Independence Day Fireworks Cause Severe Air Pollution in Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. briefly became the most polluted major city in the world after a massive Independence Day fireworks display, according to data from IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitoring company.
The fireworks show, organised by the White House-backed Freedom 250 organisation, aimed to break a world record by launching 850,000 fireworks in 40 minutes. Experts had warned that such a large display could pose serious health risks due to the release of fine particulate matter.
The event took place during a record-breaking heat wave that disrupted many traditional July 4 celebrations in the United States. The fireworks were delayed by over an hour due to a thunderstorm and began just before midnight.
Air quality monitors in Washington began registering spikes around 8 pm on Saturday, July 4, from local fireworks displays. However, levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) rose dramatically during the main show. PM2.5 particles, which are 2.5 micrometres in diameter or smaller, can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause both acute and long-term health problems.
One monitoring site recorded PM2.5 levels exceeding 200 micrograms per cubic metre, according to city-collected data reviewed by Agence France-Presse (AFP). The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets a 24-hour standard of 35 micrograms per cubic metre.
The air quality reached 'Code Purple' levels, indicating that the air is very unhealthy for everyone, not just sensitive groups, across much of Washington D.C. and neighbouring areas in Virginia and Maryland.
IQAir's data showed Washington D.C. was the world's most polluted major city between about 3 am and 5 am on Sunday, July 5. As of the latest report, the city ranks 41st, with Jakarta, Kinshasa, and Addis Ababa occupying the top three positions.
When asked for comment, EPA press secretary Brigit Hirsch said, “Fireworks are awesome and we hope everyone enjoyed the incredible shows in and around our nation's capital to celebrate 250 years of America.” The EPA under President Donald Trump's second term has pursued deregulatory policies and advocated for polluting industries.
Heavy rain helped clear the smoke, and air quality returned to normal by around noon on Sunday. Russell Dickerson, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Maryland, described the rainfall as a “lucky break” and noted that conditions could have been substantially worse.
Before the event, Pyrotecnico, the company hired to conduct the fireworks display, told AFP they aimed to break the world record for the largest firework display, set on January 1, 2016, in the Philippines, which involved about 811,000 fireworks. It is not yet clear whether the record was achieved. A Guinness World Records spokesperson confirmed receipt of an application from the Washington event but said the record cannot be confirmed until evidence has been submitted and reviewed.
