Society
Air, noise pollution rises in Ho Chi Minh City
Noise and air pollution levels in Ho Chi Minh City have exceeded safety standards, putting the physical and mental well-being of the city’s residents at serious risk, according to local authorities.
Extreme air and noise pollution can lead to respiratory diseases, hearing damage, mental issues, and a general decrease in quality of life.
Now, as the year draws to a close and Ho Chi Minh City residents’ travel within the city increases, authorities fear that the resulting rise in air and noise pollution will entails serious issues for the inhabitants.
Increased pollution over New Year
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment recently reported that levels of particulate matter and noise pollution in the city have exceeded the standard safe quality index.
Currently, the particulate matter (PM2.5) in the city hovers around 21-52 µg/m3, against the local standard of 50 µg/m3.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment warned that the PM2.5 level is likely to rise as the year draws to a close and traffic, industry, and construction ramp up.
Particulate matter is essentially microscopic solids or liquid droplets in the air that are small enough to be inhaled, potentially resulting in serious health problems.
PM is typically classified by its size, with levels of PM10, particles that measure 2.5-10 µm in diameter, and PM2.5, particles that measure 2.5 µm or less in diameter, being the most common indicators of air quality.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that noise pollution ranks slightly below air pollution in terms of ability to affect quality of life, and individuals living in areas where nighttime noise exceeds 40db are at an increased risk of health issues.
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| Ho Chi Minh City has been blanketed in fog over the last few days due to air pollution. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tien Phong |
A public health crisis
According to otolaryngologist Dr. Nguyen Hai Nam, particulate matter and noise pollution that exceed safety standards double the health risks for exposed populations.
Aside from the more obvious risks of noise pollution, such as affected hearing, consistent loud noise can lead to psychological issues such as difficulty concentrating and agitation.
Dr. Nam also shared that exposure to PM2.5 has been connected with respiratory diseases, asthma, and even cancer, with children and the elderly at especially high risk.
“Breathing fine dust makes people more susceptible to respiratory diseases,” Nam said.
“The situation became worse after the pandemic, when many people with respiratory issues saw their health deteriorate due to exposure to particulate matter.
“As a result, more and more people were hospitalized for respiratory diseases.”
Dr. Nguyen Minh Tien, deputy director of the City Children’s Hospital, said kids are particularly at risk of contracting upper respiratory tract infections, laryngitis, and even pneumonia.
Although these ailments cannot be fully attributed to particulate matter, scientific evidence shows that particulate matter plays an important role in the development of respiratory illnesses and other dangerous diseases.
More air pollution, shorter kids
According to the WHO, children who live in areas with high levels of air pollution are often shorter than peers who live elsewhere.
They also have a 19-25 percent higher risk of catching respiratory diseases.
“Particulate matter has a lasting effect on the respiratory system,” explained Dr. Tien.
Particles, once inhaled, can penetrate deep into the lungs and remain there, causing silicosis.
Silicosis is a form of lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust that damages the lungs, causes permanent inflammation of the respiratory tract, increases the risk of asthma, or elevates the likelihood of infection.
Dr. Tien also explained that noise exposure can affect the quality of children’s sleep.
While most children’s bodies use sleep as a time to develop the nervous system, those who suffer sleep disruption might experience decreased intelligence later in life.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Noise and air pollution levels in Ho Chi Minh City have exceeded safety standards, putting the physical and mental well-being of the city’s residents at serious risk, according to local authorities.
Extreme air and noise pollution can lead to respiratory diseases, hearing damage, mental issues, and a general decrease in quality of life.
Now, as the year draws to a close and Ho Chi Minh City residents’ travel within the city increases, authorities fear that the resulting rise in air and noise pollution will entails serious issues for the inhabitants.
Increased pollution over New Year
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment recently reported that levels of particulate matter and noise pollution in the city have exceeded the standard safe quality index.
Currently, the particulate matter (PM2.5) in the city hovers around 21-52 µg/m3, against the local standard of 50 µg/m3.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment warned that the PM2.5 level is likely to rise as the year draws to a close and traffic, industry, and construction ramp up.
Particulate matter is essentially microscopic solids or liquid droplets in the air that are small enough to be inhaled, potentially resulting in serious health problems.
PM is typically classified by its size, with levels of PM10, particles that measure 2.5-10 µm in diameter, and PM2.5, particles that measure 2.5 µm or less in diameter, being the most common indicators of air quality.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that noise pollution ranks slightly below air pollution in terms of ability to affect quality of life, and individuals living in areas where nighttime noise exceeds 40db are at an increased risk of health issues.
|
|
| Ho Chi Minh City has been blanketed in fog over the last few days due to air pollution. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tien Phong |
A public health crisis
According to otolaryngologist Dr. Nguyen Hai Nam, particulate matter and noise pollution that exceed safety standards double the health risks for exposed populations.
Aside from the more obvious risks of noise pollution, such as affected hearing, consistent loud noise can lead to psychological issues such as difficulty concentrating and agitation.
Dr. Nam also shared that exposure to PM2.5 has been connected with respiratory diseases, asthma, and even cancer, with children and the elderly at especially high risk.
“Breathing fine dust makes people more susceptible to respiratory diseases,” Nam said.
“The situation became worse after the pandemic, when many people with respiratory issues saw their health deteriorate due to exposure to particulate matter.
“As a result, more and more people were hospitalized for respiratory diseases.”
Dr. Nguyen Minh Tien, deputy director of the City Children’s Hospital, said kids are particularly at risk of contracting upper respiratory tract infections, laryngitis, and even pneumonia.
Although these ailments cannot be fully attributed to particulate matter, scientific evidence shows that particulate matter plays an important role in the development of respiratory illnesses and other dangerous diseases.
More air pollution, shorter kids
According to the WHO, children who live in areas with high levels of air pollution are often shorter than peers who live elsewhere.
They also have a 19-25 percent higher risk of catching respiratory diseases.
“Particulate matter has a lasting effect on the respiratory system,” explained Dr. Tien.
Particles, once inhaled, can penetrate deep into the lungs and remain there, causing silicosis.
Silicosis is a form of lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust that damages the lungs, causes permanent inflammation of the respiratory tract, increases the risk of asthma, or elevates the likelihood of infection.
Dr. Tien also explained that noise exposure can affect the quality of children’s sleep.
While most children’s bodies use sleep as a time to develop the nervous system, those who suffer sleep disruption might experience decreased intelligence later in life.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20221226/air-noise-pollution-rises-in-ho-chi-minh-city/70614.html
Society
FDI firms complain about dust from construction site of Vietnam’s Long Thanh airport project
Many foreign direct investment enterprises in the Loc An – Binh Son Industrial Park, which is located near the construction site of the big-ticket Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City, have complained about dust resulting from the leveling of the site, saying that it has affected their products and workers’ health.
Representatives of over 200 FDI enterprises in Dong Nai on Friday attended a meeting with the provincial People’s Committee.
At the meeting, Doan Huong Giang, head of the administration and human resources division at Elite Long Thanh Co. Ltd., said “dust has caused a great impact on our products.”
“We expect the provincial authorities, departments, and agencies to come up with appropriate solutions to support Elite and other companies in preventing dust from affecting laborers’ health, product quality, and business activities,” Giang added.
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| Doan Huong Giang, head of the administration and human resources division at Elite Long Thanh Co. Ltd. in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam says dust from the construction site of the Long Thanh International Airport project has affected the company’s business activities. Photo: A Loc / Tien Phong |
Many other enterprises shared the view.
Earlier, thousands of houses and a section of the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway near the Long Thanh International Airport project were also reported to be covered with dust from the construction site.
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| Dust from the construction site of the Long Thanh International Airport project blankets adjacent residential areas. Photo: A Loc / Tien Phong |
Do Tat Binh, deputy general director of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the investor of the mammoth airport project, on Friday told Tien Phong (Youth) newspaper that the corporation had asked contractors to enhance the spray of water at the construction site to limit dust.
The ACV will next week dispatch fire trucks to the site to spray water, Binh said, adding that the corporation will join forces with the local authorities to support local residents in cushioning the impact of dust.
The construction site is large and the leveling workload is huge amid the windy and dry season.
Fifty vehicles spraying water every day at the construction site is just a temporary solution and can reduce part of the dust.
“The leveling is expected to be completed by the end of May, when the rainy season will come, and the volume of dust will reduce,” Binh said.
According to the ACV, 2,630 workers along with 1,860 pieces of machinery are working to build the foundation of the airport project.
The airport project, which requires an estimated investment of VND336.63 trillion (US$14.2 billion) and is located some 40 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, will cover around 5,000 hectares of land and was designed to have an annual capacity of 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo.
Once in place, it will be the largest airport in the nation.
At the conference, Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, a representative of Terumo BCT Co. Ltd. in the Long Duc Industrial Park in Long Thanh District, Dong Nai Province, also complained about the deterioration of a road connecting National Highway 51 and the industrial park.
This is a key road on which most workers of the enterprises in the area have to travel every day. However, it has been deteriorated for a long time.
The four-kilometer road has many potholes, posing a high risk of traffic accidents for road users, especially at night.
Some enterprises reported the issue to district- and province-level agencies in 2020. However, the road was repaired without care and it remains in bad conditions.
Representatives of FDI firms also mentioned the insecurity and disorder and power cuts without advance notice.
Chairman of the Dong Nai People’s Committee Cao Tien Dung said the province took responsibility for accompanying enterprises to overcome difficulties.
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| Leaders of the Dong Nai authorities give investment certificates to FDI enterprises. Photo: A Loc / Tien Phong |
After the conference, the director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment must review enterprises’ complaints and report them to the provincial authorities to work out appropriate solutions, Dung said.
Regarding the road leading to the Long Duc Industrial Park, Dung asked Long Thanh District to quickly upgrade it.
The provincial Department of Planning and Investment and the Department of Transport were assigned to ensure traffic safety for workers traveling on the road.
The Dong Nai chairman also requested the relevant agencies to review and promptly handle foreigners’ temporary residence registration and immigration applications.
Departments and agencies must review the procedure handling to meet enterprises’ demands and provide the greatest possible support for them.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Many foreign direct investment enterprises in the Loc An – Binh Son Industrial Park, which is located near the construction site of the big-ticket Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City, have complained about dust resulting from the leveling of the site, saying that it has affected their products and workers’ health.
Representatives of over 200 FDI enterprises in Dong Nai on Friday attended a meeting with the provincial People’s Committee.
At the meeting, Doan Huong Giang, head of the administration and human resources division at Elite Long Thanh Co. Ltd., said “dust has caused a great impact on our products.”
“We expect the provincial authorities, departments, and agencies to come up with appropriate solutions to support Elite and other companies in preventing dust from affecting laborers’ health, product quality, and business activities,” Giang added.
|
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| Doan Huong Giang, head of the administration and human resources division at Elite Long Thanh Co. Ltd. in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam says dust from the construction site of the Long Thanh International Airport project has affected the company’s business activities. Photo: A Loc / Tien Phong |
Many other enterprises shared the view.
Earlier, thousands of houses and a section of the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway near the Long Thanh International Airport project were also reported to be covered with dust from the construction site.
|
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| Dust from the construction site of the Long Thanh International Airport project blankets adjacent residential areas. Photo: A Loc / Tien Phong |
Do Tat Binh, deputy general director of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the investor of the mammoth airport project, on Friday told Tien Phong (Youth) newspaper that the corporation had asked contractors to enhance the spray of water at the construction site to limit dust.
The ACV will next week dispatch fire trucks to the site to spray water, Binh said, adding that the corporation will join forces with the local authorities to support local residents in cushioning the impact of dust.
The construction site is large and the leveling workload is huge amid the windy and dry season.
Fifty vehicles spraying water every day at the construction site is just a temporary solution and can reduce part of the dust.
“The leveling is expected to be completed by the end of May, when the rainy season will come, and the volume of dust will reduce,” Binh said.
According to the ACV, 2,630 workers along with 1,860 pieces of machinery are working to build the foundation of the airport project.
The airport project, which requires an estimated investment of VND336.63 trillion (US$14.2 billion) and is located some 40 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, will cover around 5,000 hectares of land and was designed to have an annual capacity of 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo.
Once in place, it will be the largest airport in the nation.
At the conference, Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, a representative of Terumo BCT Co. Ltd. in the Long Duc Industrial Park in Long Thanh District, Dong Nai Province, also complained about the deterioration of a road connecting National Highway 51 and the industrial park.
This is a key road on which most workers of the enterprises in the area have to travel every day. However, it has been deteriorated for a long time.
The four-kilometer road has many potholes, posing a high risk of traffic accidents for road users, especially at night.
Some enterprises reported the issue to district- and province-level agencies in 2020. However, the road was repaired without care and it remains in bad conditions.
Representatives of FDI firms also mentioned the insecurity and disorder and power cuts without advance notice.
Chairman of the Dong Nai People’s Committee Cao Tien Dung said the province took responsibility for accompanying enterprises to overcome difficulties.
|
|
| Leaders of the Dong Nai authorities give investment certificates to FDI enterprises. Photo: A Loc / Tien Phong |
After the conference, the director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment must review enterprises’ complaints and report them to the provincial authorities to work out appropriate solutions, Dung said.
Regarding the road leading to the Long Duc Industrial Park, Dung asked Long Thanh District to quickly upgrade it.
The provincial Department of Planning and Investment and the Department of Transport were assigned to ensure traffic safety for workers traveling on the road.
The Dong Nai chairman also requested the relevant agencies to review and promptly handle foreigners’ temporary residence registration and immigration applications.
Departments and agencies must review the procedure handling to meet enterprises’ demands and provide the greatest possible support for them.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20230402/fdi-firms-complain-about-dust-from-construction-site-of-vietnams-long-thanh-airport-project/72404.html
Many people have been burning garbage and scrap along streets and near forests in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, posing a very high risk of wildfires.
An area close to forests in Binh Chanh District became a popular place for people to secretly burn scrap at midnight and dawn, according to the observation of Tien Phong (Youth) newspaper reporters in late March.
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| Three men burn garbage at Hai Phung Bridge in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City at dawn on March 21, 2023. Photo: Tien Phong |
These groups of people burned scrap on both sides of Hai Phung Bridge, located at the border area between Pham Van Hai Commune and Vinh Loc B Commune, in order to get metals such as copper and iron.
Columns of smoke produced by the scrap burning flew toward the forests. Meanwhile, many trees at the foot of the bridge have withered.
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| A group of people carry scrap to the area near Hai Phung Bridge in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City on the morning of March 16, 2023. Photo: Tien Phong |
Kenh Lien Vung Street in Vinh Loc B Commune, Binh Chanh District has also become a popular place for garbage and scrap burning.
“There are few houses on the road, so many people burn garbage to avoid getting caught,” a local resident said.
“There is a lot of smoke, and the smell of burning plastic is very unpleasant.”
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| People burn scrap near Hai Phung Bridge in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City on the morning of March 16, 2023. Photo: Tien Phong |
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| Columns of smoke rising from Hai Phung Bridge in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tien Phong |
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| Garbage is dumped near a forest in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tien Phong |
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| Burned garbage along a street in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tien Phong |
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| Smoke is produced by garbage burning in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tien Phong |
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| A man burns scrap in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tien Phong |
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Many people have been burning garbage and scrap along streets and near forests in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, posing a very high risk of wildfires.
An area close to forests in Binh Chanh District became a popular place for people to secretly burn scrap at midnight and dawn, according to the observation of Tien Phong (Youth) newspaper reporters in late March.
|
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| Three men burn garbage at Hai Phung Bridge in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City at dawn on March 21, 2023. Photo: Tien Phong |
These groups of people burned scrap on both sides of Hai Phung Bridge, located at the border area between Pham Van Hai Commune and Vinh Loc B Commune, in order to get metals such as copper and iron.
Columns of smoke produced by the scrap burning flew toward the forests. Meanwhile, many trees at the foot of the bridge have withered.
|
|
| A group of people carry scrap to the area near Hai Phung Bridge in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City on the morning of March 16, 2023. Photo: Tien Phong |
Kenh Lien Vung Street in Vinh Loc B Commune, Binh Chanh District has also become a popular place for garbage and scrap burning.
“There are few houses on the road, so many people burn garbage to avoid getting caught,” a local resident said.
“There is a lot of smoke, and the smell of burning plastic is very unpleasant.”
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| People burn scrap near Hai Phung Bridge in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City on the morning of March 16, 2023. Photo: Tien Phong |
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| Columns of smoke rising from Hai Phung Bridge in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tien Phong |
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| Garbage is dumped near a forest in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tien Phong |
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| Burned garbage along a street in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tien Phong |
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| Smoke is produced by garbage burning in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tien Phong |
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| A man burns scrap in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tien Phong |
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20230402/waste-burning-poses-risk-of-forest-fires-in-ho-chi-minh-city/72402.html
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