Emission and Reduction of Air Pollutants from Charcoal-Making Process in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

Charcoal is a fuelwood commonly used for domestic purposes on the household scale in Africa and Southeast Asia. Earnings from charcoal production contribute to the income of local inhabitants in rural areas. Unfortunately, airborne emissions from the traditional charcoal-making process affect both human health and the ambient environment. A series of studies were performed at a charcoal-making village in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) to assess: (i) air pollutant emissions from the traditional charcoal-making process; (ii) the impacts on human well-being and the environment of traditional charcoal production; (iii) the loading of carbon dioxide from a charcoal-making kiln; and (iv) the efficiency in reducing contaminants of an air pollution-controlling method developed at a charcoal-making kiln. Study results revealed that the traditional charcoal-making method causes a substantial loss of carbon from fuelwood materials and emits the products of incomplete combustion. These contaminants negatively impact human well-being and the environment. Carbon dioxide and incomplete combustion substances emitted from the charcoal-making kiln are potential causes of the global warming phenomenon. The installation of an air pollution-controlling system at the charcoal-making kiln is recommended as an urgent solution before alternatives would be found to control the impacts of charcoal production.