July 4: Short-term spike in particulate matter in US
Tuesday, June 30, 2015 - 11:50
in Astronomy & Space
From the founding of America, the Fourth of July has been synonymous with fireworks. A new study quantifies the surge in fine particulate matter -- particles that are two and one half microns in diameter (PM2.5) -- on July 4, using observations from the 315 US air quality monitoring sites that operated from 1999 to 2013. While scientists have known that fireworks displays produce a surge in fine particulates, the new study is the first nationwide quantitative analysis of the effects.