.

As with other cities, the industrial zones are sure to have higher levels of pollution due to the activities carried out there. And very often, the city centres show elevated levels of air pollution at certain times of the day during the early and late rush hours.

Is it possible to see the source of air pollution on the air quality map for Quang Ngai?

It should come as no surprise that it is not possible to see the source of air pollution on the air quality map for Quang Ngai.

Air pollution exists all around us and is difficult to avoid. Visible concentrations of smog in the air do not reflect how clean the environment is. Around the world, environments in both cities and countryside have toxic pollutants in the air that exceed the WHO-recommended mean air quality value. It is estimated that 91 per cent of the global population currently lives in places with polluted air.

According to the WHO, there are six main substances that cause air pollution that affects human health. These include nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, carbon monoxide, lead, ground-level ozone and particulate matter. Contaminants can be of natural origin or man-made. Pollutants are classified as primary and secondary. Primary pollutants are often emitted from processes such as ash from volcanic eruptions, or manufacturing operations.

Switching to cleaner diesel vehicles and low-emission vehicles and cleaner fuels, including low-sulphur fuels; improve the energy efficiency of buildings and make the city greener, and more structurally dense, leading to greater energy efficiency; increase the use of low-emission fuels and non-combustible, renewable energy sources (such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power); combined heat and electricity production; and distributed power generation (e.g., small grid and rooftop solar power generation).

PM2.5 often appears on the air quality map for Quang Ngai, but what is it?

Particulate matter, PM10 or less, enters the human respiratory tract. Particles larger than PM10 are filtered out into the nose and nasal cavity, while PM10 reaches the bronchi and the smallest particles enter the alveoli and from there into the circulatory system. The amount of particles in children's respiratory tract can be 2-4 times higher than in adults and children are also particularly exposed to the negative health effects of air pollution. The effect of PM2.5 is considered to be greater than that of the larger particles when it comes to long-term exposure.

The effects of particulate matter on health are varied and well-established. The effect is due to both short-term exposure (hours, days) and long-term pollution (months, years). The main diseases to which particulate matter pollution has been linked are respiratory diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Ill health is manifested as worsening symptoms of the disease, which can be seen in the increase in hospitalisations due to them as well as higher mortality rates due to the same.