This is how much dirt firecrackers and rockets leave behind

At the beginning of the new year, the air in Germany is usually thick. With the New Year's Eve fireworks, particulate matter levels also shoot up. But there is hope that this year there will be a little less dirt than before the pandemic.

According to data from the Federal Environment Agency, air pollution caused by particulate matter is generally not a widespread problem in Germany - with one exception: on New Year's Eve. "In the first hour of the new year, we regularly observe the highest concentrations of particulate matter of the year," says Ute Dauert from the Federal Environment Agency (UBA). "Here, hourly values of around 1000 micrograms per cubic meter are not uncommon. In comparison: Averaged over a year, the values are 15 to 18 micrograms per cubic meter."

The main reason for the extremely poor air values is, of course, the traditional New Year's Eve fireworks. Depending on the weather conditions, the suspended particles produced when the fireworks are fired can remain in the air for a very long time and cover a region like a haze. As a result, the daily average of particulate matter pollution at New Year's regularly reaches a level that poses a health risk. The limit value here is actually 50 micrograms per cubic meter.

Children, senior citizens and people with pre-existing conditions such as asthma are particularly affected by the irritation of the respiratory tract caused by pyrotechnics. "This can lead to an increased need for medication and even hospitalization, especially for asthmatics," says UBA expert Dauert. Only in the coronavirus years of 2021 and 2022 could those affected breathe a sigh of relief at the turn of the year: according to the UBA, the fine dust levels remained unremarkable due to the bans on fireworks and gatherings. "On these nights, the concentration of particulate matter was the same as on an average day of the year," says Dauert.

However, with the lifting of the pandemic measures, plenty of fireworks were blown into the air again on the night of January 1, 2023. The pyrotechnics industry even enjoyed record sales of 180 million euros. However, the subsequent air pollution was limited due to the weather - at least compared to 2020. Extreme exceedances of limit values over a longer period of time occurred at the beginning of 2023, particularly in southern Germany and Berlin (see map below).

Rain and wind clean the air

A decisive factor in the concentration of particulate matter: the weather. "High levels of particulate matter are favored by stable weather conditions with little air exchange," explains ntv.de meteorologist Paul Heger. Such conditions are particularly prevalent in high-pressure areas, which are typical in winter. If the sky remains clear and the layers of air on the ground cool down more than the upper layers, air exchange is made even more difficult. As a result, the rocket fog is particularly persistent and particulate pollution remains high for a long time.

"If you are still in the center of a high, where there are also no horizontal winds, the fine dust virtually sticks in place and is at most bound by water droplets in the form of fog or high fog. Only a very small proportion of the coarser particulate matter is heavy enough and falls to the ground," explains Heger.

Local authorities complain about growing mountains of waste

Fortunately, such a situation seems almost impossible this year. "It is quite likely to be windy to stormy and partly wet. This means that longer haze clouds are very unlikely," says Heger's forecast. The north-western half of Germany in particular can expect showers and strong gusts. It could be somewhat calmer in the south, which means that cities such as Munich could once again be affected by particularly bad air quality.

However, fireworks not only leave behind tons of particulate matter, but also a lot of dirt. According to a 2018 statement from the Association of Municipal Enterprises, around 200 tons of waste is produced at the hotspots of Germany's five largest cities on New Year's Eve alone - and that is only a fraction of the New Year's Eve leftovers. Most of it is removed over the course of the following days as part of regular street cleaning.

More recent figures on the subject can only be found at municipal level. At the beginning of 2023, for example, several regional waste disposal companies once again reported a massive volume of waste on New Year's Eve. In Dortmund, for example, according to a spokesperson, the city cleaning service collected 18 tons of New Year's Eve waste - three times what people were used to before coronavirus. The UBA is therefore not the only one calling on the population to exercise restraint when buying firecrackers or to avoid private fireworks altogether.

Firework fans are in the minority

In fact, there are indications that fewer fireworks could be used this year than immediately before the pandemic: according to figures from the Federal Statistical Office, almost as many fireworks were imported in the third quarter of 2023 as in 2020. However, the quantity imported from January to October inclusive no longer reaches the pre-crisis level.

The result of a recent Yougov survey commissioned by dpa fits in with this: according to the survey, most people in Germany are opposed to New Year's Eve fireworks and do not want to take part this year. A good third don't think much of firecrackers and rockets at all. A quarter of those surveyed would even support a general ban. Only a minority of 14 percent are among the die-hard fans who "fully" support the custom.

At the start of the regular firework sales, ntv reporter Bastian Vollmer (video) nevertheless reports a huge crowd in front of the Comet sales hall in Bremerhaven. "Let me describe the scene here: Traffic jams on the access roads, bills for several hundred euros at the tills inside," says Vollmer, while a queue of people winds around the building behind him. People are said to have queued for up to two hours outside the retailer that day.

Dirty air is harmful for everyone

The UBA estimates that around 2050 tons of particulate matter are released each year from the setting off of fireworks alone, most of it on New Year's Eve. This corresponds to just under one percent of the total annual emissions that are otherwise caused by traffic, wood heating, agriculture and industry, for example.

Breathing polluted air is harmful for everyone, the UBA emphasizes. The smaller the particles are, the deeper they enter the respiratory tract, are deposited in the lungs or enter the bloodstream. A permanently high level of particulate pollution therefore increases the risk of certain diseases, such as those affecting the respiratory or cardiovascular system. According to studies, the risk of dementia and diabetes is also linked to poor air quality.

Nevertheless, Germany can boast that it has significantly reduced its fine dust pollution over the past 20 years. The limit values set by the EU are only exceeded on individual days and are even significantly undercut on an annual average. So there can be no question of chronically high levels of pollution in this country. However, the UBA warns that even the short-lived pollution peaks on the first of January are potentially harmful to the environment and health. And: they could easily be avoided.