Fireworks reduce air quality

Fireworks generate a lot of particles. Fireworks can reduce the air quality in the short term, especially in urban areas where there is a large number of fireworks at the turn of the year, for example. In fair weather with little wind, the hourly concentrations of fine particles can rise to 10–20 times the average level for a short time in Helsinki. 

Fireworks always contain gunpowder, which consists of sulphur, carbon and potassium nitrate. The display of colours in fireworks can be achieved, for example, with these substances:

• red colour with strontium or lithium;
• green from barium;
• purple by mixing strontium and copper;
• orange from calcium;
• yellow from sodium;
• blue from copper;
• silver from aluminium, titanium or magnesium; and
• the crackling of fireworks is created with a substance called Crackling Star, which contains copper.

The smoke from fireworks is not good for anyone’s health, so it should be avoided as much as possible. Children and people with asthma, other chronic respiratory conditions and coronary artery disease should watch fireworks from a distance. Therefore, avoid places where there is visible smoke close to the ground and the air has an unpleasant odour.

In urban areas, the use of fireworks also increases the amount of litter and causes noise, which is especially distressing for pets.