New York City’s air quality spiked to hazardous levels early Wednesday morning following the Macy’s fireworks display and other Independence Day celebrations, raising questions about whether a beloved annual tradition should continue in the face of growing concerns over air pollution.
Air quality has been front of mind for New Yorkers as Canadian wildfires spewed smoke over the Northeast in recent weeks. But a spike in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) late Tuesday and early Wednesday was more of a self-inflicted issue, researchers said.
Along the East River, a team of NYU graduate students recorded up to 3,300 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter volume of air in the aftermath of the fireworks display. Anything greater than 500 micrograms per cubic meter is considered extremely dangerous in the short term, according to the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection website AirNow.gov.
"It really affected air quality last night,” said Dr. Terry Gordon, an NYU professor of medicine who led the team and researches the health impacts of inhaled pollutants, referring to the fireworks show.
After the first 10 to 15 minutes, students saw fine particle pollution skyrocket, specifically in areas closest to fireworks.
“They started saying, 'It's going up, it's going up,'" Gordon said.
Around 1 a.m. Wednesday, the air quality index climbed to 434 citywide. Anything above 301 is considered hazardous, which should trigger emergency warnings urging people to stay indoors and limit outdoor activities.
The city’s own air quality sensors showed high levels of small particle pollution across the city starting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and continuing until 2 a.m. on Wednesday. Air quality conditions gradually began to improve but were still teetering at unhealthy levels around 7 a.m.
This chart shows the air concentration of particulate matter that's 2.5 microns or smaller in size (PM2.5) at different NYC locations, running from June 27 at 12 p.m. to July 5 at 10 a.m.
Macy’s’ entire show, which featured a mile-wide display of 1,000-foot-high projectiles and 60,000 shells fired, lasts 25 minutes. And although fireworks are illegal in New York City, New Yorkers across the boroughs have been known to shoot them off in unofficial displays.
According to Gordon, fireworks pose a unique risk because of the metals used to change their colors. Creating brightly colored explosions involves heating metals like copper, strontium and even lead to high temperatures.
Gordon said his research has shown that exposure to these chemicals increases oxidation in human tissue cells, which can kill them without intervention.
There has also been growing concern over the noise from fireworks and the anxiety it creates among children and pets.
Several U.S. cities, including Salt Lake City and Minneapolis, ditched the pyrotechnics this year in favor of drone-operated light shows. City officials there cited the risk of both fires as well as air pollution.
“As temperatures rise and fire danger increases, we must be conscientious of both our air quality and the potential for wildfires,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a press release last week announcing the decision. “The summer holiday shows are a mainstay for Salt Lakers and we’re excited about adapting to new technology which will provide a safe alternative for our residents and visitors.”
As a possible test run, Macy’s on Tuesday introduced its first ever drone light show ahead of the fireworks.
But replacing or even tinkering with the show to account for pollution concerns may not be easy.
The Macy’s fireworks show is the largest in the country and a veritable national tradition dating back to 1976, when it became an annual celebration. Millions watch the televised event while tens of thousands of spectators line up at designated watching areas to view the spectacle.
The alert from state environmental officials, who are in charge of issuing air quality warnings, did not come until after 10 a.m. on Wednesday. New York City officials did not send out an air quality health advisory until noon.
Mayor Eric Adams faced sharp criticism for the city’s response to the recent air quality crisis. The City Council has scheduled a public hearing on the matter later this month.
The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a sign that fireworks — like coal- and wood-oven-cooked pizzas — may be a third rail issue, two elected officials on Wednesday expressed reluctance at changing the elaborate July Fourth fireworks show.
“People watch that display from all over the world,” said James Gennaro, a city councilmember who represents Queens and chairs the committee on environmental protection. “It’s a New York tradition, and I don’t see any environmental reason it should not proceed.”
Gennaro described the pollution from the annual fireworks show as “de minimis” even though experts have observed bad air quality with fireworks usage.
He also spoke of the event’s importance to the city’s tourism industry, which is still recovering from the pandemic.
Mark Levine, the Manhattan borough president, told Gothamist he was scheduled to speak to health experts in the coming days about the issue but that it was “too soon to make conclusions.”
However, he said the city should at a minimum have alerted the public around the risk of poor air quality due to the fireworks.
“The alert system needs to be stronger particularly if the atmospheric conditions will make it worse,” Levine said.
