The effect of a fireworks event on the amount and elemental concentration of deposited dust collected in the city of Debrecen, Hungary

Many social celebrations in urban areas are followed by fireworks show. The organic and inorganic pollutants emitted during detonations are expected to affect the ambient air quality of these celebration sites. The environmental aspects of fireworks events are usually investigated by analyzing the concentration and composition of airborne particulate matter, while there is limited information regarding the effect of fireworks on the elemental concentration of deposited dust. In this study, foliage dust samples were collected in the city of Debrecen (Hungary) before and after the fireworks show, organized on the 20th of August for the celebration of a historical event. Leaf samples (Tilia tomentosa) were collected around the location of the area of festivities. The sampling sites were further divided into five areas: city center (center), Southeast (SE), Southwest (SW), Northeast (NE), and Northwest (NW). We found that the amount of deposited dust particles increased significantly after the fireworks show compared to the background; we also found significant differences in the amount of dust deposition between the different locations of the city. A statistically higher level of Ca, Mg, and Sr was detected in samples collected after the display compared to those collected during the previous days, while the concentration of other studied elements were not statistically different from the background level. Our study confirmed previous findings that the relatively high altitude of detonations allows chemicals to disperse in the fine and ultrafine aerosol fractions; thus, the emitted pollutants by fireworks shows do not increase the level of elements as markedly in deposited dust as in the inhalable fraction.