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Setting: off fireworks during the Spring Festival (SF) is a traditional practice in China. However, because of its environmental impact, the Chinese government has banned this practice completely. Existing evaluations of the effectiveness of firework prohibition policies (FPPs) lack spatiotemporal perspectives, making it difficult to comprehensively assess their effects on air quality. Consequently, this study used remote sensing technology based on aerosol optical depth and multiple variables, compared nine statistical learning methods, and selected the optimal model, transformer, to estimate daily spatiotemporal continuous PM 2.5 concentration datasets for Tianjin from 2016 to 2020. The overall model accuracy reached a root mean square error of 15.30 μg/m³, a mean absolute error of 9.55 μg/m³, a mean absolute percentage error of 21.07%, and an R 2 of 0.88. Subsequently, we analysed the variations in PM 2.5 concentrations from three time dimensions-the entire year, winter, and SF periods-to exclude the impact of interannual variations on the experimental results. Additionally, we quantitatively estimated firework-specific PM 2.5 concentrations based on time-series forecasting. The results showed that during the three years following the implementation of the FPPs, firework-specific PM 2.5 concentrations decreased by 52.70%, 49.76%, and 86.90%, respectively, compared to the year before the implementation of the FPPs. Spatially, the central urban area and industrial zones are more affected by FPPs than the suburbs. However, daily variations of PM 2.5 concentrations during the SF showed that high concentrations of PM 2.5 produced in a short period will return to normal rapidly and will not cause lasting effects. Therefore, the management of fireworks needs to consider both environmental protection and the public's emotional attachment to traditional customs, rather than simply imposing a blanket ban on fireworks. We advocate improving firework policies in four aspects-production, sales, supervision, and control-to promote sustainable development of the ecological environment and human society., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The paper discusses the results of the concentrations of atmospheric particulate matter, in the PM 2.5 and PM 10 fractions, acquired by two low-cost sensors. The research was carried out from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, in Palermo, Sicily. The results obtained from two systems equipped with the same sensor model were compared. Excellent linear correlation was observed between the results, with differences in measurements falling within instrumental accuracy. Two instruments equipped with different sensors, models Novasense SDS011 and Plantower PMSA003, were placed at the same site. These were complemented by a weather station to measure meteorological parameters. Upon comparing the atmospheric particulate matter concentrations measured by the two instruments, it was observed that there was a good linear correlation for PM 2.5 and a poor linear correlation for PM 10 . Additionally, the PMSA003 sensor appeared to consistently record higher concentrations than the SDS011 sensor. During periods influenced by natural sources and/or anthropogenic activities at the regional and/or local scale, i.e., the dispersal of Saharan sands, forest fires, and local events using fireworks, abnormal concentrations of atmospheric particulate matter were detected. Despite the inherent limitations in precision and accuracy, both low-cost instruments were able to identify periods with abnormal concentrations of atmospheric particulate matter, regardless of their source or type.

A novel method was developed for the rapid detection of heavy metals in firework solutions with high sensitivity and minimal pretreatment by enriching them with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) reagent and analyzing them using microwave plasma torch mass spectrometry (MPT-MS). Quantitative results showed that the limits of detection and quantification for heavy metals (Pb, Ba, Sr, and Ag) ranged from 0.05 to 0.25 and 0.38 to 0.71 μg·L -1 , respectively. The linear dynamic ranges covered at least two orders of magnitude, with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.99. Fireworks from five regions in China were also analyzed quantitatively, detecting heavy metals including Pb, Ba, Sr, and Ag, with recovery rates ranging from 87.9% to 107.5%. Good separation between the firework samples from different regions was achieved by using element ratios and principal component analysis (PCA). These results from the preliminary study showed that the EDTA-assisted MPT-MS combined with PCA is a powerful tool for characterizing firework samples and tracing them back to their sources, which is valuable to effectively regulate and manage banned fireworks., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of firework-associated fear in dogs in Sydney, owner perception of their dog's response to fireworks, perceived efficacy of interventions to manage fearful behaviours and the frequency of dog owners seeking professional advice for these behaviours., Methods: Dog owners in the Greater Sydney area were invited to complete an anonymous online survey., Results: From 387 valid responses, 44.4% (171 of 385) reported their dogs were fearful of fireworks. The most common fear-related behaviour was seeking an owner or caretaker (120 of 161, 74.5%). Most owners responded by bringing their dog inside or trying to comfort or reassure their dog. Only 22.5% of owners sought professional advice for their dog's fear of fireworks, but of these, 65.5% considered that advice to be effective. Source and breed group were significantly associated with fear of fireworks (P = 0.011, P = 0.036 respectively). Fear of fireworks was also significantly associated with fear of thunder (P < 0.0001), gunshots (P < 0.0001) and vehicles (P = 0.0009)., Conclusion: Fear of fireworks and other loud noises negatively impacts canine welfare, yet only a small percentage of owners sought professional advice. There is scope for veterinarians to educate owners and raise awareness about the identification and management of noise-associated fear and reduce the risk of escalation of fearful behaviours., (© 2024 The Author(s). Australian Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Veterinary Association.)

Fireworks play a vital role in festive celebrations and entertainment. These fireworks industries are administered by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), Nagpur, Government of India. Even though PESO prescribed the standard composition for various fireworks products, concerns persist regarding the potential deviation from these standards, particularly in the pursuit of increased noise levels to attract consumers. This change in the burning and reactive properties of chemicals could potentially lead to accidents and environmental pollution. The current work investigated the combustion characteristics of two unknown market flash powder samples and a PESO standard sample. The samples were openly ignited in a controlled atmosphere, and video recordings of the resulting chemical flames were analyzed to determine fire area, flame intensity, and motion magnitude. The residues were also collected for EDAX and SEM analysis. Fire pixels from video frames are segmented to create a comprehensive database detailing flame area and motion magnitude under different circumstances. From the flame area profile, motion magnitude and SEM/EDAX analysis, it is found that PESO standard sample combustion is better than the unknown flash powder combustion., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to examine and characterize patterns of injury to the upper extremity caused by fireworks in a nationally representative sample of emergency department patients from 2011 to 2020., Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was queried for upper-extremity injuries caused by fireworks between 2011 and 2020., Results: One thousand two hundred fifty-one injuries were identified from the database representing 47,235 national cases that presented to emergency departments in the United States. Case frequency was stable during the period until 2020, which was nearly 70% higher than the previous 9-y average. Patients were generally young and male, with most cases in the 10-29-y age group and males over three times as likely to be injured as females. The most common injury was burn, and the week of July 4th accounted for 53% of cases alone. Diagnosis was also significantly associated with device type., Conclusions: These data can be used to target prevention measures and campaigns to specific patient populations most at risk of injury, specifically young males. They may also be used to highlight the impact of policy changes on availability of fireworks, the need for public health education coinciding with injury incidence peaks, and secondary pandemic effects., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

This study examined the influence of fireworks on atmospheric aerosols over the Southern Indian city of Hyderabad during festival of Diwali using mass closure, stable carbon isotopes and the EPA-PMF model. Identification of chemical species in day and night time aerosol samples for 2019 and 2020 Diwali weeks showed increased concentrations of NH 4 + , NO 3 - , organic carbon (OC), Ba, Pb and Li, which were considered as tracers for fireworks. PM 4 2- , K + , organic carbon (OC), Ba, Pb and Li, which were considered as tracers for fireworks. PM 10 /OC > 0.5 indicated contribution from fireworks. High NO + /Na + ∼1 and K + nss /OC > 0.5 indicated contribution from fireworks. High NO 3 - , NH 4 + , Na + , Cl - and SO 4 2- suggested the presence of deliquescent salts NaCl, NH 4 NO 3 and (NH 4 in the aerosols. Ba, Pb, Sb, Sr and Fe increased by 305 (87), 12 (11), 12 (3), 3 (2) and 3 (4) times on Diwali nights, compared to pre-Diwali of 2019 (2020), and are considered as metallic tracers of fireworks. δ 2 SO 4. TAE/TCE >1 suggested H + exclusion, indicating possible presence of H 2 SO 4 and NH 4 HSO 4 in the aerosols. Ba, Pb, Sb, Sr and Fe increased by 305 (87), 12 (11), 12 (3), 3 (2) and 3 (4) times on Diwali nights, compared to pre-Diwali of 2019 (2020), and are considered as metallic tracers of fireworks. δ 13 C TC and δ 13 C EC in aerosols closely resembled that of diesel and C 3 plant burning emissions, with meagre contribution from firecrackers during Diwali period. The δ 13 C EC was relatively depleted than δ 13 C TC and δ 13 C OC . For both years, δ 13 C OC-EC (δ 13 C depletions. Eight-factored EPA-PMF source apportionment indicated highest contribution from residue/waste burning, followed by marine/dust soil and fireworks, while least was contributed from solid fuel/coal combustion.OC - δ 13 C EC ) were positive, suggesting photochemical aging of aerosols during long-range transport, while for pre-Diwali 2019 and post-Diwali 2020, δ 13 C OC-EC were negative with high OC/EC ratio, implying secondary organic aerosols formation. High toluene during Diwali week contributed to fresh SOA formation, which reacted with precursor 12 C, leading to 13 C depletions. Eight-factored EPA-PMF source apportionment indicated highest contribution from residue/waste burning, followed by marine/dust soil and fireworks, while least was contributed from solid fuel/coal combustion., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to review the CT imaging findings of injuries in the head and neck caused by fireworks through a case series., Methods: The imaging database from the University of Chicago Medicine was searched with "fireworks," "firecrackers," and "mortar" as keywords and CT as the imaging modality. Cases without acute CT findings or initial CT scans were excluded., Results: Eighteen cases with acute CT findings of head and neck firework injuries were identified and included. The associated injuries included skull fractures (5, 28%), ocular injuries (7, 39%), soft tissue trauma (18, 100%), retained foreign bodies (8, 44%), and intracranial trauma (2, 11%)., Conclusions: Fireworks can cause injuries of varying severity in the head and neck, including blunt and penetrating trauma, that warrant CT evaluation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Fireworks (FW) could significantly worsen air quality in short term during celebrations. Due to similar tracers with biomass burning (BB), the fast and precise qualification of FW and BB is still challenging. In this study, online bulk and single-particle measurements were combined to investigate the contributions of FW and BB to the overall mass concentrations of PM 2.5 and specific chemical species by positive matrix factorization (PMF) during the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong in February 2013. With combined information, fresh/aged FW (abundant 140 K 2 NO 3 + and 213 K 3 SO 4 + formed from 113 K 2 Cl + discharged by fresh FW) can be extracted from the fresh/aged BB sources, in addition to the Second Aerosol, Vehicles + Road Dust, and Sea Salt factors. The contributions of FW and BB were investigated during three high particle matter episodes influenced by the pollution transported from the Pearl River Delta region. The fresh BB/FW contributed 39.2% and 19.6% to PM 2.5 during the Lunar Chinese New Year case. However, the contributions of aged FW/BB enhanced in the last two episodes due to the aging process, evidenced by high contributions from secondary aerosols. Generally, the fresh BB/FW showed more significant contributions to nitrate (35.1% and 15.0%, respectively) compared with sulfate (25.1% and 5.9%, respectively) and OC (14.8% and 11.1%, respectively) on average. In comparison, the aged FW contributed more to sulfate (13.4%). Overall, combining online bulk and single-particle measurement data can combine both instruments' advantages and provide a new perspective for applying source apportionment of aerosols using PMF., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This article elucidates the role of the short-term combustion of firecrackers and sparklers as a significant source of atmospheric pollutants that deteriorate ambient air quality and increase health risks during the popular Diwali festival. The study was conducted at Bhubaneswar during the festive celebration in early November 2021 (4th Nov) and late October 2022 (24th Oct) to assess the level of particulates (PM 2.5 and PM 10 mass concentration) and the relative health risks associated with them. PM 2.5 (113.83 µg/m 3 ) and PM 10 (204.32 µg/m 3 ) showed significant rises on D-day at all seven different sites that exceeded the NAAQS in 2021. From 2021 to 2022, an overall decrease in PM 2.5 (41%) and PM 10 (36%) was observed. On D-day, the total concentration of quantified metals in PM 2.5 and PM 10 were found to be 4.83 µg/m 3 5.97 µg/m 3 (2021) and 5.08 µg/m 3 5.18 µg/m 3 (2022) respectively. The AQI during both years (2021-2022) was found to be high for PM 2.5 (unhealthy) and PM 10 (moderate), but it was markedly good for all other pollutants on the scale. The overall population in the study area were under a significant health risk was observed in the overall population as PM surpassed the threshold concentration amid the festivities for consecutive years, with PM 2.5 being more potent than PM 10 . The total excess health risk in 2022 was found to be decreased lower by ~ 88% from 2021 on D-day. But, metal exposure (through inhalation) in children were more compared to the adults for both the years. However, the exposure risk of both children and adults were high in the year 2022 with inhalation of metals like K, Al, Ba, Fe and Ca found in higher concentration and directly emitted from the firecrackers., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Purpose To report six ocular injury cases caused by unlicensed fireworks and subsequent complications at a level 1 trauma center in the setting of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related shelter-in-place orders. Observations All six cases occurred between March 2020 and July 2020 and involved fireworks of non-official use. A majority of subjects were male between the ages of 17 and 53 years old. Ocular trauma presented as the following: Case 1 is a 17-year-old male who sustained a left-sided corneal abrasion and small intraocular foreign body after a firework exploded in his hand. Case 2 is a 47-year-old male who presented with a right globe rupture after being struck with a projectile from a neighborhood fireworks display. Case 3 is a 36-year-old male with corneal abrasion, traumatic iritis, and commotio retinae after a firework injury in the setting of alcohol use. Case 4 is a 35-year-old male who presented with left lid injury, corneal abrasion, and hyphema after being struck by a firework with evidence of penetrating eye trauma on subsequent exams. Case 5 is a 53-year-old male who developed bilateral subconjunctival hemorrhages and a partial-thickness corneal laceration after a firework exploded in his left hand. Case 6 is a 48-year-old woman who sustained bilateral corneal stromal foreign bodies while cooking after a firework exploded near her vicinity. Conclusions and importance Fireworks are a preventable cause of mortality and long-term ocular morbidity. The index of suspicion for open globe injuries related to fireworks should be high given the mechanism of injury. These presenting cases at a level 1 trauma center and safety net hospital may be an unforeseen by-product of COVID-19 lockdowns. Our findings are relevant to trauma centers and safety net hospitals with large cases of firework injuries. Further initiatives to improve awareness of the dangers of fireworks should be prioritized to limit harms for all community members., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Jiro et al.)

The fireworks industry has long struggled with the problem of safety. Scientific, reasonable, and operable evaluation models are prerequisites of reducing risk. Based on the data from over 100 fireworks production safety accidents in China from 2010 to 2022, two evaluation models were established from the perspective of safety risk definition. Firstly, a weight calculation derivative method, the frequency-based analytic network process (ANP), was proposed creatively. This method optimized the importance ranking index calculation process in the ANP by considering the causal frequency of risk factors in the historical accident samples, thus determining how much each indicator affects the likelihood of accidents. Secondly, utilizing the historical accident samples as the dataset, a back propagation neural network (BPNN) model was developed to extract the mathematical relationship between each risk factor and the severity of accident consequence. Finally, the frequency-based ANP and BPNN models were combined to determine the safety risk level of the fireworks production enterprises. Meanwhile, the safety evaluation research samples were used as the comparison set for empirical study with historical accident samples, involving 100 fireworks production enterprises in China evaluated from 2017 to 2020. The significance result of zero shows that there is a statistically significant difference between the likelihood evaluation results of the accident and non-accident companies. Additionally, the severity evaluation model exhibits an excellent result, revealing a classification accuracy of 98.21 %, a mean square error of 8.97 × 10 -4 , a percent bias of 1.24 %, and a correlation coefficient and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient both of 0.96. The frequency-based ANP and BPNN models integrate self-learning, self-adaptive, and fuzzy information processing, obtaining more accurate and objective evaluation results. This work provides a new strategy for the promotion and application of artificial intelligence in the field of safety risk evaluation, thus offering real-time safety risk evaluation and decision support of the safety management for the enterprises., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Background: Nations wrestle with whether to prohibit products that can harm consumers and third parties but whose prohibition creates illegal markets. For example, cannabis is banned in most of the world, but supply for non-medical use has been legalized in Uruguay, Canada, and much of the United States and possession restrictions have been liberalized in other countries. Likewise, supply and possession of fireworks have been subject to varying degrees of prohibition in multiple countries, with those bans prompting significant evasion., Methods: Current and past history of fireworks regulations, sales, and harms are reviewed and contrasted with those for cannabis. The focus is on the United States, but literature from other countries is incorporated when possible and appropriate. This extends the insightful literature comparing drugs to other vices (such as gambling and prostitution) by comparing a drug to a risky pleasure that is not seen as a vice but which has been subject to prohibition., Results: There are many parallels between fireworks and cannabis in legal approaches, harms to "users", harms to others, and other externalities. In the U.S. the timing of prohibitions were similar, with prohibitions on fireworks being imposed a little later and repealed a little sooner. Internationally, the countries that are strictest with fireworks are not always those that are strictest with drugs. By some measures, harms are of roughly similar magnitude. During the last years of U.S. cannabis prohibition, there were about 10 emergency department (ED) events per million dollars spent on both fireworks and illegal cannabis, but fireworks generated very roughly three times as many ED events per hour of use/enjoyment. There are also differences, e.g., punishments were less harsh for violating fireworks prohibitions, fireworks consumption is heavily concentrated in just a few days or weeks per year, and illegal distribution is primarily of diverted legal products, not of illegally produced materials., Conclusions: The absence of hysteria over fireworks problems and policies suggests that societies can address complex tradeoffs involving risky pleasures without excessive acrimony or divisiveness when that product or activity is not construed as a vice. However, the conflicted and time-varying history of fireworks bans also show that difficulty balancing freedoms and pleasure with harms to users and others is not restricted to drugs or other vices. Use-related harms fell when fireworks were banned and rose when those bans were repealed, so fireworks prohibitions can be seen as "working" from a public health perspective, but not well enough for bans to be employed in all times or places., Competing Interests: Declarations of Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the frequency and type of firework-associated acoustic trauma occurring in Germany on New Year's Eve 2021, despite the ban on firework sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic., Materials and Methods: The survey period lasted 7 days, from 28 December 2021 to 03 January 2022. A questionnaire inquired date, type and treatment of trauma, sex, and age of the patient, and whether the trauma occurred when lighting or watching fireworks. Hearing impairment was classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO grades 0 to 4), and concomitant tinnitus, vertigo, or other injuries were recorded. The questionnaire was sent to the otorhinolaryngology departments of 171 hospitals in Germany., Results: Of 37 otorhinolaryngology departments, 16 reported no and 21 reported 50 patients with firework-associated acoustic trauma. Mean age was 29 ± 16 years and 41 of 50 patients were males. Of these 50 patients, 22 presented without and 28 with hearing loss, 32 reported tinnitus and 3 vertigo; 20 patients were injured when lighting fireworks and 30 when watching. Hearing impairment was classified as 14 × WHO grade 0, 5 × WHO grade 1, 4 × WHO grade 2, 2 × WHO grade 3, and 3 × WHO grade 4. Inpatient treatment was received by 8 patients and 11 suffered from concomitant burn injuries., Conclusion: Despite the sales ban, some firework-associated acoustic traumas occurred at New Year 2021/2022 in Germany. Some instances led to hospitalization, but an even higher number of unreported cases can be assumed. This study can serve as a baseline for further annual surveys to raise the awareness of the danger of seemingly harmless fireworks for the individual., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: This study aimed to examine the epidemiology of firework-related injuries within a national population between 2012 and 2022, including the severity of injury by year, patient demographics, body region injured, firework type, and diagnosis category of injury., Methods: Data were collected from the Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, which is a representative nationwide database that collects data on consumer product-related injuries occurring in the US. Injury rates were calculated based on patient age, sex, body region injured, firework type, and diagnosis category., Results: A total of 3219 injuries, representing an estimated 122,912 firework-related injuries, were treated in emergency departments within the US from 2012 to 2022. The overall incidence rate of firework-related injuries in the study rose by over 17% from 2012 [2.61 cases per 100,000 people (95% CI 2.03-3.20)] to 2022 and [3.05 cases per 100,000 people (95% CI 2.29-3.80)]. The rate of injuries was highest in adolescents and young adults (age 20-24; 7.13 cases per 100,000 people). Men experienced firework injuries at more than double the rate of women (4.90 versus 2.25 cases per 100,000 people). The upper extremities (41.62%), head/neck (36.40%), and lower extremities (13.78%) were the most commonly injured regions. Over 20% of cases in patients older than 20 were significant injuries requiring hospitalization. Aerial devices (32.11%) and illegal fireworks (21.05%) caused the highest rates of significant injury of any firework type., Conclusions: The incidence of firework-related injuries has risen over the past decade. Injuries remain the most common among adolescents and young adults. In addition, significant injuries requiring hospitalization occur most often during aerial and illegal firework use. Further targeted sale restrictions, distribution, and manufacturing regulations for high-risk fireworks are required to reduce the incidence of significant injury., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Pyrotechnics are a long-standing tradition at the turn of the year. There are little data available on New Year's Eve-associated ORL injuries. Due to restrictions during the Corona pandemic, the handling of fireworks and meetings on New Year's Eve 2020-2022 had been significantly changed. Our aim was to analyze first data about New Year's Eve-associated ORL injuries., Methods: A retrospective analysis of 16 turns of the year (2006-2022) at a University ORL department was performed. The 2 recent years were influenced by the changes and restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic., Results: Of 343 emergency presentations, 69 presented with New Year's Eve-associated reasons (20%). 72% were male, 15.9% were underage. 74% presented for fireworks-related injuries, 19% due to violent altercations. Noise trauma was present in 71%. The average number of New Year's Eve-associated emergency patients per year and the average total number of patients were reduced by more than half under COVID-19 pandemic conditions., Conclusions: New Year's Eve-associated ORL injuries range from inner ear trauma to midface fractures. Long-term damage may include hearing loss and tinnitus. These results shall support the responsible use of fireworks even after the end of the special regulations of the COVID-19 pandemic., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Particle number concentrations and size distributions resulting from the firework displays held in Budapest, Hungary every year on St. Stephen's Day were studied over a period of seven years. In the year most impacted, the total particle number concentration reached its peak measured level of 369 × 10 3  cm -3 5 min after the end of the display, and returned to the pre-event state within 45 min. The fireworks increased hourly mean concentrations by a factor of 5-6, whereas the concentrations in the diameter range of 100-1000 nm, in which the magnitude of the increase was the greatest, were elevated by a factor of 20-25. An extra particle size mode at 203 nm was manifested in the size distributions as result of the fireworks. The PM 10 mass concentrations at peak firework influence and as 1-h mean increased 123 and 58 times, respectively, relative to the concentration before the display. The smoke was characterised by a relatively short overall atmospheric residence time of 25 min. Spatiotemporal dispersion simulations revealed that there were substantial vertical and horizontal concentration gradients in the firework plume. The affected area made up a large part of the city. Not only the spectators of the display at the venue and nearby areas, but the population located further away downwind of the displays and more distant, large and populous urban quarters were affected by the plume and its fallout. The fireworks increased the deposition rate in the respiratory system of females by a factor of 4, as a conservative estimate. The largest surface density deposition rates were seen in the segmental and sub-segmental bronchi, which represents an excessive risk to health. Compared to adults, children were more susceptible to exposure, with the maximum surface density deposition rates in their case being three times those of adults in the trachea., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Based on the observation data of air quality and PM 2.5 components, the influence of fireworks on pollutant concentrations, PM 2.5 components, and secondary transformation during the Spring Festival period from 2019 to 2022 in Chengdu were analyzed. The results indicated that the fireworks had a greater impact on the concentration of SO 2 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 than the other pollutants. During the centralized discharge of fireworks from 2019 to 2022, the average hourly concentrations of SO 2 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 increased by 6.7, 105.0, and 117.4 μg·m -3 , with an increase of 135%, 236%, and 203%, respectively. During the centralized discharge period of fireworks, the contributions of fireworks to the SO 2 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 concentration were 10.0%-34.0%, 28.1%-31.3%, and 27.8%-34.6%, respectively. The impact time of fireworks on air quality decreased slightly, from 42 h in 2019 to 38 h in 2022; however, the impact on PM 2.5 concentration fluctuated, and the impact in 2022 was similar to that in 2019. The main components of fireworks were K, Cl, Al, K + , and Cl - ; the concentrations of these components were high and increased rapidly during the concentrated discharge, accounting for 5%-18% of PM 2.5 , with an increase rate of 87%-1511%. The discharge of fireworks had little effect on NH 4 , V, Cd, and Co, and the variation range was within±20%. Throughout the pollution period during the Spring Festival, the mass concentrations of the main components of fireworks were 4.9-31.7 times and 7.4-68.2 times that of the heavy pollution and good weather before the Spring Festival, and their proportions increased by 4%-8%. Secondary sources; fireworks; and biomass burning, coal burning, and industry were the main sources of PM + during the 2019-2022 Spring Festival. The contribution rate of fireworks and biomass combustion was 13%-25%, with higher contribution rates in 2019 and 2022. From the perspective of the impact of meteorological conditions on fireworks discharge, high humidity, low wind speed, and low temperature will intensify the impact of firework discharge on air quality and vice versa. Wind speed mainly affected Al, K 2.5 during the 2019-2022 Spring Festival. The contribution rate of fireworks and biomass combustion was 13%-25%, with higher contribution rates in 2019 and 2022. From the perspective of the impact of meteorological conditions on fireworks discharge, high humidity, low wind speed, and low temperature will intensify the impact of firework discharge on air quality and vice versa. Wind speed mainly affected Al, K + , Cl - , and SO 4 2- , whereas relative humidity mainly affected secondary components such as NO 3 - and NH 4 + .

Background: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the frequency and type of firework-associated acoustic trauma occurring in Germany on New Year's Eve 2021, despite the ban on firework sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic., Materials and Methods: The survey period lasted 7 days, from 28 December 2021 to 03 January 2022. A questionnaire inquired date, type and treatment of trauma, sex, and age of the patient, and whether the trauma occurred when lighting or watching fireworks. Hearing impairment was classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO grades 0 to 4), and concomitant tinnitus, vertigo, or other injuries were recorded. The questionnaire was sent to the otorhinolaryngology departments of 171 hospitals in Germany., Results: Of 37 otorhinolaryngology departments, 16 reported no and 21 reported 50 patients with firework-associated acoustic trauma. Mean age was 29 ± 16 years and 41 of 50 patients were males. Of these 50 patients, 22 presented without and 28 with hearing loss, 32 reported tinnitus and 3 vertigo; 20 patients were injured when lighting fireworks and 30 when watching. Hearing impairment was classified as 14 × WHO grade 0, 5 × WHO grade 1, 4 × WHO grade 2, 2 × WHO grade 3, and 3 × WHO grade 4. Inpatient treatment was received by 8 patients and 11 suffered from concomitant burn injuries., Conclusion: Despite the sales ban, some firework-associated acoustic traumas occurred at New Year 2021/2022 in Germany. Some instances led to hospitalization, but an even higher number of unreported cases can be assumed. This study can serve as a baseline for further annual surveys to raise the awareness of the danger of seemingly harmless fireworks for the individual., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Public use of fireworks is widespread in Iceland, and unfortunately associated with injuries. No prior comprehensive research has been done on firework accidents in Iceland. The goal of this study was to gather information about the extent, cause, and impact of firework accidents in the Reykjavik capital area., Methods: Text search was conducted in medical records to find visits to the Emergency Department (ED) resulting from fireworks accidents over the period December 2010 to January 2022. Medical records were reviewed for details of events and injury., Results: Over the period 248 patients came to the ED after a firework related injury, 73% male. The age range was from 9 months to 79 years of age. Children were 114, 12 were younger than 6 years. There where overall 54 secondary accidents. In total 96 (39%) accidents were traced to a faulty firework. Rockets caused the most accidents 56 (23%), cakes 43 (17%) and handheld candles 32 (13%). Type of firework was not reported in 62 (25%) cases. 157 sustained a burn injury, of which 104 where on hands. Eye injury was found on 67 patients and 97 individuals had open wounds. 22 where admitted to the hospital for a total of 91 days. Nobody died but at least 13 sustained permanent physical impairment due to fireworks., Conclusions: Over the past decade, 21 patients on average presented to the ED annually with firework injury. 73% of those injured by fireworks are male. Children make up one half of the injured and one child 5 years of age or younger sustains a firework injury every year on average. Preventive measures against firework accidents should be expanded and more restrictive regulations on their use should be considered.

Based on the online ion data, we have analyzed the cause of a PM 2.5 pollution episode, which happened during the Lantern Festival in Zibo in 2021. The pollution characteristics of water-soluble ion components were analyzed, the formation mechanism of secondary inorganic ions (SNA) was discussed, and the changes in the liquid water content (LWC) and pH value of particulate matter before and after pollution were comparatively analyzed. The results showed that the pollution period before the Lantern Festival (T1) and the pollution period at night (T2) ρ (WSIIs) during the Lantern Festival were 46.83 μg·m -3 and 71.18 μg·m -3 , respectively, which were 2.3 times and 3.6 times that of the cleaning period, respectively. Among them, the growth multiple of SNA during the T1 period was greater[ ρ (NO 3 - ) was 2.9 times, ρ (SO 4 2- ) was 2.8 times, and ρ (NH 4 + ) was 2.4 times] than the growth multiple of PM 2.5 (2.1 times), which showed that the increase in SNA concentration during the T1 period was the main reason for the increase in PM 2.5 concentrations, which were 4.0, 14.8, and 16.5 times that of the cleaning period, respectively, increased significantly during the T2 period, indicating that the fireworks and firecrackers caused the rapid increase in the PM - , K + , and Mg 2+ concentrations, which were 4.0, 14.8, and 16.5 times that of the cleaning period, respectively, increased significantly during the T2 period, indicating that the fireworks and firecrackers caused the rapid increase in the PM 2.5 concentration during the T2 period. The LWC during the pollution period was 49.37 μg·m -3 , which was 2.9 times that of the cleaning period. LWC was mainly affected by RH and NH 4 + during the T1 period and was also affected by Mg 2+ during the T2 period. The average pH during the pollution period in Zibo was 4.79±1.54, which was 0.14 lower than that during the cleaning period. The pH during the T1 period was affected by the combined effects of SO 4 emitted from the fireworks and firecrackers, causing the pH to increase 0.65 compared to that during the cleaning period. The formation mechanism showed that SO 2- and NH 4 + concentration before the Lantern Festival was mainly caused by the increase in SNA concentration, and the increase the night of the Lantern Festival was mainly caused by setting off fireworks and firecrackers.+ , Cl - , and Mg 2+ emitted from the fireworks and firecrackers, causing the pH to increase 0.65 compared to that during the cleaning period. The formation mechanism showed that SO 4 2- was mainly generated by heterogeneous hydrolysis during the pollution episode, whereas NO 3 - was mainly generated by homogeneous reactions. On the whole, during the pollution episode, the increase in PM 2.5 concentration before the Lantern Festival was mainly caused by the increase in SNA concentration, and the increase the night of the Lantern Festival was mainly caused by setting off fireworks and firecrackers.

Purpose: To report on the factors associated with severe vision loss from fireworks-related ocular trauma during celebrations, including festivals., Methods: Tertiary eye care hospitals in 5 countries and private ophthalmology practices in the Netherlands. Patients included received treatment for fireworks-related ocular trauma during celebrations. Demographic and clinical data for patients affected were analyzed and associations with severe vision loss reported., Results: Of 388 patients, 71 (18.3 %) had severe vision loss (worse than 6/60) at 4-week follow-up due to fireworks-related ocular trauma. Mean age overall was 20.6 years (range 2 to 83 years), and there was a male predominance of 4:1. Clinical factors associated with severe vision loss included penetrating injury (OR 4.874 [95% CI 1.298-18.304; p = 0.02]) and lens injury (OR 7.023 [95% CI 2.378-20.736; p = 0.0004]). More patients with closed-globe injuries (CGIs) had improved vision after 4 weeks (OR 3.667, 1.096-12.27) compared to those with open-globe injuries (OGI) (p = 0.035). Eye protection use was reported by 7 patients, and 39.4% patients < 18 years were unsupervised by an adult at the time of injury., Conclusions: Severe vision loss from fireworks-related ocular trauma occurred during celebrations in a variety of countries and was associated with penetrating and/or lens injury and poor presenting vision. New initiatives are needed to prevent severe vision loss associated with these injuries., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Ambient air pollution is the leading cause of environmental mortality and morbidity worldwide. However, the individual contributions to acute mortality of traffic-related air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) are still debated. We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study for a population located around Zurich airport in Switzerland, including 24,886 adult cardiovascular deaths from the Swiss National Cohort. We estimated the risk of cause-specific cardiovascular mortality associated with daily NO 2 and PM 2.5 concentrations at home using distributed lag models up to 7 days preceding death, adjusted for daily temperature, precipitation, acute night-time aircraft noise, firework celebrations, and holidays. Cardiovascular mortality was associated with NO 2 , whereas the association with PM 2.5 disappeared upon adjustment for NO 2 . The strongest association was observed between NO 2 and ischemic stroke mortality (odds ratio = 1.55 per 10 μg/m 3 , 95% confidence intervals = 1.20-2.00). Cause-specific mortality analyses showed differences in terms of delayed effect: odds ratios were highest at 1-3 days after exposure for most outcomes but at lags of 3-5 days for heart failure. Individual vulnerabilities to NO 2 associated cardiovascular mortality also varied by cause of death, possibly highlighting the role of different behaviours and risk factors in the most susceptible groups. The risk of cardiovascular mortality was also increased on firework days and after public holidays, independent from NO 2 and PM 2.5 concentrations. This study confirms the association between ambient NO 2 , as a marker for primary emissions, and acute cardiovascular mortality in a specific setting around a major airport. Future research should clarify the role of additional air pollutants including ultra-fine particles on cardiovascular diseases to inform most efficient control measures., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Firework-related injuries cause significant morbidity to persons in the United States and globally. Prior studies have shown that hands and eyes are frequently injured, with loss of hand function and blindness being common after serious injury. Many jurisdictions in the United States have relaxed laws governing sales of consumer fireworks in recent years. Given the increased availability of consumer fireworks, we sought to determine the incidence of firework-related injuries compared with historical controls., Methods: Firework-related injuries were identified in the National Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) using the corresponding International Classification of Disease codes for the years 2008-2017. Demographics, timing of presentation, and hospital characteristics were analyzed. Data were weighted to approximate population estimates of injury. Statistical analyses were completed using SAS. The National Electronic Surveillance System was also queried for firework-related visits to check for consistency in observed trends., Results: There were an estimated 7699 injuries attributed to fireworks in 2017 (2.37 per 100,000 population) compared with 5727 (1.88 per 100,000 population) in 2008. The majority of victims were male (74.6%), and injuries clustered in the pediatric and young adult age groups. The Midwest and South (both 38.1%) had more firework-related injuries compared with the West (15.6%) and Northeast (8.2%) regions. Most visits occurred in July (71.4%) with smaller peaks in June (6.9%) and January (6.0%). Patients were disproportionately seen in trauma centers (34.0%) and teaching hospitals (49.6%)., Conclusion: Emergency department visits for firework injuries are increasing in the United States. Pediatric patients and young adult males comprise the majority of victims. Injuries are clustered around the Fourth of July and New Year's holidays. Public health interventions targeted at high-risk groups may reduce the burden of injury., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (© 2021 The Authors. JACEP Open published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Emergency Physicians.)

Purpose: :Ocular trauma is one of the major preventable causes of ocular morbidity and blindness in children and young adults. Firework injuries account for 20% of ocular trauma. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical profile and assess the severity of the ocular injuries sustained from fireworks in Eastern India mainly during the festive season., Methods: :This was a retrospective, hospital-based case study of patients with ocular injuries sustained from fireworks during the year 2017-2020. The study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India. Demographic details, type of injury, duration of injury, visual status, diagnostic tests, and management were recorded., Results: Sixty-five patients were reported to suffer from firework-related ocular injuries. The majority of cases were male (51/78.5%). The mean age was 21.78 ± 16.82 years (range: 0-90 years). Children and young adult males were mostly affected (n = 40, 61.5%). Most common offending agent was the bottle rockets (n = 23, 35.4%), followed by bomb and crackers in (n = 18, 27.7%). Majority of the injuries occurred at home environment (n = 37, 56.9%), followed by street (n = 15, 23.1%). About (n = 39, 60%) of the injuries occurred among bystanders. About 40 cases (61.5%) hailed from rural areas. The majority of the cases (n = 46, 70.8%) suffered from closed globe injuries and surgical intervention was required in (n = 40, 61.5%) of the cases. The mean length of hospital stay of fewer than 5 days was required in (n = 42, 64.6%). The final visual acuity of 6/18 or better was achieved in 41 cases (63.1%)., Conclusion: :Ocular injuries from fireworks remain a public health problem. Awareness among the masses, preventive measures, and strict implementation of government legislation may help in bringing down the incidence of firework-related ocular morbidity and blindness., Competing Interests: None

Background: Fireworks are a culturally significant part of celebrations in many parts of the world but can lead to blinding injuries., Objective: To decipher the profile and management outcomes of fireworks-related eye injuries at a tertiary eye hospital in central Saudi Arabia., Methods: This was a retrospective review of cases with fireworks-related eye injuries managed at our institution between 2003 and 2019. Demographic information, clinical features at presentation, mode of management, and visual outcome were evaluated at the last follow-up., Results: A total of 155 eyes of 150 patients with a median age of 10 years [127 male (84.7%) and 69 (46%) right eyes, 76 (50.7%) left eyes, and 5 patients with bilateral injury] were enrolled for the study. Among the injured individuals, 59 (39.3%) were bystanders and 91 (60.7%) had ignited the fireworks. The fireworks included bangers (53; 35.3%), rockets in bottle (42; 28%), firecrackers (41; 27.3%). Closed globe injury (CGI) was the most common type of eye injury (100; 64.5% eyes) while Open globe injury (OGI) was noted in (55; 35.5% eyes). Management used for treatment included penetrating injury repair (55; 35.5%), lens removal/lens implant (51; 32.9%). Corrected distance visual acuity obtained after 6 months was 20/20 to 20/60 (74; 47.7%), 20/70 to 20/200 in (31; 20%), <20/200 to 20/400 in (9; 5.8%) and <20/400 in (41; 26.5%) eyes. Treatment was able to restore vision and salvage blindness in 50 (32.3%) eyes., Conclusion: Mainly males were found to suffer from fireworks-related eye injuries and the main fireworks responsible for them were bangers. Visual disability remained in one-third of the treated patients., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors and the authors declared that this study received no financial support. The authors report no financial interests in terms of the presented study., (© 2021 AlGhadeer and Khandekar.)

Noise is a pollutant of emergent concern for ecologists and conservation biologists. Recreational noise pollution, especially unpredictable and intermittent sounds, and its effects on wildlife and biodiversity have been poorly studied. Researchers have paid very little attention to the effect of noisy traditional festivals (fireworks and powder-guns). This study aimed to explore the effect of these recreational activities on the juvenile productivity of an urban avian bioindicator: the house sparrow. We studied five pairs of localities in the Valencia Region (E Spain) with noisy traditional festivals. Each pair was composed of one locality with festivals during the breeding season and the closest similar locality, but with festivals outside the reproductive period (controls). Both locality types were sampled twice each spring (May-June of 2019 and 2020). Sampling dates were selected as 15 and 30 days after noisy festivals ended, while the control localities were sampled 1 day after the census of their correspondent town pair with noisy breeding season festivals. The ratio of the juveniles/adults detected during surveys in the influence area of festivals (100-m buffer around the parades route) was used as a house sparrow breeding success proxy. Data were analysed using GLMM: year (2019/2020), festivals season (breeding/non-breeding), survey (15/30 days), and their interactions were included as fixed factors. Pair of localities and locality nested within the pair were random factors. In 2019, juvenile productivity was lower in the towns with noisy traditional festivals during the breeding season than in the control towns. The 2020 festivals were cancelled due to COVID-19. In spring 2020, house sparrow juvenile productivity was the same in both town groups. Lockdown did not increase this species' juvenile productivity in the control localities in 2020 versus 2019., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hazard or Harmless Fun? Injuries Caused by Fireworks -Study at the University Emergency Department (2013-2019) Abstract. Fireworks are often used to celebrate national, cultural or religious events. Despite strict regulations, fireworks are repeatedly causing accidents. The risk for injuries increases with the incautious use of pyrotechnic articles. This study analyzed injuries caused by fireworks with admittance to the Emergency Department of the University Hospital in Bern between 2013 and 2019. The results were compared with existing literature., Method: We conducted a retrospective study based on data from the Emergency Department of the University Hospital in Bern between January 1st 2013 and December 31st 2019. Among others, the following parameters were analyzed: gender, age, type of injury and therapy., Results: We were able to include 59 patients in our study. 81.4 % were men, the mean age was 31 years (range 16-73; SD = 11.3). In a majority of all cases (83.6 %) the ears, eyes and face were affected. Most injuries were monotraumatic, only 6.8 % of all patients suffered from injuries on multiple body regions. A total of nine patients had to be hospitalised due to serious injuries. Of these, one injury concerned the eyes, the remaining eight injuries concerned the hands. Only these eight patients required surgical treatment of their injuries., Conclusion: Fireworks are associated with a substantial risk for injuries, especially when used uncautiously. Our study showed that serious injuries mainly affect the hands. To prevent such injuries, systematic data collection on injuries caused by fireworks would be necessary, as many injured patients are hospitalised in smaller, peripheral hospitals or not at all. These data would allow for the development of more comprehensive and detailed prevention strategies that could prevent fireworks injuries.

Purpose: To assess firework-inflicted ocular trauma in the German capital during the week around New Year's Eve with regards to patient characteristics and age, severity of injuries, and their management and outcome., Methods: A retrospective chart review of all patients presenting to the department of ophthalmology of Charité-University Medicine Berlin during a 7-day period around New Year's Eve in the years 2014-2017 was performed. Patients with ocular complaints and injuries caused by fireworks were included. We recorded demographic data, active role, visual acuity at presentation and at last follow-up, the most pertinent clinical findings, management and outcome with regards to visual acuity, and integrity of the eye., Results: A total of 146 patients with 165 injured eyes were included. Median age at presentation was 23 (4-58) years, and 71.2% were male. Fifty-one patients (34.9%) were less than 18 years old. Ninty-seven patients (66.4%) sustained minor, 34 (23.3%) sustained moderate, and 15 (10.3%) sustained severe injuries. Severe trauma was seen in younger patients (median age: 12, range: 4-58 years) than mild and moderate trauma (median age: 23, range: 4-45 years) and resulted in loss of light perception in two eyes and in a visual acuity of only light perception in three eyes. One eye was enucleated., Conclusion: Ocular trauma inflicted by fireworks can have serious consequences for ocular morbidity and visual acuity, especially in severe trauma which affected younger patients. To significantly reduce firework-inflicted trauma, a ban of private fireworks in densely populated areas and in the vicinity of children should be considered.

Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the number of patients reported to a hospital with injuries from consumer fireworks in the months December-January in the past 10 years, and to describe the association between the type of fireworks, injury pattern, treatment, and permanent impairment., Methods: A multicenter, retrospective, observational case series. Patients were selected from two hospitals in the Southwest Netherlands: a level 1 trauma center and a specialized burn center. All patients with any fireworks-related injuries treated between December 1 and January 31, during 2007 (December) to 2017 (January), were eligible for participation. The primary outcome was the number of patients with any type of injury caused by fireworks. The secondary outcome measures were patient and injury characteristics, treatment details, and whole person impairment (WPI). The percentage WPI expresses a patient's degree of permanent impairments as a result of fireworks-related injuries., Results: Of the 297 eligible patients, 272 patients were included. From 2007 to 2017, between 21 and 40 patients were treated, and no clear increase or decrease was observed in the number of patients and in the number of patients per type of fireworks. Explosive fireworks mainly caused upper extremity (N = 65; 68%) injuries, while rockets (N = 24; 41%) and aerials (N = 7; 41%) mainly affected the head/neck. Decorative fireworks predominantly resulted in burns (N = 82; 68%), and explosive fireworks in soft tissue lacerations (N = 24; 25%), fractures (N = 16; 17%), and amputations (N = 14; 15%). Patients injured by explosive and homemade fireworks were most often admitted to a hospital (respectively N = 24; 36% and N = 12; 80%), and resulted in the highest proportion undergoing surgical procedures (respectively N = 22; 33% and N = 7; 47%). WPI found in this study was between 0 to 95%, with a median of 0%. In 34 (14%) patients, the injuries resulted in a WPI of ≥1%, mostly as a result of explosive fireworks (N = 18; 53%)., Conclusion: This study found no increase or decrease in the number of patients treated in two specialized hospitals. Explosive and homemade fireworks could be considered as most dangerous, as they result into the most hospital admissions, surgical procedures, and into the most injuries with permanent impairment as a result.

Discharging fireworks during the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations is a deep-rooted custom in China. In this paper, we analyze the effect of this cultural activity on PM 2.5 concentration using both ground observations and satellite data. By combining remote sensing data, the problem of uneven spatial distribution of ground monitoring has been compensated, and the research time span has been expanded. The results show that the extensive firework displays on New Year's Eve lead to a remarkable increase in nationwide PM 2.5 concentration, which were 159~223% of the average level, indicating the instantaneous effect far exceeds that of any other factor over the whole year. However, the averaged PM 2.5 concentrations of the celebration period were 0.99~16.32 μg/m 3 lower compared to the average values of the corresponding pre-celebration period and post-celebration period, indicating the sustained effect is not very significant. The implementation of firework prohibition policies can greatly reduce the instantaneous PM 2.5 increase, but no obvious air quality improvement is observed over the entire celebration period. Combining these findings and the cultural significance of this activity, we recommend that this custom is actively maintained, using new technologies and scientific governance programs to minimize the negative effects.

The aim of this study was to describe the circumstances surrounding firework-related deaths in Denmark, locate similarities and compare findings to the other known literature. Autopsy files, including police reports, located through searches in the archives of the three Danish institutes of forensic medicine were accessed. Data describing the age, gender, toxicology findings, circumstances of the accident, cause of death, autopsy findings and type of fireworks were examined. Eight cases involving firework-related deaths matched the search criteria, two of which occurred on New Year's Eve. An unknown number of cases that had not been autopsied were confirmed to exist. Data from the included cases suggested that using illegal fireworks, being male and handling fireworks directly played a key role in deaths. Most notably, illegal fireworks account for few injuries overall but caused the most deaths found in this study. Firework-related deaths are a rare occurrence. Autopsy findings often reveal blast wave injury to be the cause of death. Only one of the eight decedents included in this study were intoxicated with alcohol. Thus it can be assumed that powerful illegal fireworks are, by themselves, a risk factor for a deadly accident, independent of alcohol intoxication.

Fireworks on Independence Day have been identified as a nationwide but short-term source of particulate matter in the U.S. No study has specifically examined their impacts on ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Based on data between 1990 and 2019 in the Air Quality System, we identified 76 unique events that had PAH measurements on both July 4th days and control days (within 15 days before and after July 4th). We compared concentrations and diagnostic ratios of 16 priority PAHs between event and control days using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and multivariable regressions. A local PAH monitoring campaign was conducted at eight sites in Memphis, Tennessee, to obtain a close observation of PAH changes. The national geometric mean (GM) concentrations of summed 16 PAHs (ΣPAHs) were similar between event and control days (48.1 ng/m 3 vs. 52.8 ng/m 3 , p = 0.98). About a quarter of events had elevated PAH concentrations compared with control days. Higher diagnostic ratios were found on event days, suggesting more contributions from fireworks sources. PAHs on July 4th were unlikely to cause acute or chronic health effects. While the local monitoring showed a 15% increase of ΣPAHs on July 4th, the difference was not significant (p = 0.62). Elevated PAH concentrations occurred at sites near fireworks sources and without major traffics, but did not occur at those in remote areas or near major interstate highways. In conclusion, this study finds that Independence Day fireworks have negligible impacts on atmospheric PAHs at the national level, and are unlikely to pose significant health risks. The firework effect is localized within a limited geographic scale, suggesting potential needs for local monitoring and control programs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Fireworks events during the annual Indian festival of Diwali has been heavily criticised in recent times. Perchlorate is an essential component of fireworks. The effects of the fireworks on perchlorate (ClO 4 - concentrations in the (Kankaria) lake adjoining the fireworks site were below detection prior to the Diwali event and increased to 0.97 and 1.03 μg/L at 48 and 288 h after the event, respectively. However, samples from the Sabarmati River surprisingly contained an extremely high concentration of ClO 4 (65 μg/L) one day before the event, which decreased to 1.14 μg/L after 48 h and was below detection limit after 7 days of the event. This finding raises questions such as: (a) which has greater impact, fireworks manufacturing or burning; (b) can unregulated release of untreated effluents be a major critical source of pollution needing immediate attention from removal, environmental regulation and policy perspectives; c) is policy pertaining to unskilled labour in the manufacturing of fireworks and other ClO - concentrations in the (Kankaria) lake adjoining the fireworks site were below detection prior to the Diwali event and increased to 0.97 and 1.03 μg/L at 48 and 288 h after the event, respectively. However, samples from the Sabarmati River surprisingly contained an extremely high concentration of ClO 4 - (65 μg/L) one day before the event, which decreased to 1.14 μg/L after 48 h and was below detection limit after 7 days of the event. This finding raises questions such as: (a) which has greater impact, fireworks manufacturing or burning; (b) can unregulated release of untreated effluents be a major critical source of pollution needing immediate attention from removal, environmental regulation and policy perspectives; c) is policy pertaining to unskilled labour in the manufacturing of fireworks and other ClO 4 - -containing products needed in developing countries; and d) is ClO 4 - being a strong oxidiser, detrimental to the soil, groundwater, and aquatic environment?, (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Interest is increasing regarding use of Cannabidiol (CBD) in companion animals due to anecdotal evidence of beneficial behavioral and health effects. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the influence of CBD on behavioral responses to fear-inducing stimuli in dogs. Sixteen dogs (18.1 ± 0.2 kg) were utilized in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design experiment with treatments arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial, consisting of control, 25 mg CBD, trazodone (100 mg for 10-20 kg BW, 200 mg for 20.1-40 kg BW), and the combination of CBD and trazodone. A fireworks model of noise-induced fear was used to assess CBD effectiveness after 7 d of supplementation. Each test lasted a total of 6 min and consisted of a 3 min environmental habituation phase with no noise and a 3 min noise phase with a fireworks track. Plasma was collected 1 h before, immediately after, and 1 h following testing for cortisol analysis. Behaviors in each 3 min block were video recorded, and heart rate (HR) sensors were fitted for collection of HR and HR variability parameters. Research personnel administering treats and analyzing behavioral data were blinded as to the treatments administered. Data were tested for normality using the UNIVARIATE procedure in SAS, then differences examined using the MIXED procedure with fixed effects of treatment, period, time, and treatment x time interaction. Inactivity duration and HR increased during the first minute of the fireworks track compared with 1 min prior ( P < 0.001 and P = 0.011, respectively), indicating the fireworks model successfully generated a fear response. Trazodone lowered plasma cortisol ( P < 0.001), which was unaffected by CBD ( P = 0.104) or the combination with CBD ( P = 0.238). Neither CBD nor trazodone affected the duration of inactivity ( P = 0.918 and 0.329, respectively). Trazodone increased time spent with tail relaxed ( P = 0.001). CBD tended to increase HR ( P = 0.093) and decreased the peak of low- and high-frequency bands (LF and HF, P = 0.011 and 0.022, respectively). These results do not support an anxiolytic effect of CBD in dogs given 1.4 mg CBD/kg BW/d., (Copyright © 2020 Morris, Kitts-Morgan, Spangler, McLeod, Costa and Harmon.)

Background: Particle matter (PM) has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates across the world. This study was designed to test the hypotheses that pyrotechnic firework displays introduce significant amounts of toxic metals into the atmosphere and are hazardous to human health. Size-selective emissions from 10 different fireworks displays were collected during particle generation in a dynamic, stainless steel chamber and tested for toxicity in cells. A subset of 2 particle types were tested in vivo in mice. At doses that did not produce cytotoxicity in an LDH assay, in vitro reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation was measured in bronchial epithelial airway (BEAS-2B) and human pulmonary microvascular endothelial (HPMEC-ST1.6R) cell lines treated with size-fractionated particles from the emissions of fireworks., Results: Significant increases in ROS, in both cell types, were dependent upon the type of firework but not particle size. The in vitro ROS activity was correlated with lung inflammation produced in groups of mice treated by oropharyngeal aspiration with 0, 50, or 100 μg fireworks PM 10 /mouse. Trace metal analyses of the PM 10 samples showed significant differences in metal content among fireworks type. Interestingly, the PM 10 sample for the fireworks type producing the greatest in vitro ROS response in BEAS-2B cells contained ~ 40,000 and ~ 12,000 ppm of lead and copper, respectively. This sample also produced the greatest inflammatory response (i.e., increased neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid) in mice., Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that pyrotechnic display particles can produce adverse effects in mammalian cells and lungs, thus suggesting that further research is needed to expand our understanding of the contribution of metal content to the adverse health effects of fireworks particles. This information will lead to the manufacture of safer fireworks.

Purpose: We sought to elucidate causes of ocular trauma in children younger than 17 years of age during the Eid festivities in Sana'a, Yemen., Methods: A prospective observational case series study was conducted in two tertiary emergency hospitals (Al-Thawra and Magrabi Hospital). The Eid Al-Fitr festive holidays in 2016 lasted 10 days from July 3 to 12. All children up to 17 years of age presenting with ocular trauma were included in the study. All patients underwent detailed history-taking and examination concerning ocular trauma., Results: One hundred sixty children presented to the two hospitals with ocular injury. All were males (100%). The mean ± standard deviation age was 9.59 ± 4.92 years (range, 4-15 years). The injury involved the right eye in 84 children (52.5%) and the left eye in 76 (47.5%) children. The majority of injuries (n = 152, 95.0%) had occurred in the street, while eight (5.0%) had happened at home. The most frequent cause of injury was toy guns and fireworks, while the most frequent findings were hyphema, corneal laceration, and corneal abrasion., Conclusions: The causes of ocular injuries are diverse and tend to vary by geographical area. In particular, their incidence can increase during holidays, especially long ones. Usually, eye injuries with toy guns result in significant trauma that requires medical intervention and hospitalization with potential long-term eye complications. Public health workers need to conduct health education program to alert parents and health professionals to the danger of such toys., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (© 2020 The Korean Ophthalmological Society.)

Purpose: Fireworks may result in a wide spectrum of injury to the upper extremity ranging from mild burns to amputation. In this cross-sectional study, we describe the epidemiology of upper-extremity injuries in the United States associated with fireworks using the Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS)., Methods: The NEISS database was queried between 2011 and 2017 for all injuries of the upper extremity (from shoulder to fingertip) associated with fireworks. There were 806 unique cases, yielding a total weighted estimate of 31,430 national cases presenting to emergency departments in the United States during this time frame. National estimates, standard errors, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using parameters provided by the NEISS database. Significance of trends was determined using adjusted Wald tests, for which P values less than .05 were considered significant., Results: The weighted estimate was 4,490 yearly cases from 2011 until 2017. Trend analysis did not show a significant change in the number of yearly cases during that time frame. Most injuries (62%) occurred around June 27 until July 11. Nearly 50% of those injured were aged 10 to 29 years and were male. Fireworks with low pyrotechnic content such as sparklers, snakes, and poppers resulted in 26% of injuries. Although 83% of patients were treated and released from the emergency department, other injuries were more severe, with a 4.5% rate of amputation, 7% rate of hospital admission, and 8% rate of transfer to another hospital., Conclusions: Fireworks injuries to the hand and upper extremity continue to represent a serious burden of disease to the United States population and the health care system. Increased awareness, legislation, and targeted public education about the dangers of fireworks should be considered ways to reduce the incidence of these injuries., Type of Study/level of Evidence: Prognostic III., (© 2020 The Authors.)

High volume screening of parcels with the aim to trace the illegal distribution and selling of fireworks using postal services is challenging. Inspection services have limited manpower and means to perform extensive visual inspection. In this study, the presence of solid pyrotechnic residues collected from cardboard shipping parcels containing fireworks was investigated for direct in-field chemical detection. Two emerging trace detection techniques, i.e., capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based inorganic oxidizer detector and infrared thermal desorption (IRTD) coupled with direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS), were investigated for their potential as screening tools. Detection of non-visible pyrotechnic trace residues from real-case seized parcels was demonstrated using both screening techniques. However, the high nitrate background in the commercial CE system complicated its screening for black powder traces. IRTD-DART-MS allowed differentiation between flash and black powder by identification of the molecular inorganic ions. Compared to the portable CE instrument, rapid screening using IRTD-DART-MS is currently limited to laboratory settings. The capabilities of these emerging techniques established solid particle and trace residue chemical detection as interesting options for parcel screening in a logistic setting., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Ocular injury due to fireworks requires urgent ophthalmic assessment and management to preserve vision., Methods: Spectrum of injury, type of intervention, visual outcome, and reasons for visual loss were assessed in consecutive patients presenting over 2 years with firework-related eye injury. The final visual outcome was recorded as best-corrected visual acuity., Results: In the 96 patients (75 males) enrolled, 122 eyes were involved. Twenty-six patients had bilateral eye injury. The median (interquartile) age was 14 (8, 28.5) years. Injuries occurred during Diwali festival (59.4%) and funeral processions (20.8%); over half (53.8%) were bystanders. Injury was due to negligence (78%), device malfunction (12.5%), and attempts to reignite (5.2%) or recover failed device (4.2%). Presenting symptoms were redness (100%), pain (97%), watering (86%), and reduced vision (77%). Facial laceration, contusion, or hematoma occurred in 13 patients. The most frequent adnexal and ocular surface injuries were lid burns (57.3%), edema (44.2%), charred eyelashes (24.6%), and laceration (13.9%). Open-globe injury occurred in 8 eyes. Common anterior segment injuries were corneal epithelial defect (51.6%) and hyphema (20.5%). Posterior segment injuries included commotio retinae (13.1%) and Berlin's edema (7.4%). Surgical treatment was required in 15 eyes; 107 (88%) were managed conservatively. At study completion, of the 99 eyes evaluated, 21 had reduced visual acuity (<6/6) including 7 with monocular blindness. Factors associated with poor vision were open-globe injury ( P < 0.001) and poor initial visual acuity ( P = 0.05)., Conclusions: Open-globe injury and poor visual acuity at presentation predict the final visual outcome. Monocular blindness following firecracker injury is common., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and Shock.)

The extensive use of fireworks generates large amounts of pollutants, deteriorating air quality and potentially causing adverse health impacts. In Medellín and its metropolitan area, although fireworks are banned during December, their use is widespread during the Christmas season, particularly during the midnight of November 30 (La Alborada) and New Year's Eve (NYE). It is therefore essential to assess the effects of these celebrations on air quality in the region. Air-quality data from the official monitoring network and a low-cost particulate matter (PM) citizen science project, backscattering intensity (BI) retrievals from a ceilometer network, potential temperature from a microwave radiometer, and information from a radar wind profiler provide an excellent platform to study the spatio-temporal distribution of contaminants resulting from the La Alborada and NYE celebrations. Substantial increases in PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations due to La Alborada and NYE, ranging in some cases from 50 to 100 μgm -3 , are observed in the Aburrá Valley and particularly in the densely populated communes of Medellín, with most concentration changes corresponding to ultrafine and fine particles. The PM increments resulting from fireworks show almost no increase in the net amount of black carbon in the atmosphere. Ceilometer BI profiles show a substantial change immediately after the La Alborada and NYE midnights, confined to the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). Strong thermal inversions lead to fairly homogeneous increments in BI within the ABL, lasting until the onset of the convective boundary layer. In contrast, weak thermal inversions lead to rapid dispersion of aerosols, allowing them to episodically escape above the ABL.

Fireworks injuries are frequently caused by malfunction or incorrect operation of fireworks. Injuries often affect the eyeball and the periorbit. After treatment of life-threatening bleeding, injuries of the eyeball have priority over the treatment of periorbital lacerations and burns. The aim of eyelid surgery in firework-related injuries is to prevent delayed damage, such as lagophthalmos, symblepharon, entropion with trichiasis, and keratinization of the conjunctiva of the eyelid and eyelid margin. The treatment requires a considerable amount of time and patience both for the elaborate surgical procedures as well as for the necessary healing and rest phases. Many patients, however, are left with serious visual impairments and stressful esthetic deformities, which result in considerable occupational and social impairments.

Aims: To provide updated results on the adverse behavioural effects of fireworks on companion animals in New Zealand, measures that owners use to mitigate these effects, and opinions on a ban on the sale of fireworks. Method: A cross-sectional survey of companion animal owners in New Zealand was conducted between 2 November and 5 December 2016 using an online survey. The survey was modelled after a similar study conducted in 2006. Owners were asked to provide information on the types and severity of behaviours observed in their animals that were frightened by fireworks, what they did for their frightened animals and whether they would support a ban on the sale of fireworks. Results: There were 4,293 respondents who completed the online survey and they owned 15,871 companion animals, of which 11,750 (74.4%) were frightened of fireworks. For the 7,464 fearful animals with individual data available, the most commonly reported adverse behaviours were hiding (5,287; 70.8%), shivering (4,058; 54.3%) and cowering (3,324; 44.5%). Owners reported that 345 animals had been physically injured as the result of fireworks. Of 3,682 owners with frightened animals, 2,649 (71.9%) had not sought help or treatment for their animal. Frightened animals were mostly kept inside (3,479/7,464; 46.%) or comforted (2,112/7,464; 28.2%). Of all 4,325 respondents, 3,631 (84.0%) were supportive of a ban on the private sale of fireworks, with 370 (8.6%) against and 315 (7.3%) undecided. Owners with ≥1 animal that was fearful towards fireworks were more likely to support a ban (3,137/3,412; 91.9%) than owners whose animals were not afraid (466/561; 83.1%) (OR = 2.32; 95% CI = 1.80-2.98). Conclusion and Clinical Relevance: Among respondents to this survey, many owners of companion animals reported that their animals were adversely affected by fireworks, but few of them sought advice about strategies to mitigate the impacts. The majority of respondents supported a ban on the private sale of fireworks. Campaigns to raise public awareness of treatment strategies for managing fear behaviours during anticipated fireworks displays may be beneficial.

The imprints of fireworks displays on the adjacent water body were investigated from the perspective of cogeneration of black carbon, metals and perchlorate (ClO 4 - were studied at Oak Lake, Lincoln, Nebraska, following fireworks displays in 2015 and 2016. Following the display, ClO 4 - were studied at Oak Lake, Lincoln, Nebraska, following fireworks displays in 2015 and 2016. Following the display, ClO 4 in 2016. SEM images show imprints of soot and metal particles in aerosol samples. EDS analysis of the lake sediment confirmed the presence of Si, K, Ca, Zn and Ba, most of which are components of fireworks. The δ - concentration in the water increased up to 4.3 μg/L and 4.0 μg/L in 2015 and 2016, respectively. A first-order model generally provided a good fit to the measured perchlorate concentrations from which the rate of dissipation was estimated as 0.07 d -1 is an excellent marker of fireworks or a burning event over all other analyzed parameters. Future microcosmic, aggregation and column-based transport studies on black carbon in the presence of perchlorate and metals under different environmental conditions will help in developing transport and fate models for perchlorate and black carbon particles.-1 in 2016. SEM images show imprints of soot and metal particles in aerosol samples. EDS analysis of the lake sediment confirmed the presence of Si, K, Ca, Zn and Ba, most of which are components of fireworks. The δ 13 C range of -7.55‰ to -9.19‰ in the lake water system closely resembles fire-generated carbon. Cogeneration of black carbon and metal with perchlorate was established, indicating that ClO 4 - is an excellent marker of fireworks or a burning event over all other analyzed parameters. Future microcosmic, aggregation and column-based transport studies on black carbon in the presence of perchlorate and metals under different environmental conditions will help in developing transport and fate models for perchlorate and black carbon particles., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Evolution of submicron particles in terms of particle number concentration and mobility-equivalent diameter was measured during Diwali festival-specific intensive pyrotechnic displays in Varanasi over central Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). A scanning mobility particle sizer coupled with an optical particle sizer was used to fit in an overlapping size range, and particle number concentration was analyzed to have an insight into the new particle formation and subsequent evolution of particles from nucleation to accumulation mode. Further, variation in black carbon (BC) concentration and aerosol ionic composition was measured simultaneously. Frequent fluctuation in particle number concentration in and around Diwali festival was evidenced, primarily influenced by local emission sources and meteorology, with three distinct peaks in number concentrations (dN/dlogD p , 3.1-4.5 × 10 4 cm 3 ) coinciding well with peak firework emission period (18:00-23:00 h). Submicron particle size distribution revealed a single peak covering a size range of 80-130 nm, and for all instances, number concentration maximum coincided with geometric mean minimum, indicating the emission primarily in the ultrafine range (< 0.1 μm). Interestingly, during peak firework emissions, besides rise in accumulation mode, an event of new particle formation was identified with increase in nucleation and small Aitken mode, before being dispersed to background aerosols. On an integral scale, a clear distinction was noted between a normal and an episodic event, with a definite shift in the formation of ultrafine particles compared with the accumulation mode. The BC diurnal profile was typical, with a prominent nocturnal peak (12.0 ± 3.9 μg m -3 ) corresponding to a decrease in the boundary layer height. A slight variation in maximum BC concentration (16.8 μg m -3 ) was noted in the night of the event coinciding well with firework emissions. An increase in some specific ionic species was also noted in combination with an increase in the overall cation to anion ratio, which was explained in terms of heterogeneous transformation of NOx and catalytic conversion of SO 2 . Graphical abstract Time-resolved evolution of particle size distribution during normal and episodic events.

We have previously reported on the ubiquitous presence of perchlorate in the deposited and airborne fine dusts of Malta and shown that the source of the chemical in the dusts of this small central Mediterranean island is fireworks. There are no local geologic or anthropogenic sources of perchlorate other than firework manufacture and display. The hypothesis was tested that ground-deposited perchlorate will be mobilized in runoff and would partly migrate to the water table and eventually also affect tap water, one third of which being derived from groundwater. Forty four percent of 36 groundwater samples contained perchlorate above detection limit with mean and median values of 1.09 and 1.1 μg L -1 . Sixty-two percent of 16 runoff samples collected during storms contained perchlorate above detection limit with mean and maximum concentrations, respectively, of 50.8 and 129 μg L -1 , values which are far too high to be explained by atmospheric inputs given that rainwater perchlorate levels are typically <3 μg L -1 . Between 42 and 89% of the tap waters analyzed in three sampling campaigns contained perchlorate above detection limit and had mean concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 1.6 μg L -1 suggesting contamination levels similar to those reported from China but lower than levels reported from the USA. The phenomenon of contamination of the water resources of Malta by perchlorate is probably unique in that it results not from geologic or industrial inputs but from an intense and prolonged pyrotechnic activity that is deeply rooted in the popular culture of the islanders., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In an ideal case, the value of traces would be determined numerically and presented through the use of likelihood ratios or verbal-equivalent scales. A problem in the evaluation of gunshot residue (GSR) evidence using these models is that in many shooting scenarios insufficient data exist to support a quantitative model of interpretation. The complex relationship that exists between ammunition composition and post-firing residues makes quantitative interpretation more difficult for GSR than for other traces such as glass. When evaluating the significance of traces in a quantitative model, the value of a trace is reduced as the number of random sources that could produce the trace increases. Previously published works have suggested that glass-containing GSR (gGSR), which is glass encrusted with lead (Pb) and barium (Ba) residues, are a new type of GSR not already classified under ASTM E1588 - 17. If random sources of particles resembling gGSR are rare, then gGSR may be valuable evidentiary traces. In order to potentially incorporate these particles into a future model, the general background prevalence of gGSR and specific sources capable of producing similar particles must be understood. Therefore, particles from fireworks, matches, and cartridge actuated nail guns were assessed on an individual basis and at a population level. These sources, known to produce particles resembling GSR, were assessed using backscattered electron - scanning electron microscopy - energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (BSE-SEM-EDS) for the presence of glass-containing particles that resemble gGSR. In the experiments described in this article the nail gun produced particles compositionally indistinguishable from gGSR, due to the primer in the brand of nail gun cartridges used containing glass as the frictionator in addition to Pb and Ba compounds. In this study, no particles were located from fireworks or matches that were indistinguishable from gGSR, nor was any evidence observed or found in the literature that would suggest that such particles could be formed., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Fireworks displays are a traditional form of celebration during the Chinese Spring Festival (Festival). In response to the heavy air pollution caused by fireworks, Shanghai, a megacity in China, has imposed regulatory measures on the use of fireworks in recent years. To investigate air quality trends before and after firework regulation was established and quantify its efficiency, gaseous pollutants, PM 2.5 levels, and PM 2.5 chemical composition were synchronously measured at 1 h time intervals at an urban site and a suburban site in Shanghai in the period during and around the Festival from 2013 to 2017. PM 2.5 concentrations at the urban site during the Festival over the five-year period were 79 (max: 524), 94 (290), 53 (163), 50 (146) and 32 (156) μg/m 3 , respectively, presenting a decreasing trend at a rate of -13.8 μg/m 3 /yr (p = 0.05). K + concentrations, which serve as a tracer of fireworks, were 8.2 (max: 159.4), 2.5 (14.6), 2.2 (10.4), 4.3 (44.2) and 0.8 (4.5) μg/m 3 during the Festival from 2013 to 2017, respectively, and thus decreased at a rate of -1.3 μg/m 3 /yr (p = 0.17). Accordingly, fireworks contributed 41 (51.9%), 38 (36.5%), 6 (10.3%), 21 (35.6%), and 4 μg/m 3 (12.1%) to PM 2.5 , respectively, implying the effectiveness of firework regulation in Shanghai. Health effects attributed to PM 2.5 pollution in Shanghai during the Festival were assessed based on Poisson regression. The number of premature deaths related to short-term PM 2.5 exposure in Shanghai during the Festival from 2013 to 2017 was 75 (95% CI: 27, 108), 92 (30, 129), 55 (18, 76), 49 (19, 70), and 31 (12, 45), respectively. Daily mortality due to PM 2.5 exposure during the Festival from 2013 to 2017 accounted for 1.4-3.8% of total daily mortality in Shanghai. This study provides scientific evidence of air quality improvement and the effectiveness of firework regulation in Shanghai., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Lead (Pb) in individual aerosol particles was measured using a single particle aerosol mass spectrometer at an urban site in Chengdu, a typical basin city of China, for four one-month periods in 2016-2017 - one period for each season. The highest mass concentrations of particulate matter (PM) and gaseous species (CO, NO, NO 2 , and SO 2 ) were observed in winter. Cluster analysis was applied to Pb-containing particles, and eight major classes were identified based on mass spectral features. The contribution of these classes to the total Pb-containing particles varied seasonally - for example, Pb-nitrate (PbNO 3 ) particles showed a higher contribution in spring and winter (47%), while Pb-sulfate (PbSO 4 ) particles exhibited a higher contribution in summer and autumn (14%-19%). The size range of particles also changed with seasons as a result of different sources and formation mechanisms under different climatic conditions. A weighted potential source contribution function (WPSCF) analysis suggested that the potential source areas of Pb-containing particles were mainly located to the northeast, east, southeast, and south of Chengdu, and their contribution intensity and coverage area significantly varied in the four seasons. Although almost all pollutants decreased during the Spring Festival holiday (SF) period, fireworks caused the most serious PM and SO 2 pollution episodes during the whole study period. During the SF period, the contributions of industrial and traffic-related particles (Pb-organic + elemental carbon (PbOE) and PbNO 3 particles) decreased, whereas those of Pb-chloride (PbCl), Pb-metal (PbM), and Pb-sulfate + nitrate (PbSN) particles increased due to fireworks. Results from this study may provide valuable information for a deeper understanding of Pb in particles and evaluation its impacts on atmospheric environment and human health., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)