Time evolution of atmospheric particle number concentration during high-intensity pyrotechnic events

Abstract The Mascleta s are high-intensity pyrotechnic events, typical of eastern Spanish festivals, in which thousands of firecrackers are burnt at ground level in an intense, short-time ( Mascletas have been compared to those measured when conventional aerial fireworks were launched 2 km away from the monitoring site. The impact of the Mascletas on the total number concentration of particles larger than 0.3 μm was higher (maximum ∼2·10 4  cm -3 ) than that of fireworks (maximum ∼2·10 3  cm -3 ). The effect of fireworks depended on whether the dominant meteorological conditions favoured the transport of the plume to the measurement location. However, the time required for particle concentrations to return to background levels is longer and more variable for firework displays (minutes to hours) than for the Mascletas (