Assessment of noise pollution of fireworks during Christmas and New Year in the city of Buenos Aires: comparison with a different management strategy applied to the city of Santiago de Chile

Abstract

Fireworks are widely celebrated worldwide but have raised environmental concerns due to pollutant emissions. Thishas prompted evolving legislation in many countries, necessitating scientific evidence for policy development. Existingliterature mainly focuses on characterizing individual fireworks and quantifying noise variations between festive andnon-festive periods. However, no such studies have been conducted in Argentina. This study aims to characterize noiselevels generated by fireworks during the 2020 Christmas and New Year celebrations in Buenos Aires. Nine measurementsystems were used, obtaining acoustic descriptors reflecting noise levels during these events. Results were comparedwith typical ambient noise levels in the city and those during the New Year’s fireworks display in Santiago de Chile, wherepublic access to individual fireworks is restricted. Findings indicate significant noise level increases during the Christmasand New Year celebrations, supported by the L01 percentile acoustic parameter, more effective in characterizing impulsiveevents than Equivalent continuous sound pressure level LeqA. Comparing results with Santiago de Chile, noise valuesin Argentina remained similar within a 1.1 km proximity to the fireworks show, whereas beyond that distance, Chileanresidents experienced lower noise levels.