Measurements were made before, during, and after ''bonfire night'' at
Oxford in England. Bonfire night (November 5) is an annual event durin
g which it is customary in England to set off fireworks and have bonfi
res. An increase in dioxin and furan concentration (TEQ) by approximat
ely a factor of four occurred during the period of bonfire night sugge
sting that bonfires and/or fireworks may be a significant source of tr
ace organic pollutants. Further measurements were made at Cardiff, in
Wales, during and after bonfire night in the vicinity of a large publi
c bonfire and firework display to give an indication of possible chang
es in ambient levels of dioxins. (C) 1997 AEA Technology pie Published
by Elsevier Science Ltd.