The current environmental pollution situation has reached alarming levels, especially in major cities like Ho Chi Minh City and along river basins, affecting the health of tens of millions of residents daily.
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Industrial and domestic waste is severely polluting the canals in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: D.D.M |
A recent analysis by the Ho Chi Minh City Experimental Analysis Center has revealed that benzene levels in the air along the city’s main traffic routes have reached a red alert level, with an average concentration of 33.6 micrograms/m3, which is 6.72 times higher than the World Health Organization’s standard of 5 micrograms/m3.
Scientists indicate that based on these results, the risk of leukemia for individuals constantly breathing in the air in Ho Chi Minh City could be 5.4 times higher than in other areas. This also explains the increasing number of cancer cases reported in specialized hospitals.
A city with a population accounting for 10% of the national total is facing a daily struggle with “dirty” air, raising urgent concerns about the declining labor capacity and the need for immediate corrective measures.
Equally serious is the alarming pollution in the Dong Nai River basin, which supplies drinking water for Ho Chi Minh City and several other provinces. A comprehensive investigation report presented at a recent environmental conference by Associate Professor Dr. Huynh Thi Minh Hang and her colleagues from the Institute of Environment and Resources at the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City indicated that the pollution in the Dong Nai River basin affects approximately 15 million people living in 4 provincial cities, 19 urban districts of Ho Chi Minh City, 8 towns, and 85 small towns.
This pollution originates from the waste of 116 urban areas of varying scales; 47 concentrated industrial zones; over 50,000 industrial production facilities; 73 landfills; thousands of industrial-scale livestock farms; and dozens of ports. Specifically, of the 47 concentrated industrial zones (16 of which have centralized wastewater treatment systems), 31 industrial zones discharge untreated wastewater directly into the Dong Nai River system, contributing approximately 111,605 m3 of wastewater daily, which includes nearly 15 tons of Total Suspended Solids (TSS), 19.6 tons of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), 76.9 tons of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and 1.6 tons of Nitrogen.
These hazardous substances increasingly threaten human health. Scientists have cited an example: due to irresponsible discharge of phenolic derivatives from cashew oil, 20 sanitation workers suffered burns while dredging a drainage canal in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Furthermore, scientists noted: “In the Dong Nai River basin, there are many wastewater streams containing harmful substances such as acids, bases, heavy metals like mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), pesticides, mineral oils, and pathogenic bacteria… If these wastewater streams are not properly controlled and managed, the potential for pollution and environmental degradation is significant“.
Due to the seriousness of the situation, on January 13, 2006, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment sent a document to 12 provinces in the Dong Nai River basin, proposing the implementation of 8 urgent measures, including specific actions to ensure that at least 70% of industrial zones have wastewater treatment systems that meet environmental standards, increase investment in environmental protection by at least 15% compared to 2005 levels, and strictly prohibit the construction of facilities at risk of causing severe environmental pollution.
These measures remain on paper, while millions of residents continue to endure daily environmental pollution that directly impacts their health.
