Air Quality at Music Festivals – Particle Pollution

Hi Everyone!

Previously in my post ‘Energy Consumption at Live Music Events’, I talked about how much energy is consumed at the event itself as well as on the way to the event and how it ultimately would lead to air pollution. In this post I will be talking specifically about the Air Pollution at the event itself and how different aspects of the event will exacerbate the air quality in the area.

The main contributors to air quality at an event itself are the amount of particulate matter in the air. This specific type of air pollution, particle pollution, is defined as pollution of an environment that consists of particles suspended in some medium. Particulate Matter (PM), is therefore a combination of solid and liquid particles found in the air. These PM contain microscopic solid or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems. If the PM is smaller than 10 micrometers, it could possibly enter your lungs and bloodstreams.

Of all types of PM, the most dangerous would be PM 2.5 which is most commonly seen during the haze period in Singapore. In this case however we will be talking about PM that is found at these live music events, that are usually caused by cigarette smoke as well as the dust from the environment.

Cigarette Smoke

Firstly, due to music festivals being held outdoors as well as the demographic of people that it appeals to, cigarette smoke and music festivals almost go hand in hand. Whether you are surrounded by rebellious teenagers who just want to have a good time on their weekend away from their parents or just people who are addicted to smoking and do so on a regular basis, whatever the case, if you’re at a music festival, you will most likely be surrounded by people who are smoking. So even if you are not a smoker and don’t take a single puff the entire weekend, you still have a high chance of having particulate matter from cigarette smoke entering your body through secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke, while not as harmful as firsthand smoking, could still results in numerous health issues including cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and even lung cancer. According to healthline, if you are a non-smoker exposed to secondhand smoke, you have a 25-30% greater risk of heart disease and at a higher risk of stroke. Additionally, inhaling secondhand smoke could exacerbate preexisting illnesses such as asthma. And lastly, inhaling secondhand smoke on a daily basis could increase your risk of contracting lung cancer by up to 30%.

Environment

The next source of particle pollution at these events would just be the environment that they are in. According to Cambridge Mask Co, “If you’re camped out onsite for a weekend full of shenanigans, it can soon feel like you’re living inside a giant dirty vacuum bag. Worse, if your tent is parked anywhere near a dirt road or track”. This is because some of these music festivals, such as Coachella, are held in sandy areas like beaches and deserts. As such, fine particulate matter that is harmful to your health is all around you and can get kicked up from the ground when everyone is jumping up and down at the same time.

In 2013, as Coachella music festival was coming to a close, it was hit with a terrible sandstorm which, in an interview with The Rolling Stone, one of the members of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers compared to that of being “in the Dust Bowl with Woody Guthrie”. According to Cambridge Mask Co, this extremely fine desert dust (playa dust) are “such tiny particles [that they] are easily kicked up with the slightest of breezes and can quickly find their way into delicate airways where the real problems start.” If that were to happen, it could result in major health problems such as playa lung which “can be extremely uncomfortable and even fatal if left untreated”.

Therefore, considering the number of health risks the air quality at these music festivals could have on your body, it won’t hurt to hang on to some of our reusable masks once this pandemic is over and use them to protect ourselves at future music festivals.

Resources:

Webb, H. (2020, May 22). Air Quality at Music Festivals. Retrieved November 07, 2020, from https://cambridgemask.com/blog/air-quality-at-music-festivals/

Herrera, M. (2018, June 25). Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wu-Tang Clan Brave Coachella Sandstorm. Retrieved November 07, 2020, from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/coachella-2013-red-hot-chili-peppers-wu-tang-clan-brave-sandstorm-187311/

Particulate Matter (PM) Basics. (2020, October 01). Retrieved November 07, 2020, from https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics