New Year’s Eve So. Cal. fireworks pollution advisory

Widespread use of fireworks related to New Year’s Eve celebration coupled with calm weather conditions may worsen air quality in the greater Los Angeles County/Orange County areas.

TheAir Quality Index(AQI) may reach the Unhealthy or higherAQIcategory from the evening of Tuesday, December 31, 2024 through the early afternoon on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

Wood burning is prohibited in the South Coast Air Basin on Monday and Tuesday due to already expected poor air quality. For more information, see the No-burn Alerts.

• Fireworks emit high levels of particle pollution (PM2.5 and PM10) as well as metal air pollutants, all of which can contribute to negative health effects
• Personal “backyard” fireworks may lead to localized fine particulate matter concentrations above observed regional levels
• The smoke and combustion products from fireworks add to the fine particles already present in the Basin that are primarily caused by transportation and industrial emissions and stagnant weather conditions
• The use of consumer grade “backyard” fireworks can also spark wildfires, which can be a major source of fine particle pollution

Health Impacts

Breathing of fine particulate matter can lead to a wide variety of cardiovascular and respiratory health effects such as heart attacks, asthma aggravation, decreased lung function, coughing, or difficulty breathing and may lead to premature death in people with heart or lung disease.

PerSouth Coast AQMDRule 444, burning wood on the beach is prohibited in areas where PM2.5AQIis expected to exceed 100. On Tuesday, December 31, beach wood burning is prohibited at the beach in Los Angeles County from San Pedro to Seal Beach and on all beaches in Orange County.

To view current air quality in your neighborhood, download the South Coast AQMDapp or visit www.aqmd.gov/AQImap.

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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