HÀ NỘI — Air quality in Hà Nội has become worse recently, with air quality index (AQI) measurements ranging from 78 to 178 according to the Environment Protection Centre of the city’s Natural Resources and Environment Department.
When the AQI, which measures daily air pollution, is in this range, the air quality is considered unhealthy and people may begin to experience some adverse health effects. Members of sensitive groups may experience more serious effects.
Monitoring results in the urban areas of Trung Yên, Kim Liên, Mỹ Đình, Tân Mai and Tây Mỗ showed the AQI had been high.
The same situation was seen in Hoàn Kiếm and Ba Đình districts.
Bad air quality was recorded at monitoring points near major roads, especially on Minh Khai Street (part of National Route 32) and from Phạm Văn Đồng Street to Thăng Long Bridge.
The poor air quality in the two places was due to heavy traffic.
Mai Trọng Thái, director of the Environment Protection Centre, said the situation was due to the weather in the past week, in which cold and dry weather kept the air quality from improving.
The large temperature variation between day and night has kept exhaust fumes and dust from dispersing, trapping them in the air and leading to relatively high levels of pollution and poor AQI scores, said the centre.
Despite seeing some rain on Sunday morning, the air quality had not improved.
The AQI is a daily indicator of air quality. It tells you whether the air around you is clean or polluted and the effects it may have on your health. — LV
