Every December, as the Valley lights up with holiday celebrations, the air pollution also increases.
Around Christmas and New Year’s, the Phoenix area consistently experiences some of the worst air quality of the year, driven largely by consumer fireworks and residential wood-burning, according to a news release. While professional fireworks shows launch explosives high into the atmosphere, consumer fireworks explode much closer to where we breathe.During cooler months, temperature inversions act like a lid, trapping smoke and fine particulates close to the ground.Maricopa County’s air monitors show consumer fireworks are the top contributor to New Year’s pollution spikes. On New Year’s Day 2025, one West Phoenix air monitor recorded the third-worst air pollution level in the world, nearly 30 times the annual standard, according to the release. The main culprits were PM-2.5s, a type of fine particulate matter small enough to reach deep into your lungs.You don’t have to…..