"A blip on our radar": MoDNR extinguishes firework-related air pollution fears

Missouri (KHQA) — Firework smoke can “significantly pollute the air we breathe,” according to the American Lung Association (ALA).

Fireworks filled the night sky during the Independence Day weekend—and while they are a symbol of celebration, there’s concern they may be contributing to air pollution.

The ALA referenced a 2015 study that stated the national average of PM2.5 increases by 42% during 4th of July.

Quick science lesson:

• PM stands for particulate matter
• the smaller the PM number, the more damaging for safety because it can get deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream
• 10PM are the bigger particles from the firework explosion that fall quicker to the ground due to their comparatively heavy size, becoming more of a ground and water pollutant
• 2.5PM are the smaller particles from the firework explosion that take a longer time to settle and remain in the air for longer, posing for more of a health and air pollution risk than the 10PM

“They produce a lot of smoke, and that smoke has quite a bit of particulate matter. And that particulate matter depending on the size can get deep into your lungs and your bloodstream and cross the blood-brain barrier. But it can also affect your lungs and your entire breathing system,” said Kurt Heine, the Air Quality Monitoring Unit Chief of the Air Pollution Control Program for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

That said, Heine also stated that MoDNR monitors PM and based on their data, the extra explosions for Independence Day are not currently a cause for alarm.

“We saw spikes around the 1900th hour [7 p.m.] on July 4th, they got pretty high, but they only last a few hours and then they go away pretty quickly. We don’t have any long-lasting effects. Really within that night they were back down to normal and on the 5th, they were pretty much back to normal. It’s kind of a blip on our radar.”

The “blip” may be more of a problem for people with health problems.

“People with pre-existing lung conditions like COPD and asthma might was to avoid excessive firework smoke,” said Heine.

If you’re concerned about the amount of PM in your area, you can check the live air quality levels through AirNow.gov by the Environmental Protection Agency, and even set up alerts for if the air quality gets worse near you.