16/01/2020
The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology gave the Trần Đại Nghĩa awards to four groups of scientists for having originated four projects and made great contributions to the country’s socio-economic development. This year’s nominees were produced by both domestic and overseas scientists in nine fields of natural science and technology (Mathematics; Mechanics; Information science and computer science; Physic; Chemistry; The sciences of life, earth, marine, environmental and energy). One of the four pieces of outstanding research was the “Treatment technology for hazardous industrial and medical waste”. The work was developed by the group of three scientists - Prof. Trịnh Văn Tuyên, Dr. Nguễn Thế Đồng and engineer Mai Trọng Chinh - and the group had received an intellectual property certificate and worldwide recognition for their work as well as brought the idea into practice. On the occasion of the award, the Vietnam Environmental Administration Magazine (VEM) speaks to Prof. Trịnh Văn Tuyên, Director of the Environmental Institute, about their efforts to achieve brilliant results and contributions to the country’s socio-economic development.
VEM: Congratulations for your magnificent award in the science scholar community. How do you feel about it?
Prof. Trịnh Văn Tuyên: It is an honor for me to receive the Trần Đại Nghĩa award in 2019 but it is not mine only. This award must be dedicated to other scientists who have supported me with their expertise, knowledge and experience. It is an honor for me to have such great assistance.
Prof. Trịnh Văn Tuyên - Director of Environmental Technology Institute
VEM: Can you tell some advantages of the treatment technology for hazardous industrial and medical waste in comparison to others in Việt Nam as well as its practical applicability in the modern day?
Prof. Trịnh Văn Tuyên: The treatment technology focuses on two main subjects: solid waste and waste water. We make a selection of some technologies – which are used to burn solid waste, bio-filter natural air, make biological membrane for waste water treatment, and produce absorbent material in emission treatment – to create hazardous waste treatment devices. After 15 years of working, the scientists succeeded with the devices VHI-18B and IET-BF that have been installed at 50 hazardous industrial and medical waste treatment facilities and 25 waste water treatment plants across the country. For example, the VHI-18B solid waste incinerators are stationed at Thái Nguyên Tuberculosis Hospital and Thái Nguyên C General Hospital - which can process 10 - 20 kilos of waste per hour - and the waste water treatment devices IET-BF are operated at Mộc Châu Milk Company in Sơn La Province and the Hưng Yên Mental Hospital - which can handle 130 - 360 cubic metres of waste water a day.
The advantages of IET-BF technology is the stable functioning, which means the more the machine works, the more efficient it gets because the biological membrane will get thicker and wider. On the other hand, because of the unique design of the bio-filter, we don’t need to provide extra air for the filtration while operational expenses for the device are quite low. The technology is suitable for treating waste water discharged from medical and daily-life activities. But it needs combining with other types of technology to deal with different kinds of waste water.
Meanwhile, the treatment technology for burning hazardous solid waste is more complete, endurable and fully automated. The whole device is split into smaller modules so it is easy to be transported and installed. The operational expenses are much lower than other types of incinerators, even imported ones.
It is verified that VHI-18B and IET-BF technologies have been being used efficiently in dealing with Vietnam’s industrial and medical waste as they are cost-saving, easy to operate, helpful for environmental protection and useful to improve living conditions for Vietnamese people.
Prof. Trịnh Văn Tuyên (fifth from left) and other scientists receive Trần Đại Nghĩa awards 2019
With this research, the scientists have received many licenses such as the Patent License No. 4271 issued on April 27, 2004 in the Decision No. A1734/QD-DK by the Intellectual Property Office for “Hazardous solid waste incinerator”; Patent License No. 11841 issued on September 30, 2013 in the Decision No. 54205/QD-SHTT by the Intellectual Property Office for “Natural air bio-filter and its use for waste water treatment”; Solution License No. 1580 issued on October 3, 2017 in the Decision No. 68990/QD-SHTT by the Intellectual Property Office for “Biological membrane for waste water treatment”.
VEM: What difficulties have you encountered when working on your project?
Prof. Trịnh Văn Tuyên: The devices have been functioned properly at the mentioned facilities and our team is working on the ways to improve their efficiency and lower the expenses. The expenses are too high while the devices might be at risk of not being used widely. Meanwhile, the devices would release various types of hazardous emission when operating in high temperature. If the selected facility and its staff are unable to pay attention to the manual and maintenance guidance, the incinerator would be damaged, pulling its working efficiency. To make sure the device worked properly, our engineers have always been willing to support the selected facilities with the maintenance of the devices even when the warranty term is over.
Besides, there are challenges in promoting the devices as scientists are inexperienced and unwilling to do marketing campaign. Moreover, we need to gather a group of people working in different fields such as mechanics, automation and construction to assure the devices were ran accurately and constantly.
Human resource is also another trouble. As our country’s per capita income is still low compared to many others, a lot of people have to give up on sciences and work for living. So scientists have to sacrifice so much to produce great achievements.
VEM: What do you recommend Government agencies do to make this technology more popular in Việt Nam?
Prof. Trịnh Văn Tuyên: In recent years, the strong industrial development in many cities and provinces has raised public concerns about the administration of waste disposal, requiring new technologies to handle hazardous waste. Therefore, I think the Government’s policies should be reasonable to encourage the Vietnamese use the technologies provided by local businesses and organizations. Besides, there should incentives to boost the study of science projects that are highly applicable in practice. The Government must also raise the awareness of local businesses, people, ministries and sectors about how important science and technology are towards environmental protection. Environmental management officials at all levels must be trained regularly to improve the quality in operating waste treatment facilities in the local areas by using sciences and technologies. Meanwhile, local authorities and government offices must work on at-source waste classification to cut the load of hazardous waste, lower treatment expenses and promote the advantages of the two works so that people will change their attitude towards the issue, thus raising the whole society’s awareness. At the same time, the Government should develop new rules to attract and diversify both domestic and foreign investment, encourage businesses and science research institutes to study and use biological sciences and technologies in economic development and environmental protection.
VEM: Thank you Professor!
Mai Hương (Implemented)
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To promote the spirit “Be creative, intelligent to serve the Nation” of the late Professor Trần Đại Nghĩa and help Vietnamese sciences rise to the top, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology holds the Trần Đại Nghĩa awards for every three years. The award is open and available for both Vietnamese and foreign scientists that have completed or are working on science projects. The scientists and their projects should be recognized by international science organizations and licensed both inside and outside the country. Meanwhile, their works have been or are being implemented in Việt Nam, making big contributions to the country’s socio-economic development and national defence and security. The award was first launched in 2016 and had wide positive impact on the scientist community. In 2019, the awards were given to 10 scientists with four pieces of outstanding research in setting up a manufacturing process poultry flu vaccine type A/H5N1 in Việt Nam, using Nano materials to create anti-shock and bullet-proof suits for soldiers as well as protect soldiers from chemical and biological weapons, developing treatment technology for hazardous solid industrial and medical waste and researching on breeding rice seeds for Cửu Long Delta Region. |
