Washington DC air quality drops sharply after Fourth of July fireworks display

Washington DC's air quality became dangerously polluted after a 40-minute fireworks display on Saturday night. Nearly 850,000 fireworks were launched over the National Mall to celebrate Independence Day. Monitoring equipment recorded pollution levels that were almost seven times higher than normal. For several hours, the city had the worst air quality of any major city in the world, according to environmental officials. The poor conditions triggered a code purple alert, which warns residents that the air is unhealthy. Two organizations, Clarity Movement and IQAir, measured the pollution using 26 sensors across the city. Large fireworks displays release harmful particles into the atmosphere. Although the pollution was temporary, it affected vulnerable people, including children and elderly residents. The event shows how major celebrations can damage urban air quality.