The capital of Vietnam, Hanoi is classified as the most polluted city in the world.
The city was shrouded in a thick haze of pollution yesterday that made it difficult to see tall buildings and caused the city’s nearly nine million residents to breathe poisonous air.
Hanoi has often been ranked among the most polluted cities in the world, in recent years. It is partly due to extensive construction and fumes from the large number of motorbikes and cars that cross the capital daily.
Carbon emissions from coal plants in the north and open burning for agricultural purposes are exacerbating the problem.
Last month, dozens of flights were affected when a thick haze enveloped Hanoi and produced a spike in air pollution and reduced visibility. Weather forecasters have issued regular warnings of thick haze, especially in the mountainous regions of northeastern Vietnam.
The World Bank’s latest report on air pollution says 40 percent of residents in Hanoi are exposed to concentrations nearly five times higher than WHO-defined safe guidelines.
The city also ranked first on air monitoring website IQAir as the most polluted city in the world since late yesterday afternoon.Pollutant levels are recorded at PM2.5, which are cancer-causing micro-particles small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs. It is classified as ‘very unhealthy’ and exceeds 24 times the annual guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO says a number of serious health problems are linked to air pollution exposure, including stroke, heart disease and lung cancer.
