Another Fourth of July approaches and many of us will be going to fireworks displays and/or setting them off in our own backyards or neighborhoods.
When most people think of the dangers of fireworks (if they bother to think of them at all), they may worry about setting wood shingled roofs on fire or hurting other people by burning them or exploding firecrackers too close to somebody.
But did you realize that July 4ths are typically one of the worst days of the year for air pollution, particularly for particulate matter (PM2.5)?
Local air pollution control district officials would like to remind everyone that fireworks release high levels of PM2.5, smoke, soot, ash, and toxic metals that can adversely affect public health as well as air quality.
These emissions can be especially harmful to children, older adults, and people with asthma or other respiratory illnesses, in addition to physical injuries, fires, excessive noise, and stress for pets and wildlife.
As shown by the above graph, air monitoring stations record very sharp PM2.5 increase spikes that are directly linked to fireworks activity, sometimes four to five times higher than federal health-based standards.
“As families gather to celebrate, we encourage Valley residents to do so responsibly and consider the impacts personal fireworks can have on air quality and public health,” said Jaime Holt, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Chief Communications Officer. "Fireworks activity can lead to significant increases in particle pollution, affecting air quality throughout the Valley and making it difficult for some residents to breathe.”
The SJVAPCD has published a graphic that starkly shows the dangers of fireworks. It can be seen here: Impacts of Fireworks
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