Pollution and Health: A Global Public Health Crisis
Explore our main reportImpacts of fine dust caused by straw open burning on health under research
Air pollution caused by the open burning of agricultural by-products has significantly and adversely impacted human health, according to recent research by the Humanities Community Capacity Development Center and the Institute of Child Health Training and Research under the National Children's Hospital.
To assess the impacts, the research team estimated the number of deaths and hospital admissions caused by air pollution, using data on population, air exposure, mortality, death causes, and the PM2.5 average concentration.
The selected localities under the research were Hanoi City and Thai Binh provinces. Thai Binh is one of the provinces with the highest air pollution from straw burning in the Red River Delta in North Vietnam.
The researchers found that causes for hospitalized patients stemmed from general respiratory diseases: pneumonia in children and adults, bronchitis and bronchiolitis in children, and cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and ischemia in adults.
The results showed that the long-term pollution impact of PM2.5 in Hanoi contributed to about 43-95 deaths per 100,000 population from all causes (except deaths caused by transportation accidents) in adults over 25 years old. Some districts in the city hub and some suburban areas were more severely affected, with mortality rates at over 70 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
By contrast, some central districts had a lower percentage of PM2.5 attributable hospitalizations than other districts, such as Nam Tu Liem, Thanh Xuan, and Hoang Mai, where the percentage of attributable hospitalizations exceeded 2.5%.
Meanwhile, regarding the short-term pollution effects from 2012 to 2019, the PM2.5 attributable hospitalizations of children (aged from zero to 16 years) were 2.3% for general respiratory diseases, 1.7% for pneumonia, 3.1% for bronchitis and bronchiolitis, and 1.7% for upper respiratory diseases.
For adults in the suburban districts of Hanoi, such as Ba Vi, Me Linh, and Soc Son, there was a low percentage of hospitalizations due to PM2.5. In contrast, hospitalizations in the central districts accounted for a higher rate. Relating to the short-term pollution effects, the adult hospitalization for general respiratory and cardiovascular disease was 2.2%, pneumonia was 1.7%, overall cardiovascular disease was 1.3%, ischemic heart disease (IHD) was 2.9 %, heart failure was 4.9%, and hypertension was 0.9%.
In Thai Binh province, the long-term pollution impacts of PM2.5 caused about 74-102 cases per 100,000 population due to all-natural causes in adults over 25 years old in 2019. The districts with the highest mortality rates included Hung Ha, Dong Hung, and Vu Thu. The localities least affected include Thai Thuy, Tien Hai, and Thai Binh City, with a mortality rate of just under 95 cases per 100,000 people. The short-term pollution effects of PM2.5 on mortality in Thai Binh City was 18 cases per 100,000 people, higher than Kien Xuong district's 15 cases per 100,000 people. PM2.5 dust impacted Quynh Phu, Hung Ha, and Vu Thu districts, as well as Thai Binh City and Dong Hung districts. In the 2012-2019 period, the percentage of hospitalizations for children due to general respiratory illness was 1.1%, pneumonia was 1%, and bronchitis/bronchioles was 1.4%.
For the short-term impacts on adult hospital admissions between 2017 and 2018 in Thai Binh province, PM2.5 pollution contributed to approximately 0.8% of hospital admissions due to respiratory disease and 0.5% of hospitalizations for cardiovascular. The province’s inland districts, including Quynh Phu, Hung Ha, Vu Thu, Dong Hung, and Thai Binh City, were less affected. Percentage of hospitalizations attributed to PM2.5 for adults in the 2012-2019 period for general respiratory illness was 0.8%, pneumonia was 0.4%, general cardiovascular disease was 0.5%, IHD was 1.1%, heart failure was 1.9%, and hypertension was 0.3%.
To clarify the impact of PM2.5 from straw-burning sources, the research team continued to evaluate the health impact of straw-burning sources within one year based on data from patients at 11 hospitals in Hanoi in 2019); 2 hospitals in Nam Dinh and two hospitals in Thai Binh in 2018; obstetrics and pediatrics hospitals in Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Vinh Phuc; Ha Nam General Hospital and Ninh Binh Lung Hospital in 2017.
The evaluation results on the number of premature deaths due to PM2.5 from straw sources per year in localities showed that Hanoi had the highest number of premature deaths (53 cases) in the winter-spring harvest crop and 12 cases in the summer—fall harvest crop. Thai Binh Province followed with 24 cases in the summer harvest and 6 in the fall harvest.
Meanwhile, the highest number of hospitalizations in children (0-6 years old) due to general respiratory diseases related to PM2.5 due to outdoor straw burning was still in Hanoi, with 149 cases in the winter-spring harvest crop and 34 cases in the summer-autumn harvest crop. Bac Ninh and Vinh Phuc Province were both 34 cases and 8 cases.
The number of hospitalizations in the elderly (more than 60 years old) due to general respiratory illness related to PM2.5 due to outdoor straw burning in Hanoi was 108 and 25, respectively. The numbers in Ninh Binh and Thai Binh Province were 49 and 11, respectively.
From the above initial results, the research team concluded that densely populated districts in Hanoi City and Thai Binh Province, where air pollution concentrations are high, were at risk of death and hospitalization due to PM. 2.5 higher (compared to other regions). Straw burning contributed to deaths and hospitalizations due to fine dust released into the atmosphere. Extreme temperatures were also associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular hospitalization in Hanoi.
The design and implementation of this project have been accomplished through a collaborative effort with the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) and funded with UK aid from the UK government.
VACNE was established 35 years ago with the main task of propagating, educating, raising awareness and knowledge of the local people, and mobilizing people to carry out environmental protection activities. GAHP was established in 2012, with more than 60 members from organizations and countries worldwide, aiming to reduce mortality and illness rates caused by large-scale environmental pollution in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Meanwhile, UK Aid supports small and medium-sized civil society organizations (CSOs) working towards sustainable poverty reduction and implementing the UN's global goals.