Abstract
Diwali or the festival of lights is the most popular festival celebrated in India, when fire crackers are burnt in almost every household for 3 days. Levels of ambient air pollution are reported to be very high during the Diwali festival. In this study we aimed to measure personal exposure levels to PM2.5 during the burning of six of the most commonly used fire cracker types in India. Methods: Sparklers, ground spinners, flower pots, pulpuls, garland of 1000 sounding crackers and snake tablets were burnt outdoors in an open area during the late evening hours. PM2.5 levels were measured at a distance and height from where they are normally burnt using Thermo PDR 1200, USA. Results: Duration of exposure and peak PM2.5 levels for each of the fire crackers are given. Conclusion: Diwali fire crackers produce extremely high levels of PM2.5 over a short period of time with the snake tablet producing a peak level of 64,850 mcg/m 3 . Burning of fire crackers during Diwali festival is a major public health problem in India.
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