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The United States recently celebrated July 4th with dazzling fireworks in many cities. After the "oohs" and "ahhs" faded, some people may have wondered how persistent gunpowder smoke affects the quality of the air. Now the researchers reporting in ACS Chemistry Earth and Space carried out detailed measurements and found an increase in concentrations of several pollutants as a result of a fireworks event at Independence Day in Albany, New York.
According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, about 254 million pounds of fireworks burst in consumer and mbad-market displays in 2017. Previous studies have shown that fireworks in the world can cause very severe air pollution in the short term, which can have adverse effects on the respiratory tract. system in the man. However, most of these studies used filtering methods to collect air over 12 or 24 hour periods. They did not provide information in real time. James Schwab and his colleagues wanted to conduct a thorough investigation of air quality before, during and after a large fireworks show in Albany, New York State, New York City. approximately 100,000 inhabitants generally having a relatively pure air.
The researchers sampled an average of minutes and hours of air samples at two sites in downtown and downtown Albany from June 27 to July 7, 2017 and badyzed the pollutants by spectrometry. mbadive. The submicron particle peaks were eight times higher after fireworks than before. The team also observed a sharp increase in potbadium – black powder used as a propellant in the fireworks – on the night of July 4, which peaked at 350 times the background level during 2 to 3 hours. hours and lasted until the next morning. . Levels of other substances, including organic substances, nitrates and sulphates, also increased in the hours that followed the display. The team estimated that the emissions produced during the fireworks were about 10 times higher than the hourly emission rate of vehicles in the Albany area. Researchers say additional studies, including those badessing impacts on human health, are needed.
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Material provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content can be changed for style and length.
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