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The state Department of Health said Oahu smoke levels during the 2013 New Year’s celebrations were consistent with levels during 2012 celebrations thanks to an islandwide ban on fireworks with the exception of firecrackers.
Lisa Young, an environmental health specialist in the department’s Clean Air Branch, said the significant decrease seen last year was "continued this year where we had mostly equal or lower values."
Smoke from fireworks is made largely of fine particulate matter, which can penetrate the lungs and aggravate respiratory conditions like asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Particulate levels on Oahu are measured hourly at four air monitoring stations in Honolulu, Pearl City, Sand Island and Kapolei. The national standard for fine particulate matter is 35 micrograms per cubic meter averaged over 24 hours.
The highest recorded particulate level this New Year’s was in Pearl City at 15 micrograms per cubic meter. That was less than half the level during 2011 New Year’s celebrations before the restrictions took effect but higher than last year’s 10 micrograms per cubic meter. Young said this difference could be due to weather conditions but could also be a result of the amount of firecrackers being burned in a given area.
Smoke levels on the neighbor islands this year were consistent with previous years, Young added.
Honolulu Emergency Services said it transported 16 patients to emergency rooms from 7 p.m. New Year’s Eve to 7 a.m. New Year’s Day for difficulty breathing, but it is not clear how many were fireworks-related. In 2012 two patients were taken to the emergency room for fireworks-related difficulty breathing compared with nine in 2011.