Do fireworks affect air quality? Here's how July Fourth air pollution has made conditions worse
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Millions of Americans woke up the morning after Independence Day to air quality advisories across the U.S. Amid ongoing concern about smoke from wildfires burning in Canada , many were left wondering: How do fireworks affect air quality? The number of Independence Day pyrotechnic displays in a typical year increase concentrations of fine particulate matter up to 42%, according to a 2015 analysis of air quality data from 1999-2013. Hourly concentrations during the evening of July 4 and morning of July 5 in the study were higher than two days before and two days after, researchers noted. But 2023 is anything but typical, according to Rick Knabb , The Weather Channel's hurricane expert. "The usual increase in airborne particulates ... is combining this year with the higher baseline of poor air quality from the wildfire smoke," he said, making for "even worse air quality." Residents in Seattle woke up t...