Is the thick fog in Hanoi air pollution?

On the morning of February 2, many people in the capital were surprised when Hanoi had a thick fog covering the entire city. The thick fog made it difficult for vehicles to move, affected air traffic, and made many people worried about the health risks.

At the press conference for the first quarter of 2024 held by the Ministry of Health on February 2, regarding information about the dense fog in Hanoi posing a health risk, Mr. Nguyen Luong Tam - Deputy Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health) said that the fog phenomenon often occurs every year in winter, especially in the northern provinces and mountainous areas.

"In Hanoi, this phenomenon is quite rare, but has appeared recently. This is a problem of weather and climate. In the current weather, people are very susceptible to respiratory diseases when going out. The elderly and children need to keep warm and wear masks to prevent disease," said Mr. Tam.

Mr. Nguyen Luong Tam informed at the press conference.

Experts also say that fog is a natural phenomenon, caused by air humidity, not necessarily air pollution. However, high humidity also makes some infectious diseases easier to spread.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Khoa - Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health) affirmed that fog is just a natural phenomenon, not reflecting the problem of air pollution.

The fog phenomenon is not a big problem for health, but people need to take good disease prevention measures at this time such as avoiding going out too early in the morning; using medical masks to prevent toxic gases in the fog; need to go to a medical facility when there are signs of respiratory illness to avoid getting worse and dangerous; keep the body warm to ensure a heat source; practice personal hygiene regularly; do not hang clothes outside overnight...

Mr. Nguyen Trong Khoa - Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the reason for the thick fog in Hanoi and the northern provinces is that this area is located in a cold and dry air mass with north to northwest winds blowing from an altitude of 1,500 - 5,000 m.

Under the impact of this wind field, in the North, the sky turned to a state of little to clear clouds, so the phenomenon of radiation fog appeared, reducing visibility, affecting traffic, travel and flight activities at Noi Bai airport.

According to forecasts, the thick fog and drizzle will likely last until the morning of February 4. From February 5, the fog and drizzle will tend to decrease due to a weak cold air mass moving down to the northern provinces.

To deal with fog, experts recommend closing the doors to prevent moisture from entering the house, running a dehumidifier if available, and turning on the air conditioner to heat the room to ~25 degrees Celsius. If there is no dehumidifier or air conditioner, turn on all the lights in the house. Turn on the TV, computer, and sound system. Do not unplug devices that are turned off.

Experts note that you should not mop the floor with a wet cloth because the water has a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, colder than the outside air, causing condensation on the floor. If the outside temperature is 25 degrees Celsius but still humid, it is more complicated, you have to run the air conditioner at the water drop level (dehumidification). You even have to heat for a while and then switch to cooling, alternating for 30 minutes .

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/suong-mu-day-dac-o-ha-noi-co-phai-o-nhiem-khong-khi-a648516.html