The extensive use of fireworks, particularly during festivals like Diwali, releases large amounts of harmful gases and toxic substances into the atmosphere. As a result, the air gets polluted and can affect our health. In a recent study, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi have analysed the excessive air and noise pollution caused by firecrackers during Diwali and their potential impact on health.

Delhi, the city once famous for the charm of the Red Fort and the elegance of Qutub Minar, is today infamous for its pollution crisis. Ranked one of the most polluted cities in the world, the air in the city is taking a toll on its residents’ health. With over 10 million vehicles registered in Delhi, it is not surprising that the air is turning toxic. But how bad is the air really in the roads of Delhi?

In the past century, fossil fuels like petrol and diesel have powered our vehicles, machines and in fact, our world! But the era of these fuels is coming to an end; all our petroleum reserves are soon ending, and the increasing pollution due to these fuels is making the world sick. Now, our hope lies in biofuels—fuels produced by organic wastes that are renewable and eco-friendly, unlike fossil fuels.

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meterology, Pune, study how carbonaceous aerosols affect the different layers of our atmosphere. They find that these aerosols can have far reaching effects like instabilities in the mid to upper troposphere, bringing about a change in the rainfall patterns and causing abnormal heating of the atmosphere through radiation