In recent times, Hanoi has always been in the top of the most polluted cities in the world. The question of when air pollution will improve is of concern to many people. Lao Dong Newspaper had a conversation with Associate Professor, Dr. Hoang Anh Le (Head of the Department of Environmental Management, University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University, Hanoi). He has made comments on this issue.
Mr. Associate Professor, Dr. Hoang Anh Le, how do you evaluate the sources of emissions that cause current air pollution in Hanoi?
In recent times, Hanoi has often been at the top of the list of polluted cities in the world. Even at many times, they are ranked highest, the air quality is very poor.
There are many causes of this condition. The first reason comes from discharge sources such as vehicles, industrial activities, garbage burning activities, etc. The second reason is the combination of meteorological conditions. The weather makes it difficult for polluted air to diffuse.
In addition, the cause may come from pollution sources from neighboring localities, which aggravates the pollution situation in Hanoi.
Sir, when will the air pollution in Hanoi improve?
The weather is also a part of the cause of air pollution. According to the law, the polluted season will take place from around October to April of the following year. During this period, weather conditions such as counter-otherms and humid mud make it difficult for pollutants to diffuse, leading to poor air quality.
From around June to June, the air quality may improve slightly. The weather turns to summer, the wind regime changes, high temperatures increase the vertical air flow, thereby creating conditions for the dispersance and washing away of pollutants, thereby improving air quality compared to winter and early spring.
However, pollution will only improve if the causes from remaining waste sources decrease or do not change. If pollution from traffic, production activities, etc. or people's habits such as burning straw are not reduced, the pollution will still be serious.
What advice do you have for people to limit the impact of air pollution?
The journey to bring air pollution to a safe level is the task not only of the State, scientists... but of the whole community. Instead of waiting, each individual also needs to protect themselves from the current pollution situation.
First of all, people should create a habit of updating current information and forecasts on air quality to have personal solutions.
If there is no mandatory work, people can temporarily temporarily hang out to avoid polluted times. For example, people's exercise habits often take place in the morning and evening, but these are the times of serious pollution due to temperature difference. People should use quality masks to minimize the impact of air pollution.
In addition, I also advise people to limit the use of personal vehicles. Changing the habit of using public transport such as electric buses, metroes, etc. is both a support for the State's solutions and helps oneself avoid direct exposure to polluted air.
Thank you for the conversation!
