A South Coast Air Quality Management District special air pollution advisory will be in effect Thursday evening through Friday morning due to fireworks related to New Year celebrations.

Fireworks are known to emit high levels of particulate matter as well as metal air pollutants, all of which can contribute to negative health effects, according to regulators, who warned that Air Quality Index levels may reach the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category or higher during.

Personal exposure to “backyard” fireworks may also create local fine particulate matter concentrations far in excess of regional values in the direct proximity to users, according to the AQMD.

Breathing fine particulate matter can lead to a variety of cardiovascular and respiratory health effects such as heart attacks, asthma aggravation, decreased lung function, coughing or difficulty breathing and may lead to premature death in people with heart or lung disease, officials said.

South Coast AQMD has also called a basin-wide No-Burn Day for Thursday due to higher predicted particulate matter levels. Wood burning is prohibited from midnight through 11:59 p.m. for all those living in the South Coast Air Basin, including Orange County and non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The no-burn alert does not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet in elevation, the Coachella Valley or High Desert.

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