The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Ambient Air Quality in China: A Quasi-Difference-in-Difference Approach

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has provided a distinct opportunity to explore the mechanisms by which human activities affect air quality and pollution emissions. We conduct a quasi-difference-in-differences (DID) analysis of the impacts of lockdown measures on air pollution during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Our study covers 367 cities from the beginning of the lockdown on 23 January 2020 until April 22, two weeks after the lockdown in the epicenter was lifted. Static and dynamic analysis of the average treatment effects on the treated is conducted for the air quality index (AQI) and six criteria pollutants. The results indicate that, first, on average, the AQI decreased by about 7%. However, it was still over the threshold set by the World Health Organization. Second, we detect heterogeneous changes in the level of different pollutants, which suggests heterogeneous impacts of the lockdown on human activities: carbon monoxide (CO) had the biggest drop, about 30%, and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) had the second-biggest drop, 20%. In contrast, ozone (O3) increased by 3.74% due to the changes in the NOx/VOCs caused by the decrease in NOx, the decrease of O3 titration, and particulate matter concentration. Third, air pollution levels rebounded immediately after the number of infections dropped, which indicates a swift recovery of human activities. This study provides insights into the implementation of environmental policies in China and other developing countries.

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Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Ambient Air Quality in China: Atox Quasi-difference-in-difference Approach

10.21203/rs.3.rs-220044/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tuo ZHANG ◽

Maogang Tang

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Human Activities ◽

Ambient Air ◽

World Health ◽

Static And Dynamic Analysis ◽

Premature Deaths ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Health Organization ◽

Pollution Emissions

Abstract The novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) outbreak has provided a distinct opportunity to explore the mechanisms by which human activities affect air quality and pollution emissions. We conduct a quasi-difference-in-differences (DID) analysis of the impacts of lockdown measures on air pollution during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in China. Our study covers 367 cities from the beginning of the lockdown on January 23, 2020 until April 22, two weeks after the lockdown in epicenter was lifted. Static and dynamic analysis of the average treatment effects of treated effects is conducted for the air quality index (AQI) and six criteria pollutants. The results indicate that, first, on average, the AQI decreased by about 7%. However, it was still over the threshold of the World Health Organization (WHO). Second, we detect heterogeneous changes in the level of different pollutants, which suggests heterogeneous impacts of the lockdown on human activities: carbon monoxide (CO) had the biggest drop of about 30% and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) had the second-biggest drop of 20%. In contrast, ozone (O3) increased by 3.74% due to the improvement of visibility. We project that it would reduce the premature deaths related to air pollution by 150 thousand nationwide during the research period, which is much larger than the death due to COVID-19 infections. Third, air pollution rebounded immediately after the number of infections dropped, which indicates a swift recovery of human activities. This study provides insights for the implementation of environmental policies in China and other developing countries.JEL codes: Q51, Q52, Q53

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Impacts of household sources on air pollution at village and regional scales in India

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-19-7719-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (11) ◽

pp. 7719-7742 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Brigitte Rooney ◽

Ran Zhao ◽

Yuan Wang ◽

Kelvin H. Bates ◽

Ajay Pillarisetti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Chemical Transport ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Household Air Pollution ◽

World Health ◽

New Delhi ◽

Computational Domain ◽

Surveillance Site ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Approximately 3 billion people worldwide cook with solid fuels, such as wood, charcoal, and agricultural residues. These fuels, also used for residential heating, are often combusted in inefficient devices, producing carbonaceous emissions. Between 2.6 and 3.8 million premature deaths occur as a result of exposure to fine particulate matter from the resulting household air pollution (Health Effects Institute, 2018a; World Health Organization, 2018). Household air pollution also contributes to ambient air pollution; the magnitude of this contribution is uncertain. Here, we simulate the distribution of the two major health-damaging outdoor air pollutants (PM2.5 and O3) using state-of-the-science emissions databases and atmospheric chemical transport models to estimate the impact of household combustion on ambient air quality in India. The present study focuses on New Delhi and the SOMAARTH Demographic, Development, and Environmental Surveillance Site (DDESS) in the Palwal District of Haryana, located about 80 km south of New Delhi. The DDESS covers an approximate population of 200 000 within 52 villages. The emissions inventory used in the present study was prepared based on a national inventory in India (Sharma et al., 2015, 2016), an updated residential sector inventory prepared at the University of Illinois, updated cookstove emissions factors from Fleming et al. (2018b), and PM2.5 speciation from cooking fires from Jayarathne et al. (2018). Simulation of regional air quality was carried out using the US Environmental Protection Agency Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system (CMAQ) in conjunction with the Weather Research and Forecasting modeling system (WRF) to simulate the meteorological inputs for CMAQ, and the global chemical transport model GEOS-Chem to generate concentrations on the boundary of the computational domain. Comparisons between observed and simulated O3 and PM2.5 levels are carried out to assess overall airborne levels and to estimate the contribution of household cooking emissions. Observed and predicted ozone levels over New Delhi during September 2015, December 2015, and September 2016 routinely exceeded the 8 h Indian standard of 100 µg m−3, and, on occasion, exceeded 180 µg m−3. PM2.5 levels are predicted over the SOMAARTH headquarters (September 2015 and September 2016), Bajada Pahari (a village in the surveillance site; September 2015, December 2015, and September 2016), and New Delhi (September 2015, December 2015, and September 2016). The predicted fractional impact of residential emissions on anthropogenic PM2.5 levels varies from about 0.27 in SOMAARTH HQ and Bajada Pahari to about 0.10 in New Delhi. The predicted secondary organic portion of PM2.5 produced by household emissions ranges from 16 % to 80 %. Predicted levels of secondary organic PM2.5 during the periods studied at the four locations averaged about 30 µg m−3, representing approximately 30 % and 20 % of total PM2.5 levels in the rural and urban stations, respectively.

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Opinion: Insights into updating Ambient Air Quality Directive (2008/50EC)

10.5194/acp-2021-854 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Joel Kuula ◽

Hilkka Timonen ◽

Jarkko V. Niemi ◽

Hanna Manninen ◽

Topi Rönkkö ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Ambient Air ◽

World Health ◽

Ambient Air Quality ◽

Adverse Health Effects ◽

Quality Guidelines ◽

Health Organization ◽

Air Quality Guidelines

Abstract. As the evidence for the adverse health effects of air pollution continues to increase, World Health Organization (WHO) recently published its latest edition of the Global Air Quality Guidelines. Although not legally binding, the guidelines aim to provide a framework in which policymakers can combat air pollution by formulating evidence-based air quality management strategies. In the light of this, European Union has stated its intent to revise the current Ambient Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC) to resemble closer to that of the newly published WHO guidelines. This article provides an informed opinion on selected features of the air quality directive that we believe would benefit from a reassessment. The selected features include discussion about 1) air quality sensors as a part of hierarchical observation network, 2) number of minimum sampling points and their siting criteria, and 3) new target air pollution parameters for future consideration.

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Impacts of Household Sources on Air Pollution at Village and Regional Scales in India

10.5194/acp-2018-1198 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Brigitte Rooney ◽

Ran Zhao ◽

Kelvin H. Bates ◽

Ajay Pillarisetti ◽

Sumit Sharma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Chemical Transport ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Household Air Pollution ◽

World Health ◽

New Delhi ◽

Computational Domain ◽

Surveillance Site ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Approximately 3 billion people worldwide cook with solid fuels, such as wood, charcoal, and agricultural residues. These fuels are often combusted in inefficient cookstoves, producing carbonaceous emissions. Between 2.6 and 3.8 million premature deaths occur as a result to exposure to fine particulate matter from the resulting household air pollution (Health Effects Institute, 2018a; World Health Organization, 2018). Household air pollution also contributes to ambient air pollution; the magnitude of this contribution is uncertain. Here, we simulate the distribution of the two major health-damaging outdoor air pollution species (PM2.5 and O3) using state-of-the-science emissions databases and atmospheric chemical transport models to estimate the impact of household combustion on ambient air quality in India. The present study focuses on New Delhi and the SOMAARTH Demographic, Development, and Environmental Surveillance Site (DDESS) in the Palwal District of Haryana, located about 80 km south of New Delhi. The DDESS covers an approximate population of 200 000 within 52 villages. The emissions inventory used in the present study was prepared based on a national inventory in India (Sharma et al., 2015, 2016), an updated residential sector inventory prepared at the University of Illinois, updated cookstove emissions factors from Fleming et al. (2018b), and PM2.5 speciation from cooking fires from Jayarathne et al. (2018). Simulation of regional air quality was carried out using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system (CMAQ), in conjunction with the Weather Research and Forecasting modeling system (WRF) to simulate the meteorological inputs for CMAQ, and the global chemical transport model GEOS-Chem to generate concentrations on the boundary of the computational domain. Comparisons between observed and simulated O3 and PM2.5 levels are carried out to assess overall airborne levels and to estimate the contribution of household cooking emissions. Observed and predicted ozone levels over New Delhi during September 2015, December 2015, and September 2016 routinely exceeded 150 μg m−3, as compared with the 8-hour Indian standard of 100 μg m−3, and, on occasion, exceeded 200 μg m−3. PM2.5 levels are predicted over the SOMAARTH headquarters (September 2015 and September 2016), Bajada Pahari (a village in the surveillance site, September 2015, December 2015, and September 2016), and New Delhi (September 2015, December 2015, and September 2016). Predicted levels vary depending on the time of year but, on the whole, tend to be somewhat less than those observed. The predicted fractional impact of residential emissions on PM2.5 levels varies from about 0.30 in SOMAARTH HQ and Bajada Pahari to about 0.10 in New Delhi. Predicted levels of secondary organic PM2.5 during the periods studied at the three locations averaged about 5 μg m−3, representing approximately 10 % of total PM2.5 levels, accentuating the dominant role played by primary carbonaceous emissions in all three locations.

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Five-Year Analysis of Air Pollution in Istanbul Including Also the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Journal of İzmir Chest Hospital ◽

10.5222/igh.2021.78941 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nilüfer Aykaç ◽

Pınar Pazarlı Bostan ◽

Sabri Serhan Olcay ◽

Berker Öztürk

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Particulate Matter ◽

Air Quality ◽

Nitrogen Oxide ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

World Health ◽

Limit Values ◽

Public Data ◽

Health Organization ◽

The Impact

INTRODUCTION: Particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, ozone, and nitrogen oxide compounds are the main air pollutants. The purpose of this research is to analyze the five-year air quality of Istanbul and examine the effect of movement restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic on pollutants. METHODS: The public data of the National Air Quality Observation Network has been utilized. The research has been conducted based on the five-year daily averages of PM10, NO2, and NOx pollutants for Istanbul between 2016 - 2020. The data of stations which measured for 75% and more throughout the year has been used. The effect of lockdowns enforced due to COVID-19 was revealed by comparing data of pollutants from April and May of 2020 to the same period in 2019. RESULTS: There were 12 stations between 2016 – 2018, and 39 stations in 2019 and 2020 which measured particulate matter and nitrogen oxide compounds. Only 9 stations reached the standard of measuring pollution for 75% and more throughout the year. The PM10, NO2, and NOx levels measured by all the 9 stations between 2016 - 2020 are above the limit values set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The lockdowns in 2020 have not been helping improvements in air pollution issue. However, there have been regressions of 33.4%, 59.6%, and 52.6% in the overall average particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, and nitrogen dioxide concentrations during the lockdowns between 23-26 of April, 1-3 of May, and 23-26 of May, respectively. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The air pollution issue in Istanbul has not improved in a meaningful and significant manner for the last five years. There is a significant deficiency in measuring traffic pollution. It has been found that two days long lockdowns and physical movement restrictions due to COVID-19 have significantly contributed to a significant regression in the overall concentration of air pollutants.

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Novel Coronavirus 2019 Outbreak: A Global Epidemic

Letters in Drug Design & Discovery ◽

10.2174/1570180817999200802033916 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (12) ◽

pp. 1458-1464

Author(s):

Sweta Kamboj ◽

Rohit Kamboj ◽

Shikha Kamboj ◽

Kumar Guarve ◽

Rohit Dutt

Keyword(s):

World Health ◽

Upper Respiratory Tract ◽

Global Epidemic ◽

The Public ◽

The Government ◽

Tract Disease ◽

The 1960S ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Health Organization ◽

The Impact

Background: In the 1960s, the human coronavirus was designated, which is responsible for the upper respiratory tract disease in children. Back in 2003, mainly 5 new coronaviruses were recognized. This study directly pursues to govern knowledge, attitude and practice of viral and droplet infection isolation safeguard among the researchers during the outbreak of the COVID-19. Introduction: Coronavirus is a proteinaceous and infectious pathogen. It is an etiological agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Coronavirus, appeared in China from the seafood and poultry market last year, which has spread in various countries, and has caused several deaths. Methods: The literature data has been taken from different search platforms like PubMed, Science Direct, Embase, Web of Science, who.int portal and complied. Results: Corona virology study will be more advanced and outstanding in recent years. COVID-19 epidemic is a threatening reminder not solely for one country but all over the universe. Conclusion: In this review article, we encapsulated the pathogenesis, geographical spread of coronavirus worldwide, also discussed the perspective of diagnosis, effective treatment, and primary recommendations by the World Health Organization, and guidelines of the government to slow down the impact of the virus are also optimistic, efficacious and obliging for the public health. However, it will take a prolonged time in the future to overcome this epidemic.

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Gender Differences in Association between Air Pollution and Daily Mortality in the Capital of the Green Lungs of Poland–Population-Based Study with 2,953,000 Person-Years of Follow-Up

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9082351 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 2351

Author(s):

Łukasz Kuźma ◽

Krzysztof Struniawski ◽

Szymon Pogorzelski ◽

Hanna Bachórzewska-Gajewska ◽

Sławomir Dobrzycki

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

World Health ◽

The European Union ◽

Daily Mortality ◽

Male Population ◽

The Impact

(1) Introduction: air pollution is considered to be one of the main risk factors for public health. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of approximately 500,000 citizens of the European Union (EU), including almost 5000 inhabitants of Poland every year. (2) Purpose: to assess the gender differences in the impact of air pollution on the mortality in the population of the city of Bialystok—the capital of the Green Lungs of Poland. (3) Materials and Methods: based on the data from the Central Statistical Office, the number—and causes of death—of Białystok residents in the period 2008–2017 were analyzed. The study utilized the data recorded by the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection station and the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management during the analysis period. Time series regression with Poisson distribution was used in statistical analysis. (4) Results: A total of 34,005 deaths had been recorded, in which women accounted for 47.5%. The proportion of cardiovascular-related deaths was 48% (n = 16,370). An increase of SO2 concentration by 1-µg/m3 (relative risk (RR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.12; p = 0.005) and a 10 °C decrease of temperature (RR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05; p = 0.005) were related to an increase in the number of daily deaths. No gender differences in the impact of air pollution on mortality were observed. In the analysis of the subgroup of cardiovascular deaths, the main pollutant that was found to have an effect on daily mortality was particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5); the RR for 10-µg/m3 increase of PM2.5 was 1.07 (95% CI 1.02–1.12; p = 0.01), and this effect was noted only in the male population. (5) Conclusions: air quality and atmospheric conditions had an impact on the mortality of Bialystok residents. The main air pollutant that influenced the mortality rate was SO2, and there were no gender differences in the impact of this pollutant. In the male population, an increased exposure to PM2.5 concentration was associated with significantly higher cardiovascular mortality. These findings suggest that improving air quality, in particular, even with lower SO2 levels than currently allowed by the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, may benefit public health. Further studies on this topic are needed, but our results bring questions whether the recommendations concerning acceptable concentrations of air pollutants should be stricter, or is there a safe concentration of SO2 in the air at all.

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Ambient Air Quality Measurement with Low-Cost Optical and Electrochemical Sensors: An Evaluation of Continuous Year-Long Operation

Environments ◽

10.3390/environments8110114 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. 114

Author(s):

Jiří Bílek ◽

Ondřej Bílek ◽

Petr Maršolek ◽

Pavel Buček

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Sensor Network ◽

Electrochemical Sensors ◽

Reference Method ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Sensor Data ◽

Dust Particles ◽

Concentration Changes ◽

The Impact

Sensor technology is attractive to the public due to its availability and ease of use. However, its usage raises numerous questions. The general trustworthiness of sensor data is widely discussed, especially with regard to accuracy, precision, and long-term signal stability. The VSB-Technical University of Ostrava has operated an air quality sensor network for more than two years, and its large sets of valid results can help in understanding the limitations of sensory measurement. Monitoring is focused on the concentrations of dust particles, NO2, and ozone to verify the impact of newly planted greenery on the reduction in air pollution. The sensor network currently covers an open field on the outskirts of Ostrava, between Liberty Ironworks and the nearby ISKO1650 monitoring station, where some of the worst air pollution levels in the Czech Republic are regularly measured. In the future, trees should be allowed to grow over the sensors, enabling assessment of the green barrier effect on air pollution. As expected, the service life of the sensors varies from 1 to 3 years; therefore, checks are necessary both prior to the measurement and regularly during operation, verifying output stability and overall performance. Results of the PMx sensory measurements correlated well with the reference method. Concentration values measured by NO2 sensors correlated poorly with the reference method, although timeline plots of concentration changes were in accordance. We suggest that a comparison of timelines should be used for air quality evaluations, rather than particular values. The results showed that the sensor measurements are not yet suitable to replace the reference methods, and dense sensor networks proved useful and robust tools for indicative air quality measurements (AQM).

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Quantifying the Health and Wealth Benefits of Reducing Point Source Pollution: The Case of the Sugar Industry in Pakistan

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132313252 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (23) ◽

pp. 13252

Author(s):

Sanaullah Panezai ◽

Ubaid Ali ◽

Alam Zeb ◽

Muhammad Rafiq ◽

Ayat Ullah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Sugar Industry ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Respiratory Illness ◽

Production Method ◽

Ambient Air Pollution ◽

World Health ◽

Primary Data ◽

Reduced Form ◽

The Impact

Air pollution is among the major causes of death and disease all around the globe. The prime impact of ambient air pollution is on the lungs through the respiratory system. This study aims to estimate the health cost due to air pollution from a Sugar Mill in the Mardan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. To determine the impact of pollution on respiratory illness, primary data were collected from 1141 individuals from 200 households living within a 3 km radius of the mill. The Household Production Method was used to drive the reduced-form Dose–Response Function and the Mitigation Cost Function for assessing the impact of pollution on health and then estimating the monetary cost associated with mitigating such illnesses. The results indicate that about 60% of the respondents living in the surrounding area of the mill suffered from different respiratory illnesses. The study estimates that by reducing the suspended particulate matter (SPM) level by 50%, the expected annual welfare gains to an individual living within a 3 km radius of the mill are US $20.21. The whole community residing within a 3 km radius of the mill will enjoy an estimated welfare gain of PKR. 70.67 million (US $0.511 million). If the pollution standard limits prescribed by the World Health Organization are followed, the expected monetary benefits to all the individuals living within a 3 km radius of the mill are PKR. 114.48 million (US $0.27 million) annually.

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Poor Air Quality and Its Association with Mortality in Ho Chi Minh City: Case Study

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos11070750 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 750

Author(s):

Hoang Ngoc Khue Vu ◽

Quang Phuc Ha ◽

Duc Hiep Nguyen ◽

Thi Thu Thuy Nguyen ◽

Thoai Tam Nguyen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Air Quality Modeling ◽

World Health ◽

Ho Chi Minh City ◽

Annual Average ◽

Quality Modeling ◽

Concentration Of Air Pollutants

Along with its rapid urban development, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in recent years has suffered a high concentration of air pollutants, especially fine particulate matters or PM2.5. A comprehensive study is required to evaluate the air quality conditions and their health impact in this city. Given the lack of adequate air quality monitoring data over a large area of the size of HCMC, an air quality modeling methodology is adopted to address the requirement. Here, by utilizing a corresponding emission inventory in combination with The Air Pollution Model-Chemical Transport Model (TAPM-CTM), the predicted concentration of air pollutants is first obtained for PM2.5, NOx, and SO2. Then by associating the pollutants exposed with the mortality rate from three causes, namely Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), cardiopulmonary, and lung cancer, the impact of air pollution on human health is obtained for this purpose. Spatial distribution has shown a high amount of pollutants concentrated in the central city with a high density of combustion vehicles (motorcycles and automobiles). In addition, a significant amount of emissions can be observed from stevedoring and harbor activities, including ferries and cargo handling equipment located along the river. Other sources such as household activities also contribute to an even distribution of emission across the city. The results of air quality modeling showed that the annual average concentrations of NO2 were higher than the standard of Vietnam National Technical Regulation on Ambient Air Quality (QCVN 05: 2013 40 µg/m3) and World Health Organization (WHO) (40 µg/m3). The annual average concentrations of PM2.5 were 23 µg/m3 and were also much higher than the WHO (10 µg/m3) standard by about 2.3 times. In terms of public health impacts, PM2.5 was found to be responsible for about 1136 deaths, while the number of mortalities from exposure to NO2 and SO2 was 172 and 89 deaths, respectively. These figures demand some stringent measures from the authorities to potentially remedy the alarming situation of air pollution in HCM City.

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