In the early hours of 2025, brief smog due to fine particulate matter was measured in many cities in the Netherlands. This is evident from measurements collected by the RIVM.
This is due to the large amount of fireworks set off during the New Years Eve celebrations. The air quality was thus very poor in some places for a short time according to the Dutch Air Quality Index.
Highest Concentrations in The Hague
The pattern of measured fine particulate matter concentrations in the air during the fireworks is similar to that of the New Years Eve celebrations of 2022/2023 and 2023/2024. The highest concentration of fine particulate matter measured at urban stations of the national air quality monitoring network was in The Hague (908 micrograms of fine particulate matter per cubic meter of air). Due to high wind speeds, the concentrations quickly dropped to pre-fireworks levels.
Fine Particulate Matter Can Lead to Health Issues
A high concentration of fine particulate matter in the air due to fireworks can, along with other polluting substances in the air, lead to a decrease in lung function. Respiratory complaints such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath can increase. Especially people with lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema, and those with cardiovascular diseases may be affected.
Measuring Together
Many citizens measure fine particulate matter themselves and share the results with the RIVM. This year, the RIVM also collected these measurements around the New Year’s Eve celebrations. The first results will soon be available on the website Measuring Together (external link).
More Information
News article 30-12-’24: air quality briefly poor during the New Year’s Eve
Current and expected information about air quality and smog can be found at Luchtmeetnet.nl (external link) and NOS Teletext page 711 (external link).
Information about smog on the RIVM website.
Information about lung diseases and air pollution can be found at the Lung Fund (external link).