Observing UK Bonfire Night pollution from space: analysis of atmospheric aerosol

Abstract

UK Bonfire Night (BFN) is an annual event on 5 November which celebrates the failed ‘gunpowder plot’ of Guy Fawkes, who intended to blow up the Houses of Parliament. This event is celebrated with firework and bonfire displays, which reduce visibility and increase air pollutant concentrations. A two‐ to four‐fold increase in particulate matter concentrations was seen at some surface monitoring sites. Satellite measurements of aerosol optical depth found increases of 10–90% between days before and after BFN.

Air quality during and after festivals: Aerosol concentrations, composition and health effects

“…Devara et al (2015) reported an approximately four-fold increase in AOD values during the Diwali festival in India. These results are similar to the observations in the UK where a significant increase (2-4 fold) in the aerosol loading during Guy Fawkes Night was reported (Pope et al, 2016). Both PM (PM10 and PM2.5) as well as AOD values were observed to be much higher compared to background levels during a fireworks event in the UK (Pope et al, 2016) and higher (10-90%) than normal AOD levels have also been reported during fireworks events in China (Yu et al, 2013;Zheng et al, 2017).…”

“…Typically, it can take between 2-7 days for visibility to return to normal background conditions, depending upon atmospheric, meteorological and topographical conditions. Satellite measured Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), a measure of PM quantity distributed within a column of air from the Earth's surface to the top of the atmosphere, can also be used to understand and investigate the effect of fireworks on visibility and air quality (Kessner et al, 2013;Khor et al, 2014;Pope et al, 2016;Wu et al, 2014;Zheng et al, 2017). Devara et al (2015) reported an approximately four-fold increase in AOD values during the Diwali festival in India.…”

“…Use of fireworks and bonfires to mark cultural or national celebrations can be an important short-term anthropogenic source of air pollutants with significant impacts on local air quality (Galea and Powles, 2010;Pathak et al, 2013). Firework and bonfire events have previously been connected to poor visibility and air quality around the globe, with corresponding health concerns (Becker et al, 2000;Kong et al, 2015a;Kulshrestha et al, 2004;Nasir and Brahmaiah, 2015;Pathak et al, 2013;Pope et al, 2016;Singh et al, 2015;Singh et al, 2005;Van Kamp et al, 2006;Witsaman et al, 2006;Yerramsetti et al, 2013 these pollutants can have direct impacts on human health (Hamad et al, 2016;Kulshrestha et al, 2004;Ravindra et al, 2003;Seidel and Birnbaum, 2015). PM and gaseous pollutants emitted during such events can scatter and absorb light radiation and contribute to light extinction, thus influencing visibility (Appel et al, 1985;Singh et al, 2017;Singh and Dey, 2012).…”

The study of atmospheric ice-nucleating particles via microfluidically generated droplets

“…The festival yields a very short but intense atmospheric pollution event due to the open burning of assorted fuels (i.e. bonfires) and use of pyrotechnics (Agus et al 2008 ; Clark 1997 ; Moreno et al 2007 ; Colbeck and Chung 1996 ; Singh et al 2015 ; Pope et al 2016 ). While this festival is UK specific, the atmospheric effects are representative of many other similar global events such as Independence Day in the USA (Liu et al 1997 ; Seidel and Birnbaum 2015 ; Carranza et al 2001 ), the Lantern Festival in China (Wang et al 2007 ) and Taiwan (Tsai et al 2012 ), Las Fallas in Spain (Moreno et al 2007 ), Lag BaOmer in Israel (Adler et al 2011 ), Diwali in India (Kulshrestha et al 2004 ; Ravindra et al 2003 ; Chatterjee et al 2013 ; Barman et al 2008 ), World Cup victory celebrations (Vecchi et al 2008 ), and New Year’s Eve (Drewnick et al 2006 ; Wehner et al 2000 ; Steinhauser et al 2008 ), among others.…”

The transport of PM10 over Cape Town during high pollution episodes

“…In the United Kingdom (UK), firework and bonfire-related PM10 peaks are often observed around 5 December, during Guy Fawkes (or Bonfire Night) celebrations Pope et al (2016). studied the influence of Guy Fawkes bonfire and firework displays on the levels of ambient pollution in the UK and observed a sharp increase in the PM10 concentrations at various monitoring sites across the country.In Cape Town,Wicking-Baird et al (1997) quantified the relative contributions of major sources of the brown haze.…”