Inventory of air pollutant and green house gas emissions from residential cooking in Hanoi

Abstract

    In the context of increasing urban air pollution and climate change, residential cooking - particularly in developing countries - has been identified as a significant source of emissions, yet it has not received adequate attention in air pollution assessments and emission inventories. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the structure and level of fuel consumption for residential cooking in Hanoi in 2024, based on a survey of 336 households in both urban and rural areas. An emission inventory method, applying locally appropriate emission factors for Vietnam, was then employed to estimate the emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases. The results indicate that liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is the most used cooking fuel. However, traditional fuels such as firewood, agricultural residues, and coal are still in use, particularly in rural areas. This results in the emission of a significant amount of air pollutants and greenhouse gases including 679 tonnes of PM₂.₅, 685 tonnes of SO₂, 10,690 tonnes of CO, 710 tonnes NO_x (as NO₂), 704.719 tonnes of CO₂, and 130 kg of Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) - a potentially carcinogenic compound. Fuel-based analysis reveals that agricultural residues and honeycomb coal briquette are the main contributors to fine particulate matter and BaP emissions, respectively. Temporal distribution of emissions reveals the peaks during the three main cooking hours of the day, with the highest occurring in the evening. The findings of the study not only enhance the air pollution inventory database for Hanoi but also elucidate the contributions of different fuel types to pollutant emissions. Moreover, the study highlights the critical importance of promoting the transition to clean energy and adopting high-efficiency cooking technologies, particularly in rural areas.