Quality assessment the air environment in thai nguyen city in the period of 2016 2018

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY TRAN THI DIEU LINH QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF THE AIR ENVIRONMENT IN THAI NGUYEN CITY IN THE PERIOD OF 2016 - 2018 BACHELOR

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY

TRAN THI DIEU LINH

QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF THE AIR ENVIRONMENT IN

THAI NGUYEN CITY IN THE PERIOD OF 2016 - 2018

BACHELOR THESIS

Study Mode: Full-time

Thai Nguyen, 09/2019

DOCUMENTATION PAGE WITH ABSTRACT

Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry Degree Program Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management Student name Tran Thi Dieu Linh

Student ID DTN1554290039

Thesis Title Quality assessment the air environment in Thai Nguyen

city in the period of 2016 - 2018 Supervisor (s) Assoc Prof Dr Tran Quoc Hung

Supervisor’s signature

Abstract:

Thai Nguyen city is a metrocity, a political, economic, cultural, educational, scientific, technical, medical, tourism and service center of Thai Nguyen province In recent years, along with the development of society, activities to build the infrastructure of residential areas, traffic, trade centers, hotels along with the number of motor vehicles above the city area also increased significantly, causing great pressure on air pollution In general, the air environment in Thai Nguyen city has not been much polluted, toxic gases such as CO, SO2, NO2 all have concentrations within the permitted standard limits However, in industrial production areas, business and service establishments, on roads and surrounding residential areas, dust pollution, dust concentration exceeds the permissible standards

Keywords Air pollution, Thai Nguyen City, solution, management Number of pages 75

Date of submission 25/09/2019

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

After a period of studying at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and forestry, I have equipped myself with basically professional knowledge As the consensus of the university, the dean committee of the International Training and Development Center Office and the direct instruction of Assoc.Prof Dr Tran Quoc Hung, I conduct my bachelor thesis: " Quality assessment the air environment in Thai Nguyen city in the period of 2016 - 2018.”

With deep respect and gratitude, I am extremely grateful to my supervisor Assoc.Prof Dr Tran Quoc Hung for his invaluable useful advice, discussions, and comments which brought an added value to this research work

Besides, I would like to thank you for Thai Nguyen center natural resouce and environment of monitoring facilitating me to finish the investigation

I sincerely thank the Headmaster, International Training and Development Center Office and all teachers of Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry for enthusiastically teaching and imparting valuable knowledge to me, creating good conditions to help me during my studies at the university

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my family, relatives, and friends who have cared, supported and encouraged me during the process of studying, researching as well as completing this thesis

Due to limited professional qualifications, my thesis may be inevitable shortcomings I would like to receive the assistance of whole teachers to my thesis to become better

TABLE OF CONTENT

DOCUMENTATION PAGE WITH ABSTRACT i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii

TABLE OF CONTENT iii

LIST OF FIGURES 1

LIST OF TABLES 2

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 4

PART I INTRODUCTION 5

1.1 Research rationale 5

1.2 Research’s objectives 6

1.2.1 Aims of study 6

1.2.2 Significance of study 6

1.3 Research questions and hypotheses 7

1.4 Limitations 7

1.5 Definitions 8

PART II LITERATURE REVIEW 9

2.1 Theoretical base 9

2.1.1 Air pollution sources 9

2.1.2 The harmful effects of air pollution 10

2.2 The legal basis 13

2.3 An overview of the domestic and foreign research situation 13

2.3.1 Research situation over the world 13

2.3.2 The research situation in Vietnam 15

PART III METHODS 20

3.1 Material 20

3.2 Research contents 20

3.3 Methods 20

3.3.1 Methods of collecting secondary data 20

3.3.2 Methods of field survey 20

3.3.3 Methods of investigation and interview with people 20

3.3.4 Methods of sampling, analysis and comparison, evaluation with standards 21

3.3.5 Statistic and data processing methods 22

PART IV RESULTS 23

4.1 Natural, economic and social conditions of Thai Nguyen City 23

4.1.1 Natural condition 23

4.1.2 Economic and social conditions 24

4.1.3 A general assessment of natural and social conditions affecting air quality in Thai Nguyen City 28

4.2 Assessing the air quality environment in thai nguyen city in the period of 2016 – 2018 30

4.2.1 Sources of pollution 30

4.2.2 Assessing the air quality environment in thai nguyen city in the period of 2016 – 2018 33

4.3 Opinions of resident 55

PART V DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 62

5.1 Discussion 62

5.1.1 What is current situation of air in Thai Nguyen City? 62

5.1.2 What are possible management and technology solutions to reduce air

pollution in Thai Nguyen City? 63

5.2 Conclusion 64

REFERENCES 66

QUESTIONNAIRE 68

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1: Chart illustrates average years of PM10 at automatic monitoring

stations 16Figure 2.2: Chart describes average years of PM2.5 at automatic monitoring

stations 17Figure 2.3: Chart describes TSP concentration at some streets in the period of

2005-2009 17Figure 2.4: Chart describes NO2 concentration in the period of 2005-2009 18Figure 2.5: Chart describes SO2 concentration in the period of 2005-2009 19Figure 4.1: Changes of TSP concentration in the air in Thai Nguyen city area in

2016-2018 37Figure 4.2: Changes of NO2 concentration in the air in Thai Nguyen city area in

2016-2018 43Figure 4.3: Changes of CO concentration in the air in Thai Nguyen city area in

2016-2018 48Figure 4.4: Changes of SO2 concentration in the air in Thai Nguyen city area in

2016-2018 53

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1: Field sampling methods and laboratory analysis 21 Table 4.1: Statistics of total pollutant load on all routes from the transport in

2017 31 Table 4.2: Statistics of total dust released from construction activities in Thai

Nguyen city 32 Table 4.3: Locations of air environment monitoring points in Thai Nguyen city

according to the provincial environmental monitoring network 33 Table 4.4: Environmental monitoring results for TSP in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2016 34 Table 4.5: Environmental monitoring results for TSP in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2017 35 Table 4.6: Environmental monitoring results for TSP in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2018 36 Table 4.7: Environmental monitoring results for TSP in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2016-2018 37 Table 4.8: Environmental monitoring results for NO2 in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2016 40 Table 4.9: Environmental monitoring results for NO2 in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2017 41 Table 4.10: Environmental monitoring results for NO2 in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2018 42 Table 4.11: Environmental monitoring results for NO2 in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2016-2018 43

Table 4.12: Environmental monitoring results for CO in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2016 45 Table 4.13: Environmental monitoring results for CO in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2017 46 Table 4.14: Environmental monitoring results for CO in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2018 47 Table 4.15: Environmental monitoring results for CO in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2016-2018 48 Table 4.16: Environmental monitoring results for SO2 in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2016 50 Table 4.17: Environmental monitoring results for SO2 in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2017 51 Table 4.18: Environmental monitoring results for SO2 in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2018 52 Table 4.19: Environmental monitoring results for SO2 in Thai Nguyen city in the

period of 2016-2018 53 Table 4.20: Statistics of interviewing residents in 6 monitoring environment

locations 56

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

API : Air Pollution Index

BTNMT : Natural resources and environment ministry

QCVN : National technical regulations on environment TSP : Total suspended dust

WHO : World Heath Organazition

PART I INTRODUCTION

1.1 Research rationale

Thai Nguyen city is a metrocity, a political, economic, cultural, educational, scientific, technical, medical, tourism and service center of Thai Nguyen province, 80km far from Hanoi The total natural area is 177km2, the North borders Dong Hy district and Phu Luong district, the East borders Song Cong town, the West borders Dai Tu district, the South borders Pho Yen district and Phu Binh district Over the past years, along with the general development of the province, Thai Nguyen city has also achieved great socio-economic achievements, industrial, agricultural and forestry production value in the locality

Thai Nguyen City is home to most factories, enterprises, industrial zones such as Gang Thep Thai Nguyen Complex, Cao Ngan Thermal Power Plant, and Luu Xa and Quan Trieu Cement Plant This is an important factor to promote the socio-economic development of the city, but it is also the factor that causes the problems of the living environment, especially the air environment

In the city, the number of production and business establishments generating emissions in the production process is quite large These include units capable of generating toxic emissions such as SO2 and heavy metal dust (color metallurgy plants), silicon dust (cement plants) and dangerous organic compounds The facilities are mostly located in densely populated areas, densely populated and the fact that units with exhaust treatment systems are few or ineffective and the operation of dust treatment systems, emissions are not high

In recent years, along with the development of society, activities to build the infrastructure of residential areas, traffic, trade centers, hotels along with the

number of motor vehicles above the city area also increased significantly, causing great pressure on air pollution

In general, dust and emissions causing air pollution in Thai Nguyen city area has caused great impacts on the urban landscape and people's life in the city area

The assessment of the current status of environmental quality, understanding the causes of pollution as well as proposing to develop specific measures to control and minimize air pollution for Thai Nguyen city area is very urgent

For these reasons, I selected the topic "Quality assessment the air environment in Thai Nguyen city in the period of 2016 - 2018" to assess the

current status quality of air environment, identify the causes polluting the air environment, on that basis, proposed and developed specific solutions to control and reduce air pollution in Thai Nguyen city area

a Significance in studies and science researchers

Through the implementation of the study, students become familiar with the scientific research, strengthen their knowledge, apply theory to practice, understand how to collect, analyze and process information and work skills

The study assesses the air quality of the city exactly, is the base of the environmental protected evaluation of the city Researching results is the basis for the selection of measures to reduce emissions in the city, facilitate sustainable development

1.3 Research questions and hypotheses

- Is there air pollution in Thai Nguyen City in period 2016 – 2018?

- Can we apply some management and techonology solutions to reduce air pollution in Thai Nguyen City?

1.4 Limitations

Thesis was conducted during 4 months from March 2019 to July 2019 When researching and reporting on air pollution, there were many limitations to the author due to:

- The educational level of the author is not sufficiently specialized in the issue of air pollution

- The funding is not large, so it is not possible to use specialized machines

- Operating time and funds are not sufficient for large-scale research

1.5 Definitions

Air pollution is the introduction of particulates, biological molecules, or other harmful materials into Earth's atmosphere, causing disease, death to humans, damage to other living organisms such as food crops, or the natural or built environment Air pollution may come from anthropogenic or natural

sources (Josie,2015)

Particulate Matter (PM) is the term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid drops found in the air Some common particles such as dust, dirt, soot, smoke are easily detected by the naked eye, but of which there are too small particles that can only be detected through electron microscopy

(McCracken,2016)

Total suspended dust (TSP) is the total of aerodynamic particles less than

or equal to 100 μm

PART II LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Theoretical base

2.1.1 Air pollution sources

There are many sources of air pollution It can be divided into natural sources and artificial sources

 Natural sources:

+ Wind pollution: Wind is also one of the causes of air pollution Dirt, gases that can be pushed away by the wind for hundreds of kilometers make the

contamination spread to a large extent quickly (Thu,2019)

+ Storm: Generating NOx is the main cause of the storm becoming a cause in the process of causing environmental pollution Besides sandstorm

carrying fine dust (PM10, PM2.5) makes the rate of fine dust pollution increases

(Thu,2019)

+ Forest fires: Forest fires will increase the amount of nitrous oxide in the

air because of the large scale of the fire and a long time of extinguishing

+ Smoke, dust from factories: Occupying the largest proportion of the causes of air pollution not only but also water and food sources In the smoke from factories, there is a large amount of CO2, CO, SO2, NOx, unburnt organic substances: soot, dust, and so on with extremely high concentrations If in the process of handling bad emissions, it will adversely affect the health of people living in that area This is also the main cause of acid rain causing a lot of

damage to people as well as crops (Thu,2019)

+ Traffic: The amount of smoke and dust from cars, motorbikes, vehicles

in general using gas fuel to operate is also very large because the number of people participating in daily traffic is extremely high For countries that are either underdeveloped or developing, vehicles may cause more air pollution when using

outdated vehicles as well as unreliable public transport infrastructure (Thu,2019)

+ Besides, war or military exercises: nuclear weapons, poison gas,

chemical warfare and missiles are also one of the causes of this air pollution

(Thu,2019)

2.1.2 The harmful effects of air pollution

a For animals – plants:

+ Air pollution causes harmful effects to all organisms (Nam,2017)

+ Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, fluorine, lead directly harm plants when entering stomata, damaging the system to reduce drainage and

reduce disease resistance (Nam,2017)

+ Earth's warming due to the greenhouse effect also causes changes in

plants and animals on Earth (Nam,2017)

+ Acid rain also indirectly affects plants and lacks food like Ca and kills soil microorganisms It causes Al ion to be released into the water to damage the

roots (absorbing feathers) and reduce the absorption of food and water

(Nam,2017)

+ For animals, especially pets, fluoride causes more disasters They are

poisoned by direct inhalation and through the food chain (Nam,2017)

+ Acidic air pollutants will combine with water droplets in the cloud to make the water acidic When the water drops on the ground, it will harm the environment: killing trees, animals, fish, etc Acidic water also changes the

nature of water in rivers, streams, etc harming the living things underwater

+ Dust into the lungs causes mechanical irritation, pulmonary fibrosis

leading to respiratory diseases (Phuong,2016)

+ Dust can cause eye, skin and blood sugar diseases and other body systems (Dust enters the body and dissolves in blood and body fluids),

cardiovascular disease

+ Dust can cause cancer: dust containing toxic ingredients, asbestos dust

 Dioxide Sulfur (SO2) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2):

 Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

+ Sulfur Dioxide is a gas formed by oxidation of sulfur (S) when burning fuels such as coal, oil, products of oil, sulfide ore, etc SO2 is a gas that causes strong respiratory irritation when breathing SO2 gas (even at low concentrations) can cause spasm of the bronchial straight muscles Large concentrations of SO2can cause increased mucus secretion in the upper respiratory tract mucosa and bronchial air branches SO2 affects the function of the lungs, causing pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, causing cardiovascular disease, hypersensitivity in people

with asthma (Phuong,2016)

+ SO2 poisoning through the skin reduces alkaline reserves in the blood,

eliminates ammonia to the urine and releases saliva (Phuong,2016)

+ General toxicity of SO2 expressed in disorders of protein and sugar metabolism, lack of vitamins B and C, inhibition of oxidase enzymes

 Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2):

+ Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2): is a brown gas, produced by Nitrogen oxidation at high temperature NO2 is a dangerous gas, has a strong effect on respiratory organs especially in susceptible groups such as children, the elderly, asthma sufferers –If contact with NO2 will damage the lung mucosa, increase the

risk of respiratory diseases, damage of lung, eye, nose, and throat functions, etc

(Phuong,2016)

 Carbon monoxide (CO)

+ Carbon monoxide (CO) combined with hemoglobin (Hb) in the blood

to be a stable compound, carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO), reduces blood oxygen

transport capacity, leading to a lack of oxygen in the blood (Phuong, 2016)

 Ammonia (NH3)

+ NH3 is a toxic gas that can strongly stimulate the nose, mouth and respiratory system

+ Exposure to NH3 at a concentration of 100mg / m3 in a short period of time will not have long-term consequences, but if exposed to NH3 at a

concentration of 1500-2000 mg / m3 for 30 minutes, it will be dangerous to live

(Phuong,2016)

2.2 The legal basis

- Environmental Protection Law of Vietnam No 55/2014 / QH13 dated 23/06/2014

- Circular No.28 / 2011 / TT-BTNMT 01/08/2011 of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental regulated technical processes of environmental monitoring ambient air and noise

- Circular No.21 / 2012 / TT-BTNMT dated 12/19/2012 Regulations on quality assurance and quality control in environmental monitoring

- National technical regulations on environment

- QCVN 05:2013/BTNMT: National Technical Regulations on Ambient Air Quality

- QCVN 06:2009/BTNMT: National technical regulations on some toxic substances in the ambient environment

- QCVN 26:2010/BTNMT: National technical regulations on noise

2.3 An overview of the domestic and foreign research situation

2.3.1 Research situation over the world

In new estimates free, WHO reports that in 2012 around seven million people died - one in eight of total world deaths as a result of pollution exposure

This finding quite doubles previous estimates and confirms that air pollution is presently the world's largest single environmental health risk Reducing pollution

might save many lives (Anilla Cherian, 2015)

In 2012, Italy had the best range of premature deaths within the EU28 due

to gas and dioxide exposure Nearly half of London's most disadvantaged neighborhoods exceeded EU dioxide (NO2) limits in 2017 compared with two of its wealthiest areas Heart-attack survivors exposed to semipermanent pollution within the London space were a lot of probably to be readmitted to the hospital, wherever they conjointly had higher mortality rates Similar findings were according to France, Germany, Malta, The Netherlands, Wales, and Wallonia,

per data-mining analysis from the EU atmosphere Agency (Kosovo, 2018)

In a recent announcement by Chinese officials, Beijing is being placed in the level of red alert on air pollution, perhaps even a large-scale air pollution crisis In November 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the level of smoke in China was 50 times higher than the organization's safety recommendation A number will certainly startle more people about the level of pollution in China, which is 4,000 people die every day due to pollution in China Beijing has also closed many factories, schools, limited construction works and many other recreational activities from December 8-10, 2015 Although Beijing has experienced a lot of terrible pollution, this is the first time the Chinese capital

has issued such a high-level ban (WHO, 2015)

The level of air pollution in Hong Kong has risen to a record high, with the Environmental Protection Agency warning of the "toxic smoke" covering the city as a threat to the people The Hong Kong government has said that the

current air pollution index (API) has doubled and people are advised to stay indoors or avoid long-term exposure to heavy traffic areas "The a is currently at the highest record" the Environmental Protection Agency spokesman said: Hong Kong's famous horizon are often covered in mist and dust, which is a disaster for the health of the people and leaves some people away from this international financial center Based on the API index, people with cardiovascular and respiratory problems are advised to stay indoors, when the index drops to more than 100 The public is advised to stay indoors, avoiding long-term exposure to a

large area of vehicles, area with API index more than 200 (Ernest Kao, 2018)

Few people know that India's New Delhi Capital is the most polluted city

in the world, with the proportion of deaths due to air pollution only after cardiovascular disease Serious air pollution is caused mainly by vehicle emissions, with an estimated 8.5 million vehicles operating here Recently the Institute of Energy Resources New Delhi and the Institute of Health Impact (USA) have published research showing that every year 3,000 people die in New Delhi because of air pollution

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Doha is now one of the cities with the highest levels of air pollution in the world In a recent report, the government said the cause of serious pollution in the country was due to the booming construction

industry as well as the rising emissions of vehicles (WHO, 2015)

2.3.2 The research situation in Vietnam

In Vietnam, air pollution is an urgent problem for urban, industrial and craft villages Air pollution not only negatively affects human health The stronger the industrialization, the more waste sources will pollute the air environment In the

development process, especially in the past decade, big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City has encountered serious air pollution problems caused by industrial, agricultural, transportation and living activities Air environment in urban areas in

Vietnam is influenced by many sources of waste (Ha, 2018)

The northern cities of Vietnam all have high average annual dust concentrations Hanoi is the city with the highest level of dust pollution (the annual average value of PM10 and PM2.5 in the period of 2010-2018 fluctuates in the range of 46.2 - 100.8 µg / m3 respectively and 35.5 - 59.4 µg / m3) Urban areas in the Central Region - South Central Coast have lower levels of dust pollution than Northern cities Hue city, located in central Vietnam, near the sea but still influenced by a part of the Northern monsoon climate, has an average annual concentration of PM10 and PM2.5, which is approximately the norm, from 38.4 to

41 , 7 µg / m3 and 22.1 - 24.5 µg / m3 in the years from 2013 -2015 (Nam, 2018)

Figure 2.1: Chart illustrates average years of PM10 at automatic

monitoring stations

Figure 2.2: Chart describes average years of PM2.5 at automatic monitoring

stations

Pollution for total suspended dust (TSP) is serious, especially pollution along the main roads of the city

(Source: Regional stations & regional development (Land 1, 2, 3) - 2010)

Figure 2.3: Chart describes TSP concentration at some streets in the period

of 2005-2009

The CO, SO2, NO2 in the air in urban areas are generally still within the permitted threshold However, in some locations and in some times, concentrations of these substances have increased, in some cases exceeding the permitted values Due to the impact of traffic activities, the concentration of NO2

is near the roads are higher than other areas Especially in urban areas with high traffic density like TP Ho Chi Minh City, the concentration of NO2 in the air is much higher than other cities This proves that NO2 is generated mainly from

traffic activities in the city (Phong, 2019)

(Source: Regional stations & regional development (Land 1, 2, 3) - 2010)

Figure 2.4: Chart describes NO 2 concentration in the period of 2005-2009

The annual average concentration of SO2 and CO in areas in the city is still within the permitted limits of QCVN 05: 2013 / BTNMT Since the majority of SO2 arises from industrial production activities, the difference in concentration of SO2 between residential areas and roads is not much and tends to decrease because part of the production facilities are relocated,which out of cities in recent years

Figure 2.5: Chart describes SO 2 concentration in the period of 2005-2009

(Source: QT & PT station of mainland 1; institute of environmental science and technology - university of civil engineering, 2009)

PART III METHODS

3.1 Material

Questionnaires were prepared for use to collect primary data by gathering information from respondents Books and many internet sources were used to find more information about the related topics Besides, the writer used notebooks and mobile-phone to recorded data as well as took photos The whole report is written in Word Software and collected data were analyzed in Exel Software by count and average function

3.2 Research contents

- Natural, economic and social conditions of Thai Nguyen City

- Assessing the air quality environment in thai nguyen city in the period of

2016 – 2018

- Provide some solutions to reduce pollution and improve air quality in Thai Nguyen city area

3.3 Methods

3.3.1 Methods of collecting secondary data

- Data on air environment monitoring were collected at the Thai Nguyen center natural resouce and environment of monitoring

- Inheriting, using data and documents on natural, economic, cultural and social conditions in Thai Nguyen city area

3.3.2 Methods of field survey

- Field survey to understand the situation of air pollution in the study area

3.3.3 Methods of investigation and interview with people

- Using questionnaires including 90 interview questionnaire (15 interview

questionnaire per location) to quickly ask the people's awareness of the current status of air quality in Thai Nguyen city in communes such as Gang Thep, Quan Trieu, Tan Long and Hoang Van Thu

3.3.4 Methods of sampling, analysis and comparison, evaluation with standards

- Samples collected from the air sampling process in 6 months (February, April, June, August, Octorber and December) in the city which have high traffic density, with factories, operating factories or works, infrastructure under construction such as: Thai Nguyen Square, Gang Thep roundabout, Main gate of Thai Nguyen University of Education, Tan Long Ward, Quan Trieu Ward,… Samples usually are measured twice (11am and 5pm) a day and the result is the average of those measurements

- Samples are automatically taken by machines: Online gas chromatography TRS Medor for SO2, Serinus 44 for NO2, Serinus 30 for CO, Grimm 180 for TSP The concentrations of the measured gases will be compared with QCVN 05: 2013 (National technical regulation on ambient air quality)

- Methods of analyzing monitoring parameters are implemented according

to the current regulations on environmental monitoring techniques, in the following table:

Table 3.1: Field sampling methods and laboratory analysis

3.3.5 Statistic and data processing methods

Arranging the collected results into statistical tables, charts, reasonable adjustment and included in the report, using Microsoft Word and 2 software Microsoft Excel for processing and plotting

PART IV RESULTS

4.1 Natural, economic and social conditions of Thai Nguyen City

4.1.1 Natural condition

a Geographical location

Thai Nguyen city is a city center of Thai Nguyen province, a center of politics, economy, culture, education, science-technology, health and tourism of Northern Vietnam, 80 km from Hanoi Total natural area 222.93 km² Thai Nguyen City has a geographical position: North borders Dong Hy district and Phu Luong district, south borders on Song Cong city, west borders Dai Tu

district, west borders Phu Binh district (Ngan, 2017)

b Terrain and geological characteristics

The terrain and geological of Thai Nguyen city are considered as a separate plain of Thai Nguyen province The rice fields are concentrated on the banks of the Cau and Cong rivers formed by alluvial deposits of these two rivers However, this area still has the nature and appearance of midland geomorphology with alluvial and artificial terraces, new alluvial terraces and sedimentary terraces (convergent slope) The center of the city is relatively flat, the rest is mostly flat hills

The terrain of Thai Nguyen is plentiful and diverse including 4 groups of different terrain types: plain terrain, hilly terrain, low mountain terrain and artificial terrain (Nui Coc Lake)

In general, the city's terrain is quite diverse, on the one hand, creating favorable conditions for the development of urban, industrial and handicraft industries, on the other hand, creating favorable conditions for agricultural

development suitable to the farm economy combining forests, fruit trees and

other industrial plants such as tea, timber trees

c Climate

Thai Nguyen City has the common features of the northeastern region of Vietnam, belonging to the tropical monsoon region with cold, rainy winters, hot and humid summers Due to the topographic features of the region, the climate of the city has its characteristics

The average total annual sunshine time is about 1,862 hours The absolute high temperature is 39.5˚C The average annual rainfall is 2,025mm Rainfall is unevenly distributed over time and space, with large disparities between the rainy and dry seasons In terms of the high-intensity rainy season, rainfall accounts for 87% of the total rainfall in a year (from May to October) in which, August rainfall alone accounts for nearly 30% of the total annual rainfall so sometimes it causes a serious flood The city has high air humidity, the annual average humidity is 82%

Thus, the climate of Thai Nguyen city is relatively favorable for the development of a diverse and sustainable ecosystem, favorable for agroforestry development and as a source of raw materials for the processing industry, agricultural products, and foodstuffs

4.1.2 Economic and social conditions

a.Economic

In 2016, Thai Nguyen city achieved the following economic targets: the Growth rate of manufacturing industries in 2016 reached 15.5% In which: Production value of the service sector reached VND 15,130 billion, up 18.1%

Industry and construction production value reached VND 38,903 billion, up 15% The agricultural production value reached VND 1,202 billion, up 5% The value of local industrial production (at constant prices in 2010) is estimated at VND 6,300 billion, exceeding 1.6% of the plan Budget revenue: 2017 VND 2,500 billion

In 2018, the city achieved an economic growth rate of 16% Budget revenue in the first 8 months of 2018 reached 3,008 billion VND Total registered investment capital is over VND 34 trillion

Thai Nguyen City is located in the dynamic economic development area

of Thai Nguyen Province (including Song Cong City and Pho Yen Town), a long-standing industrial center with the Iron and Steel Industrial Center In addition, the city has great potential for developing tourism, with Ho Nui Coc, historical and revolutionary monuments Thai Nguyen City has a team of experienced, capable, highly qualified staff and graduates every year from universities, professional and technical workers in the area, meet development requirements of the city

The city has been offering preferential policies for domestic and foreign enterprises investing in the city In order to improve the investment environment, the City People's Committee has actively improved administrative procedures, creating the most favorable conditions for investors to invest in the city on the

"one-door" principle, minimizing time when an investor carries out administrative procedures to conduct investment or business in the city

(Thao,2019)

b Social

 Population

As of January 1, 2017, the population (including permanent and convertible) of the whole City is 364,078 people In which, the urban population

is 289,527 people accounting for 79.6% of the total population of the city, suburban population is 74,551 people accounting for 20.4% of the total population of the whole city

 Transportation

+ Roads: The total road length of the province is 2,753km of which: national road 183km, provincial road 105,5km, district road 659km, inter-commune road 1,764km The provincial and national highway systems are all plastic strips The system of provincial and national highways is reasonably distributed in the province, most of the roads originate from the axis along national highway 3 to the centers of districts, communes, economic zones, mines, monuments and links to the surrounding areas Highway 3 from Hanoi to Bac Kan and Cao Bang cuts along Thai Nguyen province, runs through Thai Nguyen City, connecting Thai Nguyen with Hanoi and the Red River Delta provinces National highways 37, 18 and 259 together with provincial and district roads are important and convenient traffic vessels linking Thai Nguyen with neighboring provinces

+ Railway: The railway system from Thai Nguyen to the provinces is quite convenient; Ensuring convenient transportation of passengers and goods The railway from Hanoi to Quan Trieu runs through the province linking Thai Nguyen with Hanoi Luu Xa - Khuc Rong railway connects with Hanoi - Quan Trieu railway, this railway also connects Thai Nguyen province with Quang Ninh The Quan Trieu - Nui Hong railway line is very convenient for mineral transportation

+ Waterways: There are two main river routes: Da Phuc - Hai Phong 161km long and Da Phuc - Hon Gai with 211km in length In the future, Da Phuc port will be upgraded and expanded, mechanized loading and unloading, ensuring the handling capacity of 1,000 tons of cargo/day and night In addition, Thai Nguyen has two main rivers, the Cau River and Cong River, which will be upgraded to transport goods

 Education

With 6 universities, 13 colleges, 6 intermediate schools, 440 high schools, and 206 Thai Nguyen kindergartens have really been the training nucleus of the whole northern mountainous region The general education career of Thai Nguyen province has had many positive changes, the management of education

by sector has brought about many effective results, new schools have been built, the number of students at all levels has been continuously increased Mountainous education has received adequate attention, some boarding schools for children of mountainous ethnic groups have been built

 Medical

Thai Nguyen currently has 1,208 doctors, 542 doctors, 1,753 nurses and

207 midwives In the province, there are 539 health facilities with 3,956 beds (including 814 beds of commune health stations) providing health care, examination and treatment services for the people Among these are 21 hospitals and 25 regional polyclinics, 2 maternity homes and 180 commune health stations, wards and 311 other medical facilities Some health indicators of the province have improved markedly in recent years and are higher than the average level of the whole region and the whole country

 Military

Provincial defense and security work has always received the attention of the committees and authorities The situation of social security and safety in the province has positive changes The implementation of the province's national defense and security tasks has met new requirements on national defense strategy

4.1.3 A general assessment of natural and social conditions affecting air quality in Thai Nguyen City

 Advantage:

- The geographical and economic-political position of Thai Nguyen City is one of the most important advantages of socio-economic development With all modes of transportation by road, waterway, and railways, there are National Highway 3, 1B and Highway 37 passing and now Hanoi - Thai Nguyen highway has been completed The city has many favorable conditions for economic development, exchanges with Hanoi and other localities

- Human resources with a high rate of the trained labor force are a more developed advantage of the city compared to many other localities in the region and the whole country

- The city has a tradition of industrial development very early and is home

to many central industrial establishments located in the province

- The central role of the city for Thai Nguyen province and the Northern midland and mountainous region is confirmed through practical development and institutionalized by legal documents This is a great opportunity for future city development

- The fast-growing domestic market demand for many products of Thai Nguyen city (industrial products, processed agricultural products, education - training, health, and cultural services .) is an opportunity Great for city development

- International economic integration brings many opportunities for market expansion, access to modern technology and management skills and development cooperation for the city

- Soil conditions are suitable for many types of crops, so it is possible to develop agro-forestry production in combination with the premise to develop the most processing industry as specialty tea products, creating a basis for promoting industrialization and modernization process

- The city with many famous monuments if invested will attract tourists to visit and relax many times more than today

 Disadvantage:

- Rapid urbanization speed, uneven urban infrastructure; limited investment capital; The old urban area is densely populated, affecting the infrastructure and protecting the ecological environment, especially affecting the air environment in Thai Nguyen City

- Concentrated industrial zones have been invested but not synchronized; a number of industrial clusters currently interspersed in residential areas lead to affecting people's health due to emissions from industrial parks

- Economic development but not commensurate with the potential and strength of the city; the ability to accumulate for the budget is not high; Investment resources for investment and development are limited

- Although mineral resources are small but scattered, it is not convenient for large-scale mining and processing investment

4.2 Assessing the air quality environment in thai nguyen city in the period

At Luu Xa industrial zone, about 6km from the center of Thai Nguyen city

to the southeast, typically Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel Joint Stock Company, with the production of coke, pig iron, steel rolling, large production scale, technology obsolete production from the 60-80 years, daily discharged into the environment millions of m3 of emissions with the characteristic of dust, SO2,

NOx, CO, phenol, metal dust,

Regarding metallurgical industry, in addition to Gang Thep Thai Nguyen Joint Stock Company, Thai Nguyen Metallic One-member Limited Liability Company in Phu Xa Ward and Tan Thanh Ward with production, processing and refining operations color (lead, tin, zinc, .); Gia Sang Steel Rolling Mill Joint Stock Company with steel and steel rolling production and other metal production facilities is located in the wards and communes in the city These

facilities, mostly out-of-date production technology, have discharged a large amount of waste gas in the process of operation, which contains large amounts of dust, SO2, CO, NOx, metal dust,

Production of construction materials: typically cement production facilities with obsolete vertical kiln technology (Luu Xa cement) without dust and exhaust gas treatment system, causing serious pollution

Industrial facilities often use fossil fuels (coal, oil) as a fuel to burn which lead to CO2 emission and cause air pollution

Table 4.1: Statistics of total pollutant load on all routes from the transport

(Source: Thai Nguyen Department of Natural Resources and Environment, 2017)

c Activities of urban construction, technical infrastructure

With the process of urbanization, activities of building houses, bridges, roads increases dramatically in the city Construction activities have caused serious dust pollution in the surrounding air environment

Table 4.2: Statistics of total dust released from construction activities in

Thai Nguyen city

Construction Pollutant element (kg/day)