The research conducted by a team from Korea University’s Department of Health and Environmental Science led by Professor Yoon-hyung Choi has revealed that the levels of fine dust significantly increased in nearby areas following the 2023 Seoul International Fireworks Festival and the Busan Fireworks Festival. The findings showed that after the Seoul event, fine dust levels rose up to 32 times their normal concentration, reaching as high as 320 μg/m³ shortly after the fireworks, compared to the pre-event levels of 9–12 μg/m³. It took about three hours for the levels to return to normal.
Similarly, during the Busan Fireworks Festival, fine dust levels increased up to 10 times post-event, peaking at 241 μg/m³ from a pre-event range of 13–33 μg/m³. Even two hours after the fireworks, the average fine dust levels in Seoul and Busan remained significantly higher than usual, recording 231 μg/m³ and 188 μg/m³, respectively, which were considerably above the average levels of 19 μg/m³ during the same period.
The research team warned that the harmful substances emitted by fireworks could pose a health risk to residents due to the sudden spike in fine dust levels. They recommended wearing masks when attending such events and advised local residents to keep their windows closed during the festivities. Professor Choi suggested the need to replace large fireworks displays with eco-friendly alternatives such as drone shows or light festivals. He also emphasized the importance of government cooperation with local administrations to regularly monitor air quality before and after fireworks displays and to seek technological solutions to purify the air post-event. This study was published in the international journal ‘Science of the Total Environment’ on the 30th of last month.