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HCMC, Hanoi seriously polluted with lead dust: report

 
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cb400



Joined: 27 Sep 2010
Posts: 274
Location: Vientiane, Laos

PostPosted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 1:32 am    Post subject: HCMC, Hanoi seriously polluted with lead dust: report Reply with quote

Pollution is getting worse and worse. I've notice my lungs 'burning' more often when commuting in traffic. For some reason I always thought HCMC was cleaner that Hanoi as the heavy rain would clean the air a bit, in Hanoi it just sits here as Hanoi is surrounded by mountains... that you see once or twice a year.

Quote:
Lead dust air pollution is increasing in large cities nationwide, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where pollution levels are two-four times higher than the limit, according to an air quality report by an environmental agency.

The report was released by the Environment General Department (EGD), under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, at a seminar held on Wednesday to share opinions on the draft text of the 2013 National Environmental Report.

Hoang Duong Tung, deputy head of the EGD, warned that lead dust pollution in Vietnam has increased in the past few years, especially in major cities with large populations and high traffic volume.

The pollution has worsened across the country, particularly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Such high pollution levels are usually recorded in areas with crowded traffic routes and axes, Tung said.

He emphasized that lead dust pollution, together with other negative factors, has undermined the quality of air in large cities.

Among the ingredients of dust in Vietnam, fine particles of dust account for 61-87 percent of the total volume of dust, according to a report by the EGD’s Environment Observation Center.

In addition, the air environment in areas around production facilities is also polluted, posing heath threats to workers and local residents.

Air pollution in many rural areas has also been worsened through the burning of straw by farmers after the harvest, and by emissions from open garbage dumps.

Smoke pollution from neighboring countries is also detrimental to the quality of air in Vietnam, the EGD said.

In order to reduce pollution and improve air quality, experts at the seminars asked concerned agencies to take effective measures to inspect and reduce emissions from road vehicles, control dust pollution in construction and transport activities, strictly handle and punish polluters, devise and carry out programs to improve air quality, and launch campaigns to enhance public awareness of protecting the environmental in general, and air quality in particular.

In addition, environment management agencies must be reformed to improve their operating results, experts said, adding that national standards on air environment should be perfected and air quality management programs must be also improved.
Meanwhile, many experts have long warned about lead poisoning, which is a medical condition in humans and other vertebrates caused by increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body.
Routes of exposure to lead include contaminated air, water, soil, food, and consumer products. Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems.
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Anh Dep



Joined: 16 Mar 2013
Posts: 56
Location: Bangkok Thailand

PostPosted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 3:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Vietnamese love to burn things, they have no idea as to the pollution they are creating. As far as the dust problem goes, if they actually cleaned the streets and got rid of all the dirt and gravel off the roads it would improve. Vietnamese in general dont care about what is outside the front door, as proven by the condition of most streets. My neighbour just had her water supply fixed, they dug up across our hem, then just left mud and a pile of dirt for everyone to drive through. The owner cleaned the small area in front of her house and left the rest to be distributed down the hem. Care factor nil so it wont ever change.
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TRH



Joined: 27 Oct 2011
Posts: 340
Location: Hawaii

PostPosted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 5:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The most damaging effect of environmental lead is mental retardation. It is not always acute, but consider the effect of knocking 5% off the national IQ. There are convincing studies that show that the decline in crime in the US began in the mid 90's almost exactly 20 years after lead was removed from gasoline. Males of the ages most likely to commit crimes were simply smarter and more likely to be employed.

Vietnam apparently did not ban lead in gasoline until 2001 so maybe it takes a while to work its way out of the environment. Of course in Vietnam, it is not outside of the realm of possibility that refiners could surreptitiously still be using lead as a cheaper way to increase octane. I also found that Cambodia still has leaded gasoline so you know that lead finds its way into the Mekong.
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Mattingly



Joined: 03 Jul 2008
Posts: 249

PostPosted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 4:45 pm    Post subject: Re: HCMC, Hanoi seriously polluted with lead dust: report Reply with quote

cb400 wrote:
Pollution is getting worse and worse. I've notice my lungs 'burning' more often when commuting in traffic. For some reason I always thought HCMC was cleaner that Hanoi as the heavy rain would clean the air a bit, in Hanoi it just sits here as Hanoi is surrounded by mountains... that you see once or twice a year.


Last year I started wearing a mask.

And most of us are breathing this pollution inside our homes. We're not breathing as much as when we are walking or riding a bike through traffic, but we are breathing this inside our homes if we live in or near the city and roads.
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cb400



Joined: 27 Sep 2010
Posts: 274
Location: Vientiane, Laos

PostPosted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 11:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I started to ride a bike to work, but found I was feeling worse after the ride. I was inhaling a lot more of the toxic air that I would on a motorbike. Last year I bough a pile of plants and an air-cleaner to try to improve the situation at home but I don't really think it was effective, maybe it helped but I still suffered pollution related illnesses. A lot of the expats in Hanoi are complaining about lung and throat issues lately.
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spycatcher reincarnated



Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 236

PostPosted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 5:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I rode a bicycle in HCMC about 17-19 years ago. Back then the pollution coming out of the commercial vehicles was absolutely disgusting. Thankfully the pollution from individual commercial vehicles has improved no end, but there is obviously more traffic now.
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Mattingly



Joined: 03 Jul 2008
Posts: 249

PostPosted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

cb400 wrote:
I started to ride a bike to work, but found I was feeling worse after the ride. I was inhaling a lot more of the toxic air that I would on a motorbike.


On a bicycle you are beathing deeper. Much deeper.

Not good in this air.
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cb400



Joined: 27 Sep 2010
Posts: 274
Location: Vientiane, Laos

PostPosted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 12:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree. I was trying to get healthier and lose a few pounds... but got more unhealthy...only in Vietnam Smile
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Anh Dep



Joined: 16 Mar 2013
Posts: 56
Location: Bangkok Thailand

PostPosted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was in Saigon about a week ago, the pollution gave me a very bad taste in my mouth and pain in the stomach. I lived in Saigon for 5 years, then moved to Vung Tau, my body must be used to the cleaner air here as I felt very sick when driving through the streets there.
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