Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Once Again, Fireworks Made Bad Air Quality Explode In LA. Here's How They Affect Our Health
In an aerial view, large illegal fireworks are set off late into the night, long after the professional Independence Day shows have ended yesterday in Los Angeles
(
David McNew
/
Getty Images
)
On the morning of July 5th, many Angelenos woke up to a smoky haze. That’s one side effect of Fourth of July fireworks — and it can be dangerous for your health.
By late Monday, smoke from both planned and unplanned fireworks displays had made air quality dangerously bad across most of the Southland, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD).
As of midday, coastal areas largely cleared up. Smoky air remained bad throughout much of the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys, and the Inland Empire, according to the agency, which is responsible for improving air quality in large portions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
#AirQuality Forecast (Tuesday, July 5th): https://t.co/szsyGAFunD
— South Coast AQMD (@SouthCoastAQMD) July 5, 2022
🏖 Coastal: Moderate
🏙 LA: Moderate -to- Unhealthy
🌅 OC: Moderate -to- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
🌄 Inland Empire: Good -to- Unhealthy
🌴 Coachella Valley: Moderate pic.twitter.com/YxxRqbBMnK
Support for LAist comes from
And it was all predictable. Scott Epstein, supervisor of AQMD’s Air Quality Assessment Program, said every July 5th, we have some of the worst air quality that we see all year.
“Everybody should take some precautions during periods of unhealthy air, but sensitive individuals such as the elderly or children or people that have pre-existing heart and lung issues really need to be extra careful,” he said.
So far this year’s fireworks pollution doesn’t look quite as bad as last year, Epstein said, but the agency will need to wait 24 hours to confirm the data. In 2020, fireworks created a record amount of pollution for Independence Day celebrations, he said.
Epstein said fireworks emit particulate matter 2.5, an extremely fine particle that gets deep into the lungs and can cause coughing and breathing difficulty, aggravate asthma or even trigger heart attacks.
(
Courtesy EPA
)
Children, older people and people with heart and lung issues are particularly at risk and long-term exposure to the stuff has even been linked to premature death, he said.
Support for LAist comes from
You can protect yourself by leaving doors and windows closed at home, limiting outdoor activity for kids and sensitive individuals as much as possible, running an air purifier if you have one, and wearing that N95 mask when you do go outside.
You can monitor your local air quality at aqmd.gov or download the AQMD phone app.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist