Tag: Air Pollution

How Hanoi’s Streets Became Unhealthy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People are flocking to city centers all over the world, in search of better jobs in urban environments. For the people who design the roads and buildings in cities this requires significant planning. Without planning for the future, expensive mistakes can deter growth and have negative impact on housing, sanitation, education, and employment. Hanoi’s narrow streets and high tax on cars has led to an increased number of motorbike owners. This has recently led to pollution becoming dangerous to people’s health.

Emissions of all types are found in Hanoi’s air, including fine particles which lead to a large number of deaths per year. Particles (PM) as small as 2.5 micrometers lodge deep in our lungs, clogging arteries, making it harder to breathe. This irreversible effect is the reason scientists have been studying how safe it is to live in such an environment. PM10 particles are larger, and are usually in the form of dust. Blocking PM10 particles is easier than PM2.5 particles, and can be done with a simple cloth mask. Those masks however don’t block all the other particles or gasses.

There are more and more reasons coming to light that show how a city can become unhealthy.
• More people = more traffic.
• More electricity demand = more electricity production (usually without regulation, in the form of power plants).
• Smoking and cooking indoors = highly concentrated PM2.5 particles in indoor environments.
• Burning crops (called stubble burning) to make way for a new planting season = CO2 filled environment.
• Factory emissions and runoff = polluted water bodies and trash dumps.
• Dusty roads = increased dust in the air.
• Unregulated vehicles = filthy exhaust fumes in the air.

Looking at the history of the countries that now claim to have high air quality, we can see that developed countries like the U.S. went through similar pollution effects and had to fix them by developing specific regulations.

Here are some ways that we hope will slowly reduce the reasons a city is overly polluted.
• Efficient public transport solutions and use of bicycles and electric vehicles.
• Reaping the power from the sun, wind, and water.
• Regulations put in place to stop smoking indoors, and zero emission cooking stoves. Less use of Coal!
• Regulations against burning crops or stubble. As well as education of composting old crops.
• Removing factories using methods that pollute, and instead investing in factories that are able to use technology to eradicate emissions (like in the EU).
• Investment in road infrastructure and proper sidewalks, with runoff systems and sewers to deal with dust.
• Regulate vehicles to meet higher standards, and reduce poor fuel quality.

Although none of these suggestions can come into effect immediately, doing so would decrease emissions in the future. The majority of us care about our earth’s environment, but many who are not educated enough act like they don’t care. It occurs far too often that people copy those around them, following like a herd of sheep. “If they throw their trash on the ground, why shouldn’t I?”

We’re looking forward to hearing your ideas and suggestions on some of these issues.
What can each of us do to reduce the negative effects of pollution?

Vitamin B Sources – What can help protect you from air pollution?

From our last post, you know that taking vitamin B can help protect you from air pollution, according to a research done by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. If you missed our post, please click here to read it.
Now, we are going to suggest some medical and natural vitamin B sources available in Vietnam.
There are 8 main vitamin B: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12.
Vitamin B1 (thiamin) helps to convert glucose into energy and plays an important role in nerve function. Thiamin deficiency includes confusion, irritability, poor arm or leg coordination, lethargy, fatigue and muscle weakness. Natural sources of vitamin B1 include: whole cereal grains, seeds (especially sesame), legumes, nuts, yeast and pork.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) mainly involves in energy production, and helps vision and skin health. You can find vitamin B2 in milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, wholegrain breads and cereals, egg white, leafy green vegetables, meat, yeast, liver and kidney. It is not common to have vitamin B2 deficiency – hair loss, an inflamed tongue, inflamed eyelids, sensitivity to light and skin rash. If you do, remember to drink less, and include one or some of the food above in your diet.
Vitamin B3 (niacin) helps the body convert carbohydrates, fat and alcohol into energy. It also helps maintain skin health, and supports the nervous and digestive systems. Niacin can be found in all protein-containing foods like: lentils, meat, fish, poultry, milk, eggs, nuts and mushrooms. Vitamin B3 deficiency, also known as pellagra, includes dementia, diarrhea, and dermatitis, and can lead to death if not treated.
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) helps to metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, fats and alcohol. It also helps producing red blood cells and steroid hormones. Vitamin B5 sources are widespread and can be found in meat, milk, eggs, peanuts and legumes.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is necessary to metabolize protein and carbohydrate. It is also involved in the formation of red blood cells, certain brain chemicals, brain processes and development, immune function and steroid hormone activity. Too much or too little of vitamin B6 can lead to unwanted health risks.
Vitamin B7 (biotin) helps metabolize energy and amino acid and synthesize fat and glycogen. Sources of vitamin B7 are cauliflower, egg yolks, peanuts, chicken, yeast and mushrooms.
Vitamin B9 (folate) is involved in red blood cells formation, development of the fetal nervous system, DNA synthesis and cell growth. You can find vitamin b9 in green leafy vegetables, legumes, seeds, poultry, eggs, cereals and citrus fruits
Vitamin B12 helps to produce and maintain the myelin surrounding nerve cells, mental ability, red blood cell formation, and the breaking down of some fatty acids and amino acids to produce energy. Sources of vitamin B12 are often anything animal origin like meat, eggs, milk and cheese. If you are a vegan, you can get your vitamin B12 from fortified soy products, cereals, and marmite.
Whole cereal grains in Vietnam can be found in dark ‘seedy’ breads, oatmeal, corn, brown rice. We found this healthy snack of puffed up brown rice with seaweed in Fivimart.
For sesame seeds, there is a special dish called “muoi vung” (gomasio), made from sesame seeds and salt, to be eaten with sticky rice, salad, boiled vegetables. Other seeds also work just as well. Next time you are ordering a coffee, maybe also order that extra serving of sunflower or pumpkin seeds. It is high in nutrients and definitely helping to protect you against air pollution.
Nuts in Vietnam that you can find easily are peanuts and cashews. They are not as expensive as almonds, hazelnuts or macadamia. Peanuts and cashews are great snacks, and they can be added as condiments into dishes.
Meat, eggs, milk and cheese provide good amount of vitamin B needed for our body. Seafood is also a great source of vitamin B.
Do not forget to include dark green leaves like kale and spinach in your diet. There is this new great place by “Hom” Market that is selling fresh kale! If you dislike salad or cooked vegetables dish, make some chips with it by drizzling some “sesame oil” and sprinkling some sea salt on top and pop them in the oven.
For medical vitamin B sources, we recommend taking vitamin B complex, which includes all the necessary vitamin B in the group. You want the balanced combination of all the B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12. If you take more than the daily value, you can face certain unwanted side effects. We have included some photos of certain vitamin B complex that are available in Hanoi. Go to your local pharmacy and see what they have got in stock. You can also order them online by typing in “vitamin B tổng hợp”(vitamin B complex)
Thanks for reading our post about vitamin B sources. We hope this might help you improve your diet, and more importantly, help protect you from air pollution. Let us know if you have any other advice, tips or questions for us regarding this subject.
Breathe Clean and Have a Good Afternoon!
– AryMask Team –