Tạp chí Khoa học Trái Đất và Môi trường Đại học Quốc gia Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

The port system of Ho Chi Minh City including 34 ports, serves as the gateway to the South (including the South East and the Mekong Delta) in export and import activities. In which contribute a huge amount of pollutants to the atmosphere in Ho Chi Minh City. The objective of this study is to: (i) Calculating air emissions from ports system in Ho Chi Minh city using the SPDGIZ model which emits a large amount of air pollutants such as sulfur oxide (SOX), nitrogen oxide (NOX), fine dust (PM2.5, PM10), volatile organic compounds (VOC), carbon monoxide (CO) from large ships (Ocean going vessels - OGVs), towing ships (Harbor Crafts - HCs), cargo handling equipment (Cargo handling equipment - CHE) and other vehicles (Heavy trucks – HVs); (ii) Using dispersion model TAPM-AERMOD to assess the impact of port operations to air quality in surouding port area; (iii) Proposing abatement measures based on the results of simulation to reduce emissions/ air pollution levels. The results of emission inventory show that the total port emissions are largely NOX and SOX mainly from large ships (OGVs) and cargo handling equipment (CHE) due to the use of heavy oil and diesel which have high sulfur content. The results show that the time at which a mooring boat is the most time consuming (accounting for over 90% of total emissions from OGVs).

Livestock is one of the main activities of the agricultural sector in Tan Thanh district, Ba Ria – Vung Tau province. Beside of pollution sources such as waste water, solid waste, livestock activity in Tan Thanh district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province in recent years has caused air pollution in the livestock area and surrounding area. This research was carried out to evaluate the process of air pollution dispersion from livestock activities based on applying the TAPM meteorological model and AERMOD air quality model. The results showed that the maximum concentrations of air pollutants from livestock area such as NH3, H2S and CH3SH exceeded the National Technical Regulation on Ambient Air Quality (average hour) in the centre of Tan Thanh district, such as Toc Tien commune, part of Tan Phuoc and Phuoc Hoa communes, is 505 μg/m3; 57.4 μg/m3 and 111 μg/m3, respectively. Phu My district and other suburban communes (Hac Dich, Song Xoai, Chau Pha, Tan Hoa, Tan Hai, My Xuan, etc.) have distribution of lower concentrations of air pollutants. Base on the present results of modeling, the authors have proposed livestock development scenarios to control air pollution from this activity, contributing to environmental protection for Tan Thanh district.

Plastic debris was separated from Saigon river sediment using a microplastic sediment separator (MPSS) for the first time. A separation fluid of ZnCl2 solution (1.6 kg/L) was used to separate lower density materials (floating on the top) from higher density materials (sinking in the bottom). Plastic and plastic-like materials were collected and analyzed by a FTIR spectrometer to determine plastic composition. The results show that a total of 350 items (0.0485 g) of plastic debris were extracted from 1,500.00 g dry sediment, including 11 items (0.0130 g) of macroplastics (> 5 mm) and 339 items (0.0355 g) of microplastics (0.3–5 mm). Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and PE-PP mixture were the most major plastic types with 225, 85, and 21 items, respectively. Others, including polystyrene (PS), polyurethane (PU), silicon, rubber, and nylon were also found in the sediment sample. Fragments were the major shape with 300 items while other shapes of sheets, fibers and beads were also recorded. The advantages of MPSS are high capacity, high separation efficiency, and low-cost operation. The disadvantages of this apparatus are high pollution due to using ZnCl2, bottom stirrer is easily stuck, and uncertain efficiency with small microplastic particles (< 0.3 mm). A significant high number of microplastics in sediment environment indicates that microplastics could be a potential risk for benthic organisms and aquatic food web. Various types and shapes of plastics also suggests that macroplastics and microplastics in sediment could originate from various sources. It is said that, for the first time in Vietnam, plastic debris, particular with microplastics, can be efficiently extracted from a large amount of sediment sample (up to 1.5 kg dry sediment). These findings could be an interesting reference for researchers who may want to obtain a large amount of microplastics for further investigation of microplastic toxicology.

In the present study, Multivariate Statistical Analysis (MSA) such as Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA) were applied to determine the temporal and spatial variations of groundwater quality in Tan Thanh district, Ba Ria – Vung Tau province. Groundwater samples were collected from 18 monitoring wells in April (dry season) and October (wet season) during the year 2012. Fifteen parameters (pH, TH, TDS, Cl-, F-, NO3-, SO42-, Cr6+, Cu2+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, HCO3- and Fe2+) were selected for MSA. PCA identified a reduced number of mean three latent factors of groundwater quality. Three factors called salinization, water-rock interaction and anthropogenic pollution explanined 70,5% (dry season) and 71.28% (wet season) of the variances. Cluster analysis revealed two main different groups of similarities between the sampling sites. This study presents the necessity of MSA in order to extract more precise information from a huge minitoring data, which will be usefull to groundwater quality management.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate and analyze the possibility of nitrogen recirculation when applying a closed eco-system for intensive catfish ponds in the Mekong Delta in accordance with the existing available natural conditions in the local area. A closed ecosystem is proposed for optimizing N emissions from intensive pangasius farming on the basis of closed flows of materials, waste, and energy. The entire system is applied to Tran Trung Nhan household in An Binh B ward, Hong Ngu city, Dong Thap province consisting of 6 sub-systems (catfish ponds, composting, rice cultivation, livestock, liquid fertilizer, aquatic ditches) which are designed to be interacted, and Nitrogen in the catfish ponds are used as the main nutrient sources throughout the integrated system. The material flow analysis (MFA) method, which is based on the principle of material flow balance, is applied in the integrated system to analyze the potential of Nitrogen circulation in the whole system. The results show that the input N source is mainly from feed (43.35 kgN), and there are 3 main sources of N emissions from the system: sewage sludge (20.55 KgN), wastewater (3.4 KgN), and hydrolyzed nitrogen from dead fish (3 KgN). The source of N generated from sewage sludge is mixed with other wastes (biomass from rice straw and water hyacinth) in the system to produce compost (26 KgN), and wastewater generated from catfish ponds after aquatic treatment is supplied to agricultural activities (4.9 KgN).

Anaerobic/Anoxic/Oxic – Membrane BioReactor (A2O-MBR) system was used to enhance simultaneous removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from brewery wastewater. The A2O unit containing microorganisms with short solids retention time (SRT) was employed mainly for removal of organic matter and phosphorus together with denitrification. The MBR containing microorganisms with long SRT was employed mainly for nitrification of NH4+-N and recirculation of NO3--N. The model of A2O-MBR system made from polyacrylic with the capacity of 49.5 liters was operated with hydraulic retention times decreased from 24, 18 to 12 hours corresponding to organic loading rates increased from 0.50, 0.75 to 1.00 kg COD/m3.day. The results showed that the model not only treated organic matter well but also nearly completely removed both nitrogen and phosphorus. For all three loading rates, chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration decreased significantly in the anaerobic and anoxic compartments of the A2O unit, indicating that most of organic matter was utilized in the anaerobic and anoxic compartments for phosphorus release and denitrification, respectively. Nitrification in the MBR was almost perfectly completed, with average NH4 +-N removal efficiencies of over 98%. Denitrification in the anoxic compartment happened as much as possible. Demands for the development of PAOs, which were responsible for enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) processes, could be provided. For loading rate of 0.75 kg COD/m3.day, treatment efficiencies of COD, NH4+-N, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) of the model were the highest as 95.4, 99.2, 86.7 and 84.6%, respectively. Output values of these parameters were within the limits of Vietnam National Technical Regulation on Industrial Wastewater (QCVN 40:2011/BTNMT), column A. The model of A2O-MBR system was capable of achieving effluents with very low nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations from brewery wastewater.  

A backarc basin represented by a mafic/ultramafic magmatic ophiolitic sequence has been discovered first time within Vietnam territory. Backarc basin/forearc basin and other features of a convergent tectonic system are being considered as a location of the two geological blocks that almagamated together and preferred as a geological suture. The middle Triassic suture resulted from the welding of the Indochina and Sibumasu blocks has been studied in details and traced from northen Thailand as Nan-Attaradit suture southward to Cambodia as Sra Kaeo suture. After a gap comparable to the territory of Vietnam it reappears in the northern Malaysia and being recognized as Bentong-Raub suture. With this new discovery of a back arc basin of this suture system located within Vietnam, the complete geographical location of the suture between the Indochina and Sibumasu block has been clearly verified and would be valuable information for geological studies in the area.

Numerical model is a useful tool in studying the flow and sediment transport, change in river bed and is built on solving governing differential equations. Numerical model has many different levels and three-dimensional model is the highest level, allowing detailed simulation of flow and sediment transport process in 3D space. The paper presents a method calculating three - dimensional flow and sediment transport in the open channel. Water level and flow velocity are solved from three-dimensional equations with hydrostatic hypothesis. Concentration of suspended sediment, bottom sediment and bottom evolution is solved from transport equations. The governing differential equations in the "sigma" transform coordinate system are solved by finite volume method on unstructured grid of quadrilateral elements. Boundary condition of water level or flow will be imposed on open boundary. For suspended sediment concentrations in the injected phase, suspended sediment concentrations are applied and the outflow phase applies free drainage conditions. This method of calculation was tested with the problem of curved channel sediment transport which was studied experimentally by Odgaard and Bergs. Calculation results are quite consistent with the measured data. In order to test the practical applicability, this method is also tested with the problem of sediment transport in Cu lao Pho islet on Dong Nai river. To solve the matter of hydraulic boundary condition of this problem, the model of Cu lao Pho islet is integrated into the Sai Gon - Dong Nai river system model. Results of the calculation of the river bed evolution of the Cu lao Pho islet on the Dong Nai river also show that this calculation method gives results consistent with the rule and can be used in practical research.  

The purpose of this study is to reuse fishpond sediment to produce organic fertilizer for planting maize. The sludge was mixed with rice husk and Composted under aerobic conditions. The effectiveness of Compost on planting maizes was assessed by adding to maizes with and without combination chemical fertilizers as different dosages as recommendations. The amounts of Compost adding for maizes were 10 and 20 tons/ha. Maize growth, characteristics of corn, and soil physical and chemical parameters such as bulk density, soil aggregate stability, the volume of moisture, and useful moisture of soil were measured and evaluated. The results showed that the quality of organic fertilizer produced from waste sludge met Vietnamese standard (QCVN:2018/BNNPTNT) for adding to crops. Applying organic fertilizer with the quantity of 20 tons/ha to combine with the recommendation of inorganic fertilizer amount for planting maizes increased the yield. Moreover, 20 ton/ha of organic fertilizer coupling with 50% of chemical fertilizer amount as a recommendation for planting maize also enhanced the yield to compare with the control (only using inorganic fertilizer as a recommendation). The maize yield of applying 20 tons/ha of organic fertilizer was higher than the maize yield of 10 tons/ha of organic fertilizer. Using organic fertilizer produced by fishpond sediment did improve not only the soil quality but also protected the canals and increased household income.