The Fourth of July is a major event for the United States. Marked as the day that the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the holiday has many traditions, one of which being firework shows. Typically done at the end of a celebration, these pyrotechnic devices explode in the air to create vivid flashes of red, white, and blue color and leave Americans feeling proud about their country. While fireworks have proven to be the ultimate way to end a celebration and promote togetherness and admiration among people, recent years have shown that these light shows come at a cost - firework pollution. Firework pollution refers to the adverse effects that fireworks have on people and nearly all realms of the environment. Whether it’s threats to air quality, noise levels, chemical pollutants, or wildfires, the issues that fireworks bring should not go unnoticed, and new ways to celebrate that replace traditional fireworks are currently being explored.
To create their signature spectacle of colors and explosions, fireworks are engineered using a variety of different chemicals. Gunpowder is the primary compound used to create their explosions and propel them into the air. Once the firework reaches the air and explodes, various pellets made of heated metal salts eject from the firework and burn, giving fireworks their colors. Burning different metals in the fireworks can create different colors, and various metals can be used to achieve the desired color. For instance, red fireworks use the metal strontium, blue fireworks use copper, and white fireworks use magnesium, titanium, and aluminum.
Fireworks can cause a number of problems in all areas of the environment - in the air, on land, or in water. The moment that fireworks explode, a dangerous collection of chemicals and particulates are released into the atmosphere. One of these pollutants is particulate matter (PM), or small particles of solids or liquids from firework shells or smoke that heavily degrade air quality, contributing to asthma attacks and respiratory diseases throughout the world. Fireworks also emit high amounts of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide, all of which are serious and even deadly air pollutants.
Major incidents of firework pollution often coincide with holidays around the world. In the US, Independence Day celebrations contribute heavily to acute air pollution, with a study by Atmospheric Environment stating that air pollutant concentrations are 42% higher the day after the Fourth of July. Other notable holidays include Diwali, or the festival of lights, celebrated in India, and Lunar New Year - all celebrations involve huge displays of fireworks, immediately leading to high amounts of pollution and health concerns.
Fireworks can wreak silent havoc on a landscape or in a body of water. Besides being present in the air, the chemicals used in fireworks can persist on the ground and in water bodies, lowering water quality and posing an environmental health risk for humans and animals. Among one of these chemicals is perchlorate. Used in fireworks as an oxidizer to propel them into the air, perchlorate is a well known toxin that can weaken the thyroid gland and lower the production of essential hormones in animals and humans. The chemical is also very persistent in the environment. It can dissolve in water and be absorbed by fish and accumulate in soil or plants on land, resulting in losses to biodiversity and contamination of soil or water.
The explosion of fireworks is also a known creator of microplastics. Microplastics are tiny bits of plastic that can be conveyed almost anywhere in the world through air currents or water. They often carry hazardous chemicals on them that lead to chronic health conditions and, when ingested by wildlife, can bioaccumulate hazardous chemicals up the food chain. These small particles also do more than pose health risks. When exploded, thousands of fiery bits of fireworks are sent across the landscape, and when these bits come into contact with dry underbrush, forest fires can erupt. This eventually leads to the displacement of people and animals, the loss of lives or property, and further stress on water supplies.
Besides being a clear source of air, land, and water pollution, fireworks are also an incredible source of noise pollution. The loud explosions from fireworks can reach up to 150 decibels of volume, which is louder than a plane taking off. Sounds like these can cause disruptions of sleep in children and adults and trigger PTSD episodes in people who suffer from the disorder. Wildlife and pets are especially affected by fireworks - they can cause disruptions in sleep, mating, or migration for many species, and they heavily contribute to roadkill or stress - induced illnesses.
Because of the environmental and health risks associated with fireworks, it’s no surprise that safer and less harmful alternatives to the practice have been explored. One alternative to traditional fireworks includes opting for silent fireworks. Silent fireworks are similar to traditional fireworks, however with one notable difference - these fireworks do not produce loud explosions, offering relief to pets and wildlife and lowering human incidents of PTSD events. While silent fireworks use similar chemicals as traditional fireworks to achieve the same spectacular of colors, less explosion-causing oxidizers and propellants are used in silent fireworks, making them a safer and less disruptive alternative.
One alternative completely phases out fireworks and instead looks toward another method of celebration - drone shows. In the modern age of technology, drones have become very fast and more agile than ever before. When drones are flown in packs, equipped with light displays and lasers, and programmed with complex flight patterns, they can produce incredible displays of color and images that rival that of fireworks. In addition to the displays, drone shows produce no emissions of dangerous chemicals or air pollutants and create little to no noise pollution. Additionally, because they don’t explode, the drones can be reused for later celebrations.
While fireworks are a modern staple of celebration and entertainment, it is important to be informed of the various risks and problems associated with widespread use of them. In the short time that fireworks are used, they can cause a number of problems to society, degrading the air, water, land, and biodiversity that people rely on. However bleak these issues may be, this is not an outright call to stop using fireworks - it’s rather a call for innovation. To address the various ailments caused by fireworks, alternatives need to be explored that limit fireworks’ impact while still preserving the enjoyment and fun that fireworks bring.
