Hanoi and surrounding provinces have very poor air pollution levels.

According to the Northern Environmental Monitoring Center, Department of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the air pollution index (AQI) in some provinces and cities is at bad and poor levels, with some areas at very poor levels.

High-rise buildings in Hanoi are shrouded in fine dust and thick smog. Photo: Phan Phuong/TTXVN.

Specifically in Hanoi, at the Polytechnic University station near the Parabol gate on Giai Phong Street, the reading at 8:00 AM on December 11th was 227 (very poor level); at the Nhan Chinh Park station on Khuat Duy Tien Street, the reading at 8:00 AM on December 11th was 151 (bad level).

In addition, at the monitoring station in Hung Vuong Street (formerly Viet Tri City), Phu Tho province, the reading at 8:00 AM on December 11th was 111 (poor level); at the monitoring station at Tan Quang commune cultural center, Hung Yen province, the reading at 8:00 AM on December 11th was 202 (very poor level); at the monitoring station around Thang Long II industrial park, the reading at 8:00 AM on December 11th was 166 (very bad level)...; at the monitoring station in the former Bac Giang province inter-agency complex, the reading at 8:00 AM on December 11th was 164 (bad level).

Besides Hanoi, neighboring provinces such as Hai Phong city (the area of ​​the former Hai Duong City People's Committee, 106 Tran Hung Dao Street); at the measuring station in Ninh Binh province (Nam Cao Park, Phu Ly, former Ha Nam ), the reading at 8:00 AM on December 11th was 132 (poor level); at the measuring station at Gang Thep Stadium, Thai Nguyen province, the reading at 8:00 AM on December 11th was 173 (bad level); at the measuring station in Vinh An village, Song Mai commune, former Bac Giang province, the reading at 8:00 AM on December 11th was 101 (poor level).

Health experts advise that during peak pollution days, people (especially the elderly, young children, and those with respiratory illnesses) should limit going outside. If travel is unavoidable, people should wear masks that meet PM2.5 filtration standards and wear them correctly (fitting snugly against the nose, leaving no gaps).

At home, people should keep doors and windows closed, use air purifiers, regularly clean their noses and throats, and maintain a nutritious diet to boost their immune system.

According to guidelines from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, air pollution in Hanoi and neighboring provinces directly affects socio-economic activities and public health.

To proactively control, prevent, and minimize the level of pollution and adverse impacts of this pollution episode, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment requests the People's Committees of Hanoi, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen, and Ninh Binh provinces and cities to focus on directing and decisively implementing measures to strengthen street cleaning and reduce road dust: directing environmental sanitation units and owners of infrastructure construction projects to immediately increase the frequency of street sweeping and dust removal.

Provinces and cities are strictly controlling dust emissions from construction and transportation activities: directing the Department of Construction, commune/ward police, and local authorities to strengthen inspection and supervision of construction sites in their areas; strictly managing industrial emissions and activities involving burning in craft villages; controlling the stable operation of exhaust gas treatment systems, ensuring compliance with environmental technical standards; encouraging a reduction in operating capacity on days when air quality (VN_AQI) is at a poor level or worse, affecting people's health; and thoroughly controlling the burning of agricultural waste and by-products.

In addition, provinces and cities are strengthening public health information and warnings: directing the Department of Agriculture and Environment and the Department of Health to coordinate with local media and press agencies to continuously update information on air quality and monitor the VN_AQI index on the VNAir application.

The Air Pollution Index (EPI) defines air quality based on a scale from 0 to 500, classified into six levels with corresponding colors and health warnings. These levels include: good (0-50, green), moderate (51-100, yellow), unhealthy for sensitive groups (101-150, orange), unhealthy (151-200, red), very unhealthy (201-300, purple), and hazardous (above 300, brown).

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/ha-noi-va-cac-tinh-lan-can-co-chi-so-o-nhiem-khong-khi-o-muc-rat-kem-20251211092631169.htm