Do fireworks pollute the air? How summer shows can affect our air and health
Summer is fireworks season, with displays frequently lighting up the skies in and around Charlotte for holidays, baseball games and more. But while the shows can be fun to watch, experts say they can also have a lingering impact on the air we breathe.
A 2015 study, for example, published in the journal Atmospheric Environment tracked spikes in pollution around the July Fourth holiday.
The study, which looked at 315 sites around the U.S., found that holiday fireworks shows were introducing an average of 42% more pollutants into the air on the Fourth of July than what’s normally found on an average day.
“When people think of air pollution, they think of other kinds of things—smoke stacks, automobile exhaust pipes, construction sites,” study author Dian Seidel told TIME magazine at the time. “I don’t think most people think of fireworks.”
The smoke from fireworks contains particulate matter that’s released into the air, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality explains.
“Short-term exposure to fine particle pollution can pose health concerns, particularly for children, older adults, and those with respiratory conditions,” the agency advises. “This smoke can aggravate lung disease, cause asthma attacks and acute bronchitis, and may also increase susceptibility to respiratory infections. In people with heart disease, short-term exposures have been linked to heart attacks and arrhythmias.”
Fireworks also “contain a potent blend of toxic compounds,” the agency adds, that “can be inhaled or make their way into the water and soil.
“While one fireworks display is unlikely to cause lasting health effects, repeated exposure can be problematic.”
Although the 2015 study found increased air pollution from Fourth of July fireworks shows, the researchers also found that those increases had “diminished” by mid-day on July 5.
