Fireworks? A joy for sore eyes but not for your lungs

Have you ever felt amazed by the lights and colors of fireworks on July the 4th or New Year’s Eve and wondered if that smoke was bad for you or for the air you breathe?  Well think no more. Air quality following  such spectacular and specific events may be monitored and you can  help. How? read on.

PlanetWatch: sustainable approach for monitoring air pollution

Here at PlanetWatch we pride ourselves in developing an extensive network that collects air quality data and studies certain phenomena by:

– engaging with people who can directly track the quality of the air and stream it in addition to governmental measuring stations already in place,

– using a scientific but financially sustainable approach,

– gathering, analyzing and spreading information to build a better world.

A good example of this strategy is the local air quality monitoring system in the Italian city of Taranto. This project is still in its early days. However, three monitoring stations have already been installed,  and many more will come soon.

How PlanetWatch can help to study the Taranto’s air quality

Residents in Taranto have welcomed enthusiastically the possibility to install PlanetWatch air quality monitoring devices on their balconies. Engaging locals has been key to the success of the project: in fact, giving people the chance to check the quality of the air they breathe daily spreads awareness and encourages a more sustainable lifestyle. Support from residents has been incredibly important to get sensors quickly distributed and activated during pandemic times.

How does it work? A network of state-of-the-art and affordable devices collects Data every 5 minutes . It is a two-level system, blending cutting-edge gadgets that measure particulate matter, PM2.5, and gases such as NO2, O3 and CO, with simpler ones that measure only PM2.5. This allows to gather useful information for the analysis of air pollution and for a more detailed investigation of the relation between the measured values and potentially significant factors such as traffic, heating systems and industrial activities.

The first study carried out on the Taranto data has so far confirmed some typical patterns.

The following graph shows the average daily pattern of particulate matter, detected in two different parts of the city. As you can see, the area closer to the industrial park, exposed to heavy traffic, shows a much higher level of PM2.5 when compared to the other one (a residential estate).

On a typical day you can see an increase of PM2.5 in the afternoon (related to rush hour traffic). 

The typical week shows similar trends every day, except for Tuesday afternoon, with a clear increase in the middle of the day.

An intriguing feature emerges: an unusual peak around midnight, on a regular day, and on the night between Thursday and Friday on the typical week graph, both highlighted by the blue band in the figures. Why?

If we take a closer look at the date and time of the unusual spike the riddle is quickly solved: in fact the graph shows PM2.5  levels sky-rocketing on the night between 31 December 2020 and 01 January 2021.  But is it just a coincidence that pollution levels sky-rocketed,  just like fireworks usually do,  between 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and 3 a.m. on New Year’s day?  Unfortunately it isn’t.  In fact although fireworks might be a colorful sight for sore eyes they are also known to cause extensive air pollution in a short amount of time and exposure to high levels of particulate matter is definitely bad for your lungs.

This is a simple yet good example of how PlanetWatch can identify the impact of unusual or isolated events and determine their causes. When our Taranto network will be fully in place we’ll be able to monitor and detect a whole range of events and patterns and deliver valuable information that will complement data collected from governmental agencies. 

Keep watching our Planet and stay tuned for more! 🌍