Mapping the spatial distribution of air pollutants in Quang Ninh province (Vietnam) using Sentinel 5P data

Vietnam is a country with rich mineral resources, of which coal reserves are about 8.6 billion tons, concentrated mainly in the coal basin of Quang Ninh province. Besides the economic and social benefits, coal mining has negative impacts on the environment, such as air and water pollution. Air pollution in coal mining areas seriously affects human health and the environment. This study presents the results of mapping the quarterly spatial distribution maps of air pollutants in Quang Ninh province, including CO, NO2, O3 and SO2 from Sentinel 5P TROPOMI data. Sentinel 5P TROPOMI data on four air pollutant concentrations in the entire year 2023 was collected using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform and then averaged over the quarters. The results of air pollution assessment from remote sensing data are compared with the limit values of basic parameters in the air in QCVN 05:2013/BTNMT National technical regulation on air quality. Analysis of the achieved results show that the concentrations of CO, NO2, O3 and SO2 in Quang Ninh province in 2023 are all high compared to regulations in QCVN, especially in the southern region where large coal mines are concentrated. The results received in this study provide timely information to help managers monitor air quality in coal mining areas.