Fireworks & Air Quality

Brilliant fireworks displays are fun to watch but have the potential for high concentrations of smoke, which can have negative health effects. This is especially true around the 4th of July, when extensive fireworks are part of large events and smaller displays taking place at neighborhood and family gatherings.

The smoke from fireworks is composed of coarse and fine particulate matter (PM), and there are typically spikes of extremely high concentrations of these particles after firework displays. Nitrogen and sulfur, used to create color and special effects, can combine with oxygen to form nitric and sulfuric acids which are very hard on the lungs.

The smoke from these displays generally dissipates within a few hours, but individuals may feel lingering health effects. TCEQ's CAMS 3 monitor, located on North Hills Drive in the northwest Austin area, has recorded spikes in PM2.5 between July 4 and 5, particularly in 2021 (green line).

However, there is also the possibility of smoke not dissipating and instead lingering for several days. The same monitor in 2022 (orange line) shows PM2.5 levels stayed elevated after New Year's Eve fireworks until January 3 and caused foggy conditions that decreased visibility for drivers. This lingering smoke also increases the risk of exposure to PM pollution.

Those most likely to feel negative effects are children, older adults and people with respiratory or cardiac conditions. Short-term exposures can aggravate lung disease, causing asthma and acute bronchitis, and increasing the susceptibility to respiratory infections. In people with heart disease, short-term exposures to the smoke from fireworks have been linked to heart attacks and arrhythmias.

You can reduce your exposure to firework smoke by avoiding display areas, viewing fireworks from a distance, or staying indoors and closing your windows after dark. If PM levels stay elevated through the following morning you should stay indoors, close your windows, and limit time outdoors, especially if you are sensitive to air pollution.

Remember to follow local laws regarding fireworks and be safe to avoid fires or personal harm. 

Saharan Dust Season

Central Texans also can expect to experience elevated PM levels this summer from Saharan dust, or the Saharan Air Layer (SAL), which is dust consisting of sand and mineral particles swept up from 3.5 million square miles of Africa's Sahara Desert. These elevated PM levels can negatively affect children, older adults and people with respiratory or cardiac conditions such as asthma, allergies and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Saharan dust also influences weather, climate, and hurricanes. According to the National Weather Service, the dry, dusty air can weaken a tropical cyclone by promoting downdrafts around the storm, disrupt the storm's internal heat engine, and suppress the formation of clouds. The dust can also suppress other thunderstorms or tropical moisture activity.

You can reduce exposure to high PM levels caused by Saharan dust by taking these steps:

• Reduce the amount of time that you spend outside. Children and people with respiratory conditions are especially encouraged to do this since they are the first to experience health effects from air pollution. 
• Wear an N95 mask if you are in a sensitive group or spend extended time outdoors.
• Keep your windows closed to stop pollution from entering your home.
• Make sure that your A/C filter is properly maintained so air pollution does not enter through the A/C system.

Sign up for air quality alerts to stay informed on days forecast for high PM levels!

ACT Website Update: AQI Data

Looking for Central Texas Air Quality Index (AQI) data and trends on the fly? We've got you covered with our ACT infographics that break down the ozone, PM2.5, and overall AQI levels and trends for the region. You can also find graphs of our air pollution levels compared to the EPA national standards and maps of all ozone and PM2.5 monitoring locations in the region.

Here are some of the infographics you can find on the Air Central Texas website.

Air Quality News

Here's When Saharan Dust will Impact Central Texas Next Week - Saharan dust is usually carried by equatorial trade winds blowing into the Caribbean from the east, picking up dust and sand from the Sahara Desert in northern Africa and carrying it across the Atlantic along the equator before a southerly flow carries it into Central Texas. (KVUE)

Smog Got You Down? Here's Why Air Quality in Austin Has Been So Bad This Spring - Thanks to a prolonged drought in Mexico, wildfires have spread across the country. By mid-May, an estimated 168 active wildfires were burning. The smoke from many of those fires is contributing to the smog here. (Austin Monitor)

Air Pollution Makes Cancer Patients More Vulnerable To Cardiovascular Disease - A recent study reported that even short-term exposure to air pollutants known as fine particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) — which are microscopic particles or droplets with a width of less than two-and-a-half microns in width — is linked to a significantly greater risk of cancer patients suffering from and/or dying due to cardiovascular disease. (Forbes)

Air Pollution Linked to Nearly 2,000 Child Deaths a Day: Report - Nearly 2,000 children die every day from health problems linked to air pollution, which is now the second biggest risk factor for early death worldwide, a report said Wednesday. (Phys.org)

NASA-Led Mission to Map Air Pollution in 3D Over Megacities - Launched into orbit earlier this spring, TEMPO, short for Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution, is the first satellite instrument that will measure air quality over North America hourly (during daylight hours) and at the resolution of a few square miles. (Phys.org)

2024 Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown MSA Monthly Air Quality Index Levels

In June 2024, we experienced 10 'good' days, 19 'moderate' days, and one 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' day. Visit the Air Central Texas website for a breakdown of air quality conditions by pollutant and more.

Air quality trends in June 2024 were worse than those of June 2023, when the region experienced 20 good days, nine moderate days, and one unhealthy for sensitive groups day.

Access the Air Quality Index (AQI) forecast using most weather apps or visit AirNow.gov for localized information.

Learn how these pollutants can affect public health:

• Particulate Matter
• Ozone

Share the Air Central Texas newsletter with your friends, family, and coworkers to help people understand the risk of poor air quality and how their actions can affect our breathable air.  

Make an air quality commitment to improve our local air quality, today!