VietNamNet Bridge - While some scientists believe Japanese sea mud treatment technology would help clean the central coast, others think it is unsuited to Vietnam’s conditions.

Mai Trong Nhuan, head of the team in charge of assessing the scope and level of sea pollution in four central provinces, said the team is going to propose cleaning the sea with Japanese technology.

Nhuan said the Japanese technology allows dredging of mud with no affects to the ecosystem.

The mud would be sucked up and treated to be free of toxins. After that, it would be pumped back to the seabed. The cost is $500 per cubic meter in Japan.

Nguyen Tac An, former head of the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute, said the solution is impractical.

An, while affirming that Japan has 40 solutions, including mud dredging technology, thinks the technology is not suited to Vietnam.

“Japan is mostly islands and bays, and it has good economic conditions, so it is easy to choose environmental treatment solutions,” he said. “Vietnam has to deal with problems caused by a foreign invested enterprise."

While some scientists believe Japanese sea mud treatment technology would help clean the central coast, others think it is unsuited to Vietnam’s conditions.

According to An, the mud dredging technology is only applied in case of small gulfs and quiet waters, so it not suited to waters with horizontal bottom in the central region. 

“$500 million is the amount of money Formosa compensated for damages it caused to people in four central provinces. The money must not be wasted on impractical projects,” he said.

In Japan, the mud dredging technology was applied only to small gulf areas which suffered dangerous toxins.

An believes that it would be better to rely on the self-cleaning mechanism of the sea. The principle is diluting the poison and preventing poison from spreading. 

However, An warned that these also have ecological risks. 

Vietnam should still consult international experts about solutions to revive the sea environment, but it can do one thing immediately – restore coral reefs. The work does not take too much money and it can bring clear effects.

He said it will take tens of years to fully recover the seabed ecosystem.

Formosa Ha Tinh has been found as the culprit causing the mass fish deaths along Vietnam’s central coast in April. Phenol and cyanide are the two poisonous substances to blame.

The United Nations (UN) said it would be ready to help Vietnam deal with mass fish deaths on the central coast if the Vietnamese Government makes a formal request.

Dat Viet