Study Finds A Good Reason To Avoid Blowing Up Fireworks This Year

Independence Day is less than a week away in the US, which means many people are stocking up on fireworks in anticipation of some at-home celebrations. Though setting off these pyrotechnics in your own backyard can be exhilarating, researchers warn that it comes with unwanted side effects: risks to both public health and safety.

The new study comes from the University of California – Irvine, where researchers looked at air quality data from sensors located throughout the state of California. Using that information, the team found that the use of home fireworks around the 4th of July caused a spike in a type of air pollution called fine particulate matter in early July 2019 and 2020.

Of note, Northern California has much stricter laws regarding the use of fireworks among the public compared to Southern California. As a result, researchers were able to compare the air pollution levels between the two, finding that LA County (which is in Southern California) had considerably higher fine particulate matter during the weeks before, of, and after July 4th.

The increase in fine particular matter, which has a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers across, was likely the result of people shooting off bottle rockets and other fireworks at home during the holiday, according to the study. This is particularly problematic because particulate matter this small can be easily inhaled, where it then passes through the lungs and into the body.

When it comes to fireworks, the type of air pollution they produce can include compounds like copper, barium, strontium, water-soluble ions, and trace redox-active metals, among other things. The study suggests that shooting off fireworks at home causes air pollution to spike, ultimately putting public health at risk when people breathe in the resulting particles.