Air Quality

About Air Quality in Hanoi
From time to time Hanoi suffers from periods of poor air quality, in common with many large and expanding cities around the world. If you have lived in Hanoi for some time you may well notice that Autumn and Winter tend to be the times when air quality is often poor . You may also notice that the air quality tends to be worst from early evening though to the next morning, rather than during the day.

As temperatures drop each evening (especially in Autumn and Winter), the polluted air high above the city cools and then drops down to meet the air closer to ground, resulting in higher concentrations of pollutants and the particularly ‘bad air’ we frequently experience during evenings and night times. As the sun rises the next morning, the air then heats and hopefully rises again, helping to lift the blanket of concentrated polluted air from overnight. If it is not a particularly sunny morning, the air is not heated so much and so the polluted air can often remain at ground level for longer, keeping the air quality at unpleasant levels throughout the day.

Air Quality - What can I / we do?
Try to reduce the amount of car, bus and motorbike journeys we make; reduce any other pollutants where possible (eg do not have fires to burn waste or for cooking). Consider getting air purifiers for your home. We have these in every classroom and office space throughout the school and, whilst there are significant limits to what such machines can do, they help keep indoor air quality as good as possible. There are hundreds of brands and models, but we have been very happy with the performance and value of the Xiaomi units used in school, which we have networked together to provide a smart-schedule for operation and which also provides useful information and reports about the air quality of our classrooms and indoor spaces throughout the campus. The Government and authorities have many projects to help address longer term issues of air pollution in Hanoi and, wherever possible, the school will engage and help with these initiatives.

During periods of poor air quality, do try to keep a schedule of regular physical exercise. Although staying indoors may certainly help reduce potential harm from exposure to air pollutants, remember that daily exercise is proven to be one of the most effective ways to keep healthy in the long term.

Air Quality - Procedures @ ISPH

How do we best ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students (and school community) during periods of bad air quality? Please read on for an outline of our school policy and procedures, established during our first term in 2019, and which have incorporated feedback from ISPH parents.

At ISPH, lesson activities and the daily operations of the school (e.g. student break and lunchtimes, and outdoor activities) are modified according to the current air quality, following the guidelines outlined in the table below.

Monitoring air quality @ ISPH
ISPH monitors air quality continually via the AQI sensor installed on campus (in the Reception area on Level 1), which also provides real-time alerts should air quality deteriorate. This information is combined with official data from Hanoi People’s Committee (http://moitruongthudo.vn) as well as with direct observation of the environment in and around the ISPH campus.

Air purifiers
Every classroom and indoor space @ ISPH is fitted with a modern, networked air purifier, which can help improve air quality and also provides a range of useful information about live conditions in each room in school.

Procedures in School
The table below summarises the various types of action taken during periods of bad air quality - in order to minimise any impact on students' health. As pollution (AQI) levels increase, outdoor activities are modified accordingly, ceasing entirely when levels get to 200 and beyond.

As with all school operations, these procedures are regularly reviewed to ensure the highest levels of safety and care for our students @ ISPH. We also keep up to date with the latest guidelines from the authorities in Vietnam, and with global research into air quality and pollution.