Residents of Washington, DC, on Sunday briefly experienced the worst air quality of any major city in the world, according to a company that ranks pollution globally, as the capital reckoned with the aftermath of a massive, 40-minute Fourth of July fireworks show.

The Fourth of July fireworks display in the capital impacted the amount of fine particulate matter in the atmosphere.

A "purple" air quality alert was issued for Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas, meaning pollution reached levels considered "very unhealthy."