Pittsburgh\u2019s own fireworks display on the Fourth of July wasn\u2019t the only one mired in a smoky haze.<\/p>\n
An analysis released <\/a>Sunday by IQAir found fireworks celebrations across the country led to sharp spikes in air pollution as Americans marked the nation\u2019s 250th birthday. Air quality maps showed elevated concentrations of PM2.5 \u2014 fine particulate matter produced by fireworks smoke \u2014 lingering Sunday morning.<\/p>\n PM2.5 particles are microscopic and can penetrate deep into the lungs, enter the bloodstream and even reach the brain, according to IQAir. Short-term exposure can irritate the throat and airways, trigger coughing and make breathing more difficult, while prolonged exposure has been linked to more serious health effects.<\/p>\n Detroit experienced the worst air pollution following the holiday, while air quality also worsened across parts of Southern California, the Mid-Atlantic and the East Coast, IQAir reported.<\/p>\n The fireworks display in the nation\u2019s capital \u2014 billed as \u201cthe largest pyrotechnics display in the history of the world\u201d \u2014 also ended beneath a blanket of smoke after the roughly 40-minute spectacle.<\/p>\n \u201cSo many fireworks are going off in the grand finale that you can barely see them through the smoky haze,\u201d said New York Times reporter Adam Sella in a live report<\/a> from the National Mall. \u201cNow it\u2019s raining, and all that\u2019s left to light the sky is lightning.\u201d<\/p>\n More than 850,000 fireworks and effects total lit up the D.C. night sky, drawing viewers\u2019 eyes to around 354 colorful fireworks every second during the show, the Washington Post reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n The net explosive weight of the show was 58,500 pounds \u2014 releasing an amount of energy comparable to a magnitude 2.8 to 3.0 earthquake, the Post said.<\/p>\n Though the display broke the world record for the largest fireworks display, which was held by Iglesia Ni Cristo in the Philippines since 2016, the smoky aftermath in Washington was notable.<\/p>\n