Fireworks Are Bad for Your Health

Tue Jul 3, 2007 8:15PM EDT

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Not to be a 4th of July grinch, but those pyrotechnics in the sky are not exactly colored green. Last month, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study found that 4th of July firework displays pollute water. And since so many firework displays across America take place on lakes and rivers, that's not optimum news.

According to the report, the problem is perchlorate pollution. Perchlorate is found in certain fertilizers, rocket fuel, and explosives. It can harm both humans and wildlife.

The study analyzed an Oklahoma lake before and after fireworks for three consecutive years. Fourteen hours after the fireworks perchlorate levels rose anywhere from 24 to 1,028 times the starting levels. The good news? They quickly decrease (20 to 80 days) after the display.

Last year SeaWorld suspended its nightly fireworks display after environmental groups claimed they were polluting the bay.

Water pollution is just for starters. Gunpowder, the main ingredient in the fireworks recipe, produces a number of heavy metals when it combusts. These include potassium carbonate, potassium sulfate, and potassium sulfide, together with unreacted sulfur, producing unhealthy particulates in the environment. And then there's waste: Some 1,000 tons of additional waste are generated annually by fireworks.

Disney pioneered a new firework technology that uses compressed air instead of chemicals to launch the fireworks.

Moral of the story? Enjoy the fireworks, but don't swallow.

 

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  • 1 Posted by dcsoccer25 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    But... It's fireworks. It's a Fourth of July tradition. That would just take all the fun out of it. And in that article it said something about barium being radioactive? Since when? They neglected to tell us that in chemistry when we were experimenting with it a few times. I think that's a load of crap right there.

  • 2 Posted by dcsoccer25 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    That's what I thought, according to the almighty Wikipedia, the only naturally occurring radioactive isotope of Barium that lasts longer than about 10 minutes is 133 Barium.

  • 3 Posted by ytech_robinraskin on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    Barium is used for the green coloring in fireworks. Barium sulfate (the stuff you take in x-ray procedures at the doctors is not toxic but other barium compounds like barium nitrate and barium chlorate are the ones used in fireworks. They are more toxic.

  • 4 Posted by nickdc1960 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    I am going to beg to disagree with some of what you have to say here. Perchlorates and nitrates found in firewords are also found in fertilizers. (And yes, this is why fertilizers are also getting a bad rap for polluting streams and waterways.) But, they are not THAT bad. Other chemicals used to "color" the fireworks are generally harmless in the small amount that they use. Finally, the receipe for gun powder (black powder) has not changed much since the Chinese invented it; it consists of potasium nitrate (salt peter - often given as a laxative to cattle and also given to humans for other medicinal purposes), sulfur and charcoal. Frankly, a person could ingest small amounts of black powder and no harm would come to them. Do firearms produce pollutants? I would guess they do to some extent. But perhaps the real question should be, how much pollution is created when the Space Shuttle is launched?

  • 5 Posted by ytech_robinraskin on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    Today the NYT ran a story about communities that were not going to have fireworks because of drought conditions. Some have switched to laser light shows. Agree there are many more pollutants that are far more serious than fireworks, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be cognizant, right? And -- as you all probably know, provocative headlines attract more readers . Enjoy whatever you do or see on this 4th of July holiday. --Robin

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