Washington records world’s worst air quality for a city after over 850,000 Fourth of July fireworks

Fireworks burst in Washington DC to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Photograph: J David Ake/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Fireworks burst in Washington DC to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Photograph: J David Ake/Getty Images Washington records world’s worst air quality for a city after over 850,000 Fourth of July fireworks Hourly concentrations of particulate matter rose to 6.7 times their pre-fireworks levels, according to an analysis Washington DC residents breathed in “unhealthy” air for hours after a 40-minute Independence Day fireworks show over the National Mall on Saturday night, with the country’s capital briefly recording the worst air quality of any major city in the world. The highly emitting display, which the president called “spectacular”, came as the Trump administration rolls back an unprecedented number of pollution controls. Hourly concentrations of particulate matter rose to 6.7 times their pre-fireworks levels, according to a Tuesday analysis from the company Clarity Movement based on its network of 26 air quality sensors throughout the city in partnership with the local department of energy and environment. Every one of those sensors reached air quality levels which the Environmental Protection Agency deems “ unhealthy for sensitive groups ” during the event, the researchers found, with some recording even worse levels of emissions. Levels of particulate matter peaked at 4am on Sunday, approximately five hours after the display concluded, according to the new analysis. It remained elevated for approximately five hours after reaching its peak, the authors found, with city officials issuing a Code Red alert. View image in fullscreen Smoke hangs in the air as the Independence Day fireworks launch over Washington. Photograph: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images “Outdoor air quality is unhealthy for seniors, kids, people with medical conditions,” the alert said. “General public may experience health issues. Limit time outside.” The south-west region of DC experienced the highest pollution levels, the report’s authors found, probably because of its proximity to one of the fireworks launch sites in West Potomac park, as well as overnight meteorological conditions that trapped smoke over the area. That highly polluted air probably drifted into Arlington, Virginia, said David Lu, CEO and co-founder of Clarity Movement. “Unfortunately, we don’t have sensors there to confirm it,” he said. “That’s exactly why expanding real-time air quality monitoring matters. Without comprehensive coverage, communities can be exposed to significant pollution events that go undetected.” The air quality across the city could have been even worse in the aftermath of the display if it were not for thunderstorms that struck the city on Sunday evening. View image in fullscreen Smoke hangs in the air as the Independence Day fireworks launch over Washington. Photograph: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images “Despite the scale o