Smog covers downtown Hanoi on February 11

At the event, held on the occasion of the air quality awareness week, US Chargé d’Affaires to Vietnam Caryn McClelland said coal power affects not only the environment but also people’s livelihoods and social order around the plants, noting that the surrounding areas of coal-fired power plants are impacted the most.

Statistics from the Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID) show that emissions in the life cycle of a 1,200MW coal-fired power plant include about 17 tonnes of lead, 1.66 tonnes of mercury, 117,818 tonnes of NO2, 139,636 tonnes of SO2, and 26,182 tonnes of dust. The most dangerous is particulate matter that is less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5), equivalent to only one-thirtieth of a human hair.

GreenID Director Nguy Thi Khanh said a survey of residents near the Duyen Hai, Vung Ang and Hai Phong thermal power plants shows that coal power generation has seriously affected their health.

Giving further details about air pollution’s influence on public health, Nguyen Thi Trang Nhung, a researcher at the Hanoi University of Public Health, said the research team focused on children’s health and collected data from the National Cancer Hospital and air monitoring stations from 2008 to 2014.

Results showed that most pollutants caused respiratory diseases in children; the possibility of disease contraction in summer is higher than in winter; the older children are, the greater they are affected by air pollution; and boys are more vulnerable to air pollution than girls.

For people aged 16 and above, the team studied hospitalised cardiovascular cases in Hanoi and Quang Ninh and Phu Tho provinces, finding that PM1 and PM2.5 are linked with cardiovascular and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and lead to asthma and strokes in people over 64 years old.

However, the studies were limited since they did not assess long-term impacts and the number of air monitoring stations remained low, Nhung noted.

At the discussion, Khanh recommended that relevant ministries and sectors issue policies on air environment protection such as aligning domestic emission standards with international norms, prioritising renewable energy development, and promoting the use of public transport and electric vehicles.

Representatives from other non-governmental organisations urged the reduction of coal and fossil fuel power, the development of renewable energy, and efficient energy use.

They also called on Vietnam to be prudent in its electricity sector development strategy until 2030, or the country could face consequences in terms of the environment and human health./. VNA

Deeper look into ecological costs of coal-fired power in Mekong Delta needed: expert

Ecological expert Nguyen Huu Thien speaks on the need for clearer environmental regulations for thermopower plants in the Mekong Delta to reduce risks to the region’s aquatic resources.

Coal-fired thermopower may kill aquaculture in Mekong Delta

Aquaculture is one of the economic pillars and important livelihoods of the Mekong Delta. However, it is threatened by coal-fired thermopower plants.