Students’ Attitudes Towards Education in Biology-Related Disciplines and the Need for Internationalization : A Survey at a Vietnamese University

This survey examined the attitudes of 538 undergraduate students enrolled at a Vietnamese university towards biology-related disciplines. Employing a structured questionnaire, the study explored several aspects, including students' interests in various biology-related fields, their motivations for pursuing these disciplines, their opinions on teaching methods, their aspirations for internationalization and study abroad experiences, the essential skills they believed were crucial for success, and the areas in teaching that required improvement. The survey results indicated that students acknowledged the significance of fields such as medicine and veterinary sciences, with their motivations largely influenced by job prospects and societal needs. Moreover, the results identified specific areas in teaching that students wanted to have improvement, such as laboratory work, practical skills development, fieldwork experiences, and exchange programs, and their attitude towards internationalization and study abroad opportunities, in relations to the factors such as age, gender, grade, and major. The insights gained from this survey can contribute to the enhancement of educational strategies and the creation of an engaging learning environment for students majoring in biology-related disciplines

Seasonal Variations in Groundwater Quality under Different Impacts Using Statistical Approaches

The objective of this study was to evaluate seasonal fluctuations in groundwater quality, determine the effects of different stressors on this resource, and recognize the potential pollution sources in a coastal region of southern Vietnam. Eleven samples collected in Ben Tre province during the dry and wet seasons were then analyzed for sixteen parameters, including pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, total hardness (TH), ammonium (NH₄⁺-N), nitrite (NO₂ˉ-N), nitrate (NO₃ˉ-N), sulfate (SO₄²ˉ), chloride (Clˉ), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), coliforms, and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Pearson correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis (CA) were employed. The results indicated that total dissolved solids, salinity, total hardness, Clˉ, E. coli and coliform were detected as contaminants in groundwater samples. The trend of fluctuations in the parameters was mostly higher in the dry season. Which Mn and coliform significantly fluctuated between the dry and wet seasons. Activities in industrial-craft areas, landfills and seawater-intruded areas negatively impacted groundwater quality, typically TDS in industrial-craft areas, coliform and E.coliat the landfill area. Six principal components obtained from PCA could explain 93.6% of the variance, and all parameters are responsible for variations in groundwater quality. Geology, discharged wastewater, landfill leachate, agricultural activities, and saltwater intrusion can be considered representative factors. CA grouped the collected samples into four clusters based on the similarity in water properties. The analysis results showed that the locations in each cluster have outstanding water quality characteristics, clusters I and III have high TDS characteristics, cluster II has coliforms, and cluster IV sets of locations with high salinity. This study is promised to partially fill the gap in comprehensive information on groundwater quality in the coastal province so that policymakers can develop sustainable water management strategies in the future. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-03-01 Full Text: PD

Ecological Risk Associated with the Occurrence of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soil in Soc Trang Province, Vietnam

The study aimed to evaluate the content and potential ecological risks due to the presence of toxic elements (Pb, Cu, Cr, Zn, As) in agricultural soil in Soc Trang province. Data of five heavy metals and physical factors at eight sites (from D1 to D8) in three ecological zones (fresh, brackish and saline agricultural activities) in the study were collected from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Soc Trang province. Multivariate statistical analyzes, including principal component analysis (PCA), correlation analysis (Pearson), cluster analysis (CA) and potential ecological risk index (RI), were used in the study. The results showed that the content of Pb, Cu, Cr, Zn and As fluctuated in the range of 8.54–30, 21.90–28.10, 20.60–38.70, 46.80–86, 1.35–11.30 mg/kg, respectively, within the allowable limits of QCVN 03-MT:2015/BTNMT. The soil in the study area has moderate to neutral acidity, suitable for growing crops. The Pearson and PCA results showed that the inputs in local agricultural development (fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides) have contributed to the increase of heavy metal content in the soil. The results of the CA grouped eight soil samples into two large groups belonging to the ecological areas (brackish, saline) and freshwater. The mean RI value of 68.84 indicated low potential ecological risks in agricultural land in Soc Trang province. However, As and Cr are heavy metals that would pose significant potential risks to the environment and humans. Thus, measures are needed to strictly control the sources of these metals

THE COMPETITIVENESS OF VIETNAMESE COFFE INTO THE EU MARKET

Coffee industry is a new industry in Vietnam. Coffee was introduced into Vietnam when the global coffee market was growing strongly and coffee has been known in Vietnam since 1857. Through over 150 years of existence and development, coffee has now become one of the major agricultural products for exports of Vietnam, ranked No. 2 after rice, traditional food crops in Vietnam. With that position, Vietnam is now the 2nd largest nation of exporting coffee in the world after Brazil, particularly for exporting Robusta, Vietnam is the leader in the world. Coffee exports have contributed significantly to the economic growth of Vietnam, reducing the trade deficit and partly solved the problem of poverty reduction for people, especially in rural areas. In particular, the EU market is the largest consuming market and coffee importer in the world, as well as export-oriented market of Vietnamese coffee. This is a potential market for Vietnam in particular coffee items and most other commodities in general. However, not only Vietnam, but many other countries have also focused on developing exports of coffee to the EU, competition is becoming increasingly fierce. Vietnam needs to analyze and improve the competitiveness of Vietnam's coffee products exported to the EU market. This thesis uses main methods like synthetic methods, statistical methods and analysis, comparative method. Thesis structure includes contents related to general theory of competitiveness and the need to improve the competitiveness of Vietnam's coffee exports to the EU, competitive situation of Vietnam's coffee exports to the EU and measures to improve competitiveness of Vietnam's coffee exports to the EU

Pollution and Risk Level Assessment of Pollutants in Surface Water Bodies

The study was carried out to assess the pollution, impact, and risk level to the surface water environment of pollutants in the water bodies of Soc Trang province, Vietnam. The parameters for evaluating surface water quality and risks included temperature, pH, TSS, DO, BOD, COD, NH4+-N, NO2--N, NO3--N, PO43--P, Cl-, Fet, and coliform. Surface water samples were collected at 35 locations with a frequency of six times (February, April, June, August, October, and December) in 2022. The water quality index (WQI), impact and risk level (risk quotient or RQ, RQ-F), correlation analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA) were utilized in the study. The results show that the surface water has been seriously polluted due to organic matter, nutrients, microorganisms, iron, and salinity. The values of WQI in the dry and rainy seasons fluctuated between bad and very good, indicating that surface water quality is suitable for water transport and other purposes with higher quality requirements. TSS, COD, Fet and coliform have a high impact and risk for the environment in this study area. There were no environmental impacts and risks to NO3--N. Locations with many high-risk pollutants were mainly distributed in residential and coastal areas. The significant negative correlation between the WQI and RQ indicated that the lower the WQI, the higher the environmental risk. The PCA results show that at least six polluting sources affected water quality and caused environmental risks. The results of this study contribute essential and valuable information for improving water quality in the study area through the assessment of environmental impacts and risks. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-08-03 Full Text: PD

Health Risk Assessment for the Exposure of Workers to BTEX at the Gasoline Stations

The study was conducted to assess the health risks of workers due to exposure to toxic gases including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m, p-xylene, o-xylene, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde at gasoline retail stations. In this study, data on the  concentrations of the toxic gases were collected from the previously published studies in the qualified scientific journals. The health risk assessment was followed by the process of the United States Environment Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). The results show that the concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m, p-xylene, o-xylene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde were in the range of 12.40 - 357.5, 12.47 - 574.17, 2.05 - 156.5, 4.57 - 218, 2.36 - 77.04, 3.64 - 153.93 and 1.27- 27.83 µg/m3 , respectively. Life time cancer risk for gasoline station workers due to exposure to benzene, ethylbenzene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde was calculated in the ranges of 2.13x10-5 - 6.14x10-4 , 4.96x10-7 - 3.79x10-5 , 4.81x10-6 - 2.03x10-4 , and 7.99x10-7 - 1.75x10-5 , respectively. For non-carcinogenic  compounds, the hazard index due to benzene, toluene, m, p-xylene, o-xylene were respectively in the range of 0.13 - 3.81, 7.97x10-4 -  0.04, 0.01 - 0.70 and 0.01 - 0.25. The findings revealed that there is high risk of cancer and non-cancer for the workers working at the gasolines stations if they are not taking good preventive measures. The calculation showed that the limit levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde should be reduced to 5.82x10-4 , 15.64, 4.13x10- 3 , 0.31, 7.57x10-4 and 1.59x10-3 mg/m3 , respectively to meet the safety levels for the workers at the gasoline stations. Keywords: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, life-time cancer risk, healt

Students’ Perceived Well-Being and Online Preference : Evidence from Two Universities in Vietnam during COVID-19

University education is still being impacted two years after the COVID-19 outbreak. We performed a rapid survey in February 2022 at two public universities in Vietnam to examine the effects of the pandemic on well-being and the factors that may associate with online class preference among university students as well as to investigate the need for support to improve resilience. A web-based survey included 1589 undergraduate students in total. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis was carried out. Overall, approximately a quarter of respondents said that they perceived an influence on their health, 42.9% expressed stress, and more than 70% reported worrying about the future. In total, 61.9% of the respondents reported having satisfaction with online classes, while over half of them preferred a program of 50% online classes. Students who live in an urban area, are female, have had pre-COVID-19 campus life experience, have decreased income, and/or experience low online satisfaction and over-information may be in need of more support. The results show implications for universities to consider policies addressing well-being and post-pandemic online education. Providing support to university students to improve their resilience against the impact on their studying, campus life, health, and well-being should be prioritized during and post-pandemic