Vinh air quality map

What information can be gathered from the air pollution map for Vinh?

When the air pollution map for Vinh is first opened, the viewer will see an overall green/yellow tinge to the map. This is an indication of the air quality. The meaning of the various colours is explained in the legend at the bottom of the screen. The colours range from pale green which is good quality air through yellow, orange, red, purple and maroon which is the worst and indicates hazardous quality. As there are no ground-based air monitoring stations here in Vinh, all the information about air quality comes from satellite data.

If there are any fires burning in the vicinity, they will be shown on the map. When looking at their location and the direction of the wind, it can soon be seen if the smoke will affect the city or not. During May 2022, there were no fires in the immediate vicinity of Vinh.

When opened in full-screen mode, a table can be seen on the right-hand side of the screen which is a table showing the different rankings of the most polluted cities throughout the world. This can make an interesting comparison with your own home city.

Is any other information available by studying the air pollution map for Vinh?

On the left-hand side of the screen can be seen a list of four features which are portrayed on the air quality map. These can be de-activated if desired or observed individually to enable a clearer view of the map. Even though there are no stations in and around Vinh, there are some stations which appear on the map. They take on the colour as previously explained and display a number within. This number is the US AQI reading which helps determine how polluted a city is. It is an internationally recognised set of metrics endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) which is calculated by measuring up to six of the most prolific pollutants in and around the area. It can then be used as a standard when comparing one city with another.

The air pollution map for Vinh should ideally be studied alongside the main city page where a wealth of information is available to the reader. The air quality in Vinh during the second quarter of 2022 was “Moderate” with a US AQI reading of 99. The main pollutant was PM2.5 whose level was recorded as 35.2 µg/m³. This is seven times higher than the target figure of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the WHO.

There is some brief advice as to how best to protect yourself during times of elevated pollution levels. Closing doors and windows in your house to prevent the ingress of dirty air and people who are particularly sensitive to poor air quality should try to limit their time spent outdoors.

A brief forecast follows which gives the temperature, humidity, air pressure and wind speed. Followed by an AQI forecast which predicts what the air quality will be over the next few days. This could be useful if thinking of travelling shortly.

Are the most polluted areas shown on the air quality map for Vinh?

As there are no ground monitoring stations in Vinh, there is no precise information about specific areas because air quality is monitored overall. There may be areas that are more polluted than others such as the city centre during rush hour. Local residents may also know where the industrial zones are or other areas of high emission producers, such as power plants and refineries etc.

Does the air pollution map for Vinh show the source of the air pollution?

More than 10 years ago, the planning to develop satellite industrial clusters around Vinh city was implemented by Nghe An province, calling for construction investment to promote the socio-economic development of the province. There are many scattered and mixed production businesses around the city each causing its own pocket of air pollution. Very often these can be in residential areas which produce problems for those living close to these units.

PM2.5 frequently appears on the air quality map for Vinh, but what is it?

Air pollution is the direct or indirect introduction of materials or energy into the air by humans, when it causes harmful effects, such as endangering human health, and harming biological resources, ecosystems and cause material damage, affecting the use of the natural environment.

Air pollution exposes people to fine particles in polluted air. These fine particles penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory infections. Industry, transportation and coal-fired power plants along with the use of solid fuels are the major sources of air pollution. Air pollution continues to increase at an alarming rate and affects economies and people's quality of life.

Air pollution threatens the health of people everywhere in the world. Recent estimates in 2018 show that 9 out of 10 people breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. Air pollution both outdoors and indoors causes about 7 million deaths annually globally; In the Western Pacific region alone, about 2.2 million people die each year. In Vietnam, about 60,000 deaths each year are related to air pollution.

The respiratory process brings oxygen to the lungs, in the lungs, oxygen comes into contact with the blood, in the blood there is haemoglobin, which combines with oxygen, carrying it to the cells. Fine dust plus carbon monoxide or sulphur dioxide or nitrogen dioxide will prevent haemoglobin from combining with oxygen, causing cells to lack oxygen, which could cause eye and nose diseases, throat and lung irritation, coughing, sneezing and respiratory difficulties. In addition, toxins in dust entering the human body will cause chronic pulmonary disease (COPD). In addition to respiratory disease, fine dust also attacks the alveoli, crosses the gas-blood barrier to enter the circulatory system and causes disease, fine dust can also affect the nervous system. Fine dust can also cause a blockage of a blood vessel that is normally not serious to suddenly burst, creating a blockage, and causing a heart attack.