Building and managing a system to monitor and supervise marine environmental quality

Thanh Hoa is one of the localities with many fishing ports, storm shelters for fishing boats, a system of general ports, specialized ports for factories in Nghi Son Economic Zone... The system of seaports and fishing ports has been creating a driving force to promote the socio-economic development of the province. However, if not strictly controlled, it will be one of the factors directly affecting the environment and marine resources.

A corner of Lach Bang estuary (Nghi Son town).

In response to practical requirements, the province has invested in installing and assigned the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DONRE) to manage and operate a seawater environmental monitoring station in Hai Thanh ward, Nghi Son town and an air quality monitoring station located at the headquarters of the Nghi Son Economic Zone Management Board and the province's industrial parks. According to the assessment of the DONRE, after many years of operation, these monitoring stations have been managed and operated stably, continuously 24 hours a day according to regulations, the data chains ensure reliability and accuracy to serve well the requirements of State management of the environment. The data is continuously updated, promptly warning of risks and environmental pollution incidents, minimizing the risks and environmental incidents that may occur.

Along with the above 2 monitoring stations, up to now, the coastal area of ​​the province has Nghi Son Cement Factory, Nghi Son Iron and Steel Factory, Nghi Son Environment Joint Stock Company, Cong Thanh Cement Factory installed automatic emission monitoring systems. FLC Eco-tourism Area (Sam Son) installed automatic wastewater monitoring systems. Nghi Son I Thermal Power Plant; Nghi Son II Thermal Power Plant; Miza Nghi Son Paper Factory, Nghi Son Petrochemical Company Limited have all installed automatic wastewater and emission monitoring systems... According to statistics, the whole province currently has 28 units and enterprises installed with automatic emission and wastewater monitoring stations with a total of 108 monitoring stations. Of which, there are 32 wastewater monitoring stations and 76 emission monitoring stations. The stations invested by the waste source owners have implemented quality control of the system before being put into official operation and periodically implemented once a year by an independent unit with sufficient capacity. In addition, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment regularly monitors the implementation of operations, ensures and controls the quality of the waste source owners' station systems; strengthens the inspection, confirmation and sealing of the data transmission and reception systems of the stations; promptly coordinates with enterprises with parameters exceeding the permitted standards to propose solutions for handling in accordance with the provisions of law.

Implementing the "Integrated marine environmental monitoring program of Thanh Hoa province, period 2021-2025" according to Decision No. 40/QD-UBND, dated January 5, 2021 of the Provincial People's Committee Chairman, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has developed a plan and implemented a monitoring program with hundreds of samples of bottom sediments, coastal seawater and marine organisms... taken each year for analysis and evaluation. According to Mr. Trinh Ngoc Dung, Head of the Department of Sea, Islands, Hydrometeorology and Climate Change (Department of Natural Resources and Environment): In 2023 alone, the department has coordinated with functional units to deploy 3 monitoring campaigns in areas such as Nghi Son Port, Nghi Son Cement Port, Lach Hoi Fishing Port, Hoa Loc Fishing Port, Quang Nham Fishing Wharf, Lach Bang Fishing Port, Lach Bang Storm Shelter... For coastal tourist areas, monitoring was deployed at Sam Son coastal tourist area, Hai Hoa coastal tourist area (Nghi Son town); Hai Tien coastal tourist area (Hoang Hoa)...

Monitoring results show that most parameters such as temperature, pH, total suspended solids, DO, fluoride, chromium VI, lead, cadmium, manganese, mercury, cyanide, organic chlorine pesticides and organic phosphorus are all lower than the allowable levels according to QCVN 10:2023/BTNMT. However, at some monitoring locations, the content of substances exceeds the allowable limits according to QCVN 10:2023/BTNMT. For example, at Nghi Son Cement Port; Lach Bang Fishing Port, there are signs of ammonium (NH4+) pollution in coastal seawater. At Quang Nham fishing port; Hoa Loc fishing port; Hoang Truong fishing port; Lach Hoi fishing port; Quang Tien storm shelter anchorage area... has signs of iron pollution in coastal seawater... From these monitoring results, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has notified departments, branches, sectors, People's Committees of coastal districts, towns and cities to grasp the current status and trends of marine environmental quality, promptly detect and warn of environmental pollution incidents as well as propose solutions to overcome them.

Thanh Hoa has a coastline of up to 102km with rich and diverse resources. The efficiency of the marine economy is very large if exploited and used reasonably and scientifically, especially when a network of monitoring the quality of the marine and coastal environment is established. This will contribute to improving the efficiency of management, exploitation, use of resources and protection of the marine environment, ensuring sustainable development of the province's socio-economic and coastal areas.

Article and photos: Phong Sac

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/xay-dung-va-quan-ly-he-thong-quan-trac-giam-sat-chat-luong-moi-truong-bien-221237.htm