After the 4th of July fireworks across the country were over, meteorologists turned to their observations to see what effects the smoke and particulates from the fireworks had on air quality in the areas downwind of the displays. What they showed were that the level of dangerous aerosols increased immediately after the fireworks started and lasted for several hours until the next day’s sunshine helped the atmosphere mix them through a deep layer. This can cause problems for people with asthma, COPD or other breathing disorders. You can read more about it in Jeff Masters’ article at https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/july-4-fireworks-create-unhealthy-levels-air-pollution and in Marshall Shepherd’s Forbes.com article at https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2017/07/06/satellites-help-reveal-how-july-4th-fireworks-degraded-u-s-air-quality/#6baa80d668dd.
