Pollution threat looms over Hanoi residents after lightbulb factory fire
Authorities in Hanoi have warned people living around the Rang Dong Light Source & Vacuum Flask JSC about environment pollution after a recent fire.
The residents were asked to monitor the health of their family members. If they have breathing difficulties, chest pains, high fever and seizures, they must be admitted to the hospital immediately. They are advised to wash faces and mouths with sodium chlorite four to six times a day for a week after the fire, use masks when going out and to not eat food that produced within a kilometre of the fire’s location.
On the official website of Rang Dong JSC, it is also announced that the fluorescent bulbs contain a certain amount of mercury and they used amalgam in their production process.
Mercury is one of the most toxic substances to human health. According to the Ministry of Health, mercury can be absorbed through skin, digestive and respiratory system. It can also cause environmental pollution.
Hoang Duong Tung, chairman of Vietnam Clean Air Partnership, said fluorescent light bulbs were categorised as hazardous waste. Factories must have specific procedures to collect and deal with those bulbs and gain approval from an agency licensed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
In many fire cases in Vietnam, most people are more concerned about financial damage than the environment. However, Tung said fires often had a huge impact on the environment. The authorities should closely monitor the air quality around the fire locations in order to have suitable solutions.
On August 28, a huge fire broke out at the Rang Dong light bulb storage facility. No exact figure for the damage has been announced.
A fire broke out at Rang Dong JSC on August 28
The residents were asked to monitor the health of their family members. If they have breathing difficulties, chest pains, high fever and seizures, they must be admitted to the hospital immediately. They are advised to wash faces and mouths with sodium chlorite four to six times a day for a week after the fire, use masks when going out and to not eat food that produced within a kilometre of the fire’s location.
On the official website of Rang Dong JSC, it is also announced that the fluorescent bulbs contain a certain amount of mercury and they used amalgam in their production process.
Mercury is one of the most toxic substances to human health. According to the Ministry of Health, mercury can be absorbed through skin, digestive and respiratory system. It can also cause environmental pollution.
Hoang Duong Tung, chairman of Vietnam Clean Air Partnership, said fluorescent light bulbs were categorised as hazardous waste. Factories must have specific procedures to collect and deal with those bulbs and gain approval from an agency licensed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
In many fire cases in Vietnam, most people are more concerned about financial damage than the environment. However, Tung said fires often had a huge impact on the environment. The authorities should closely monitor the air quality around the fire locations in order to have suitable solutions.
On August 28, a huge fire broke out at the Rang Dong light bulb storage facility. No exact figure for the damage has been announced.
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