Utahns attended Independence Day fireworks shows across the state late Tuesday, but the smoky aftermath in one county stood out when the sun came up the next morning.
Utah County particle pollution levels were five times higher than average after July Fourth. Particle pollution levels, also known as PM 2.5 levels, measure the level of dust and soot in the air. At 10 a.m. Wednesday, levels in Utah County were at 30.1, up from an average of 7.5 over the past week, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
PM 2.5 levels of 30.1 put Utah County in a moderate air quality zone. Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Cache and Box Elder counties also had moderate air quality at 10 a.m. Wednesday, though their PM 2.5 levels did not breach 15, half of Utah County’s pollution levels.
Utah’s air quality sensors are often most affected by ground-level fireworks shot off in neighborhoods closest to them, said Bryce Bird, director of the Utah Division of Air Quality. The sensor in Utah County, located in Lindon, could have been surrounded by more active neighborhoods during the holiday.
“It does appear that the neighborhood personal usage is probably contributing more than the aerial shows the city puts on, for instance,” Bird said.
Lower air quality contributes to an increase in asthma attacks and hospitalizations annually around Independence Day, Bird said. Keeping an eye on websites like fire.airnow.gov and air.utah.gov to decide whether to limit outdoor summer activities is a good idea for families that include small children and seniors, he said.
On the evening of July Fourth, air pollution in Utah County spiked to PM 2.5 levels of 112.3 around 11 p.m. — making it an unhealthy air quality zone. However, particle pollution rapidly decreased over the next two hours back to moderate air quality, according to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
The state did not breach 24-hour federal air quality standards at any point during Independence Day celebrations, Bird said.
However, Salt Lake City is still looking at alternative options for fireworks shows to decrease air pollution and wildfire risk — the city put on a laser show last year, and a drone show for the first time this year. The city is planning a similar drone show for Pioneer Day, too.
Though a data analysis of the drone show’s impact has yet to be completed, Bird still considers it a better option in terms of limiting smoke pollution during Independence Day or Pioneer Day celebrations.
The sensor closest to where the city holds its typical celebration, near Hawthorne Elementary School, did see lower PM 2.5 levels this year, according to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. The highest peak was 17.2 at 11 p.m., significantly lower from years’ past. In 2016, the same area saw pollution levels of 204, crossing into “very unhealthy” air quality, according to the Air Quality Index.
“Certainly, anytime you reduce the smoke associated with fireworks, that should improve air quality,” Bird said. “The city should be commended for looking at other options to celebrate the Fourth.”
