In 2023, approximately 60,000 firework shells were detonated over Manhattan’s East River as part of Macy’s Fourth of July celebration. A recent study indicates that the air pollution levels that followed this event were significantly higher than those recorded during a recent Canadian wildfire smoke episode a month earlier.
In 2023, approximately 60,000 firework shells were detonated over Manhattan’s East River as part of Macy’s Fourth of July celebration. A recent study indicates that the air pollution levels that followed this event were significantly higher than those recorded during a recent Canadian wildfire smoke episode a month earlier.
This information comes from a new study conducted by researchers from NYU Langone Health, which examined air quality before and after one of the largest Independence Day events in the United States. Hazardous metal particles and organic compounds reached a peak concentration of 3,000 micrograms per cubic meter at a nearby monitoring site and over 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter at two other sites close by. For comparison, New York City’s typical daily concentration of fine particles is just 15 micrograms per cubic meter, and the wildfire smoke caused it to rise to 460 micrograms per cubic meter in June 2023.
The study revealed that it took several hours for the air quality to return to normal levels at most monitoring sites, with particularly close locations to the display, like Midtown Manhattan, experiencing elevated pollution levels for up to 12 hours.
Furthermore, water samples from the East River showed more than double the amount of metals often utilized to create the vivid colors of fireworks, including lead, nickel, and antimony, compared to levels seen before the celebration. Earlier studies using rodents and human cells have demonstrated that exposure to these types of emissions can lead to oxidation within the lungs, a process that could cause cellular damage or death if not properly regulated.
“Our findings indicate that significant firework displays can result in a temporary surge in air pollution which might present health risks to people and the environment,” stated Terry Gordon, PhD, the lead author of the study and a professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
In a prior study conducted in 2020, the same research group analyzed 14 years of air quality data from multiple sites across the United States tracked by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They observed that levels of harmful metals increased significantly around Independence Day and New Year’s Eve compared to other times of the year. Additional studies by other experts have assessed pollution caused by firework displays in various countries and linked this exposure to respiratory issues including asthma, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to Gordon, who is also affiliated with the Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards and the Division of Environmental Medicine.
The current study, published online on August 6 in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, offers an in-depth examination of how pollutants from fireworks disperse and persist following the event, according to the researchers.
For their research, the team utilized real-time monitors to collect air quality samples at four residential locations along the East River, near the launch site in Manhattan and in Long Island City in Queens. To verify the findings of the monitors, the researchers examined hourly air-quality data from EPA stations within a 6-mile radius of the launch locations and from a network of low-cost particle monitors established less than a mile away.
By evaluating data from EPA monitoring sites in other major cities, they also recorded increased pollutant levels in Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, which, similar to New York, displayed heightened levels that persisted from three to 12 hours before returning to normal.
“While these results may seem concerning, it’s still possible to enjoy firework shows responsibly,” noted Antonio Saporito, BA, the senior author of the study and a doctoral student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “Wearing an N-95 or KN95 mask when near a display can help avoid inhaling smoke, especially for children and individuals with existing cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.”
Saporito mentioned that the average 24-hour concentration of airborne particles in the study was 25 micrograms per cubic meter, which is within the EPA’s recommended health limits, though it does exceed the standards set by the World Health Organization. He also pointed out that the study did not account for local unregulated fireworks displays that might contribute to environmental pollution.
Looking ahead, the research team intends to repeat their study during Macy’s 2024 Fourth of July event, which will be held over the Hudson River on Manhattan’s West Side, to further investigate the potential health impacts associated with such festivities.
Funding for this study was provided by NYU Langone.
Alongside Gordon and Saporito, other researchers from NYU Langone who contributed to the study include David Luglio, PhD; Beck Kim, BS; Tri Huynh, BS; Rahanna Khan, MS; Amna Raja, MS; Kristin Terez, MS; Nicole Camacho-Rivera, MS; Rachel Gordon, BA; Julie Gardella, BA; Maria Katsigeorgis, MS; Rodney Graham, BA; Thomas Kluz, BS; and Max Costa, PhD.
