The BNCARE team has been asked – how do fireworks impact air quality in our community? BNCARE Quality Assurance Manager, Dr. LC Yang, analyzed our air quality data from July 4, 2025 to come up with this response.
PM2.5 levels were elevated but still met the standard. Fireworks celebrations on the evening of July 4th significantly contributed to an increase in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the local environment in the Bloomington-Normal area. Our air quality monitoring station, located at Fairview Park in Normal, Illinois, recorded a noticeable spike in PM2.5 concentrations. The highest hourly average was observed at 10:00 PM on July 4th, reaching a peak of 29.05 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³). While this peak was substantial, it was short-lived and did not persist throughout the day. The 24-hour average PM2.5 concentrations for both July 4th and July 5th were approximately 10 μg/m³. These values are well below the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which set the limit for daily average PM2.5 at 35 μg/m³.
