At 10:00 AM on December 17, Hanoi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached a hazardous 221 (purple level), indicating dangerously high fine dust levels and posing serious health risks. This morning, the AQI remained at an unhealthy red level.

According to data from the Environmental Monitoring Information Portal (Northern Environmental Monitoring Center), as of 10:30 AM on December 17, Hanoi’s AQI stood at 221 (purple), later dropping to 194 by 2:00 PM. These readings signify harmful air quality levels.

At 8:00 AM on December 18, data from the VN AQI app (developed by the Northern Environmental Monitoring Center under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) showed an AQI of 163 (unhealthy) at Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

Air quality readings from selected monitoring sites:

Causes of worsening pollution

At a conference held on November 14 to discuss solutions for reducing urban air pollution in Vietnam, Nguyen Minh Tan, Deputy Director of Hanoi’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, noted that PM2.5 levels tend to spike during winter due to unstable weather conditions that trap pollutants near the ground.

A report on PM2.5 pollution for 2019-2020 revealed that 29 out of 30 districts in Hanoi exceeded national air quality standards for annual average PM2.5 concentrations.

Currently, both PM10 and PM2.5 levels in Hanoi are significantly higher than World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. PM2.5 pollution is widespread, especially in the city center, affecting 29 out of 30 districts.

Hanoi has yet to conduct a comprehensive inventory of its air pollution sources. Studies by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment attribute 58%-74% of emissions to traffic (including road dust), followed by industrial sources (14%-23%) and agriculture (3.4%-18.9%).

Nguyen Trong Dong, Deputy Chairman of Hanoi’s People’s Committee, highlighted major contributors to air pollution:

The city has 10 industrial parks, 1,300 craft villages, over 7 million motorbikes, and more than 600,000 cars.

Daily consumption of approximately 80 million kWh of electricity and millions of liters of gasoline and diesel.

Widespread burning of agricultural residues and waste also exacerbates air pollution.

Health impacts of air pollution

Nguyen Minh Tan reported that increasing PM2.5 levels result in an additional 1,062 hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases and 2,969 respiratory-related admissions annually.

If PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations increase by 10μg/m³, children’s respiratory-related hospitalizations in Hanoi rise by 1.4% and 2.2%, respectively.

A weekly increase in NO2 concentrations by 21.9μg/m³ raises pneumonia-related hospital admissions by 6.1%.

Associate Professor Vu Van Giap, Secretary-General of the Vietnam Respiratory Society, emphasized that air pollution disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including the elderly, children, pregnant women, and those with respiratory or chronic illnesses. He noted that individuals with respiratory diseases may experience shortness of breath and chest pain during periods of high pollution.

To mitigate risks:

People with respiratory conditions should avoid going outdoors.

Patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should adhere to prescribed treatments and consult doctors if symptoms worsen.

Wearing masks is recommended when going outside, but standard medical masks cannot filter fine dust.

Le Thai Ha, Deputy Director of the Department of Environmental Health Management (Ministry of Health), highlighted a health guidebook developed to protect against air pollution impacts, offering tailored advice for high-risk groups such as children and the elderly.

The Ministry of Health also provides AQI-specific recommendations to help people take precautionary measures based on pollution levels.

AQI levels and health effects:

 
Phuong Thuy