Fireworks

Consumer fireworks are bad for air quality, especially in the Phoenix Metro area during the winter months.

Consumer fireworks emit large amounts of PM 2.5, which is a fine particulate matter. The fine particulate matter created by fireworks contains dangerous chemicals that are harmful when inhaled.

During the winter months, the Phoenix Metro area experiences a weather phenomenon known as inversion, where a warm layer of air traps a cooler, denser layer near the ground, preventing the atmosphere from mixing and allowing pollutants to accumulate. This inversion traps the dangerous particulates from consumer fireworks near the ground and in the air we breathe.

Worldwide Air Quality on January 1, 2025

On January 1, 2025, the West Phoenix monitor had the worst daily PM-2.5 concentration in the nation at 258.1 µg/m3 ~ nearly 30 times the annual EPA standard. The EPA annual PM-2.5 standard is 9.0
micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) and the daily (24-hour) standard is 35 µg/m3.

The West Phoenix monitor also had the third worst daily PM-2.5 concentration in the world according to data available from EPA AirNow.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) for West Phoenix was 366 which is considered Hazardous.

At this level, EPA expects that everyone may experience health effects.

Worldwide Air Quality Map on January 1, 2025

Global PM2.5 & AQI Rankings

Fine particulate (PM-2.5) concentrations and AQI values by location
Location	PM-2.5 Concentration	AQI Value
Lahore, Pakistan	308.6	467
Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina	259.9	370
West Phoenix	258.1	366
Dhaka, Bangladesh	228.5	307
Islamabad, Pakistan	225.8	302
Kampala, Uganda	216.4	291
New Delhi, India	210.3	285
South Phoenix	210.3	285
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina	196	271
Peshawar, Pakistan	181.8	257
Pristina, Kosovo	180.3	255
Durango Complex	167.4	243
Dushanbe, Tajikistan	140.3	216
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia	137.9	213
Mesa	137.1	212

Other monitors in the region also registered dangerous levels of PM-2.5
including:

South Phoenix - 210.3, 23X higher than the standard
Durango Complex - 167.4, 19X higher than the standard
Mesa - 137.1, 15X higher than the standard

Consumer Fireworks Impact on January 1, 2025

This graphic shows hourly PM-2.5 concentrations at the West Phoenix monitor on the days before and after Christmas 2024 (blue line), and before and after New Year’s Day 2025 (red line).

When comparing Christmas Day 2024 to New Year’s Day 2025, the graph shows the massive increase in PM-2.5 concentrations due to consumer fireworks use on New Year’s Eve and into New Year’s Day.

Awareness Toolkit

The MAG Regional Council requested a strategic public awareness campaign to inform the public of the consequences of using consumer fireworks during the winter months, specifically on New Year’s Eve. The following resources are available for downloading and sharing.

Social Media

The purpose of this social media campaign is to educate the public on the effects of consumer fireworks, specifically on air quality so consumers users of fireworks make an informed choice on when and where to use fireworks, if at all.

Download the Social Media Toolkit

Informing the public about the consequences of using consumer fireworks during the holiday season will support individuals
decision making around how they choose to celebrate.

Talking Points

PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter, which is tiny particles in the air that are less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. These particles are invisible to the naked eye and can be found in various sources, including: vehicle emissions, industrial activities, wildfires, dust storms and consumer fireworks.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annual PM-2.5 standard is 9.0 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) and the daily (24-hour) standard is 35 µg/m3.
In the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, the worst exceedances of the PM-2.5 standards generally occur on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, when wintertime temperatures cause an inversion effect that traps PM-2.5 pollution from consumer fireworks and residential woodburning near the surface.
Consumer fireworks are the largest contributor to exceedances on New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve according to chemical analysis of PM-2.5 samples performed by Maricopa County.
On January 1, 2025, the West Phoenix monitor had a record-setting daily average PM-2.5 concentration of 258.1 µg/m3.
- According to data from EPA AirNow, the West Phoenix monitor had the worst measured PM-2.5 pollution in the nation and the third worst in the world on January 1, 2025.
- This is nearly 30 times higher than the EPA annual standard of 9.0 µg/m3 and over 7 times higher than the EPA daily standard of 35 µg/m3.
- The Air Quality Index (AQI) for West Phoenix was 366 which is considered Hazardous.
- At this level, EPA expects that everyone may experience health effects.
Starting with a PM-2.5 concentration of 258.1 µg/m3 on January 1, 2025, it would take 28 days of concentrations at 0 µg/m3 before the region would have an average concentration below 9.0 µg/m3, increasing the difficulty in attaining the EPA annual PM-2.5 standard in the region.