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posted by janrinok on Wednesday July 01 2015, @02:31PM   Printer-friendly
from the light-up-the-sky dept.

According to the Washington Post a recent study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has reviewed the short term impact of 4th of July fireworks on air pollution across the US:

Every July 4, the 14,000-plus dazzling fireworks displays across the nation have a toxic effect on our atmosphere. A new NOAA study shows they temporarily increase particulate pollution by an average of 42 percent.

The first of its kind study, published in the journal Atmospheric Environment, analyzed concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at 315 U.S. air quality monitoring stations between 1999 and 2013.

The original press release from the NOAA links to the report itself.


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 01 2015, @03:17PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 01 2015, @03:17PM (#203793)

    I am sure that BBQs "temporarily increase particulate pollution" as well.
    Is it really a "toxic effect on our atmosphere" if it is only one day for a hand-full of hours?

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  • (Score: 3, Informative) by M. Baranczak on Wednesday July 01 2015, @04:09PM

    by M. Baranczak (1673) on Wednesday July 01 2015, @04:09PM (#203811)
    That depends on what sort of pollution we're talking about. Toxicity isn't a binary state. Smoke from burning wood or charcoal can be a problem if there's a lot of it, but it's been occurring naturally for as long as there were trees, so most lifeforms can tolerate it. Fireworks contain a lot of exotic chemicals to make all those pretty colors, so it's something that should be looked at.
  • (Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday July 01 2015, @05:15PM

    by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday July 01 2015, @05:15PM (#203838)

    BBQ is awful for organics / hydrocarbons, not particulates. I would imagine propane is particulate free and charcoal isn't going to be too bad.

    Now on the other hand, that last batch of brats I grilled probably squirted more hydrocarbons into the atmosphere than my wife's Prius lifetime emissions. Must have been a pound of pork fat vaporized out of that five pounds or whatever of brats.

    The worst holiday polluter is probably the bonfire people who insist on throwing in pressure treated and broken plastic lawnchairs and similar and let it smoulder (invariably unwatched) for three days until their homemade superfund site burns out. This is also an aspect of camping I don't like. I want to camp in the woods not experience the smells and smoke inhalation of a forest fire.

    • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday July 01 2015, @11:11PM

      by kaszz (4211) on Wednesday July 01 2015, @11:11PM (#204006) Journal

      If you breathe the smoke from burning plastic you get dioxin which is a known strong cancerous substance and poisonous. So if anyone does it in your surroundings I suggest you take harsh action against the ill doers.

  • (Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday July 01 2015, @05:47PM

    by frojack (1554) on Wednesday July 01 2015, @05:47PM (#203860) Journal

    I am sure that BBQs "temporarily increase particulate pollution" as well.

    Oh, I don't know, all that food was going to get cooked anyway.

    (I'd be interested in knowing what percent of BBQs are gas these days. I suspect a gas grill is no worse than cooking on a gas stove).

    --
    No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 01 2015, @06:38PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 01 2015, @06:38PM (#203883)

      There is no BBQ without smoke. BBQ is low heat slow cooking.
      Gas grills or high-heat cooking of food on a grill is called grilling.