title: The Characteristics of Air Pollutants during Two Distinct Episodes of Fireworks Burning in a Valley City of North China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The elevation and dissipation of pollutants after the ignition of fireworks in different functional areas of a valley city were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Air Quality Index (AQI) as well as inter-day and intra-day concentrations of various air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, O3) were measured during two episodes that took place during Chinese New Year festivities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the special terrain of Jinan, the mean concentrations of pollutants increased sharply within 2-4 h of the firework displays, and concentrations were 4-6 times higher than the usual levels. It took 2-3 d for the pollutants to dissipate to background levels. Compared to Preliminary Eve (more fireworks are ignited on New Year's Eve, but the amounts of other human activities are also lesser), the primary pollutants PM2.5, PM10, and CO reached higher concentrations on New Year's Eve, and the highest concentrations of these pollutants were detected in living quarters. All areas suffered from serious pollution problems on New Year's Eve (rural = urban for PM10, but rural > urban for PM2.5). However, SO2 and NO2 levels were 20%-60% lower in living quarters and industrial areas compared to the levels in these same areas on Preliminary Eve. In contrast to the other pollutants, O3 concentrations fell instead of rising with the firework displays.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interactions between firework displays and other human activities caused different change trends of pollutants. PM2.5 and PM10 were the main pollutants, and the rural living quarter had some of the highest pollution levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Shuoxin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Ci
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Yirui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Xuewen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005843:Geography; D006693:Holidays; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide