This year’s Fourth of July fireworks created the second-highest air pollution levels from the holiday in the last decade and were the highest since the Bobcat wildfire in September, the South Coast Air Quality Management District said Tuesday. The agency said that although last week’s fireworks-related air pollution was lower than last Fourth of July, the air pollution levels have been especially high in recent years. Levels of air pollution from the holiday this year were about 50% higher than the 10-year average from 2010 to 2019. AdvertisementOfficials blamed the poor air quality on both personal and commercial fireworks. “These are really levels at which everyone can be experiencing some health effects,” said Jo Kay Ghosh, a health effects officer for the air quality agency.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 14, 2021 03:00 UTC