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Health and environment

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It may come as no surprise that the fireworks displays that occur around the U.S. every Fourth of July are still typically propelled by the ignition of gunpowder-a technological innovation that pre-dates the American Revolution. Unfortunately, the fallout from these exhibitions includes a variety of toxic pollutants that rain down on neighborhoods from coast to coast, often in violation of federal Clean Air Act standards.

Fireworks Can Be Toxic to Humans

Depending on the effect sought, fireworks produce smoke and dust that contain various heavy metals, sulfur-coal compounds, and other noxious chemicals. Barium, for instance, is used to produce brilliant green colors in fireworks displays, despite being poisonous and radioactive. Copper compounds are used to produce blue colors, even though they contain dioxin, which has been linked to cancer. Cadmium, lithium, antimony, rubidium, strontium, lead, and potassium nitrate are also commonly used to produce different effects, even though they can cause a host of respiratory and other health problems.

Just the soot and dust from fireworks alone is enough to lead to respiratory problems like asthma. A study examined air quality at 300 monitoring stations across the United States and found that fine particulate matter spiked by 42% on the Fourth of July, compared to the days before and after.

Fireworks Contribute to Environmental Pollution

The chemicals and heavy metals used in fireworks also take their toll on the environment, sometimes contributing to water supply contamination and even acid rain. Their use also deposits physical litter on the ground and into water bodies for miles around. As such, some U.S. states and local governments restrict the use of fireworks in accordance with guidelines set by the Clean Air Act. The American Pyrotechnics Association provides a free online directory of state laws across the U.S. regulating the use of fireworks.

Fireworks Add to Worldwide Pollution

Of course, fireworks displays are not limited to U.S. Independence Day celebrations. Fireworks use is increasing in popularity around the world, including in countries without strict air pollution standards. According to The Ecologist, millennium celebrations in 2000 caused environmental pollution worldwide, filling skies over populated areas with "carcinogenic sulfur compounds and airborne arsenic."

Disney Pioneers Innovative Fireworks Technology

Not usually known for championing environmental causes, the Walt Disney Company has pioneered new technology using environmentally benign compressed air instead of gunpowder to launch fireworks. Disney puts on hundreds of dazzling fireworks displays every year at its various resort properties in the United States and Europe, and but hopes its new technology will have a beneficial impact on the pyrotechnics industry worldwide. Disney made the details of its new patents for the technology available to the pyrotechnics industry at large with the hope that other companies will also green up their offerings.

Do We Really Need Fireworks?

While Disney's technological breakthrough is no doubt a step in the right direction, many environmental and public safety advocates would rather see the Fourth of July and other holidays and events celebrated without the use of pyrotechnics. Parades and block parties are some obvious alternatives. Additionally, laser light shows can wow a crowd without the negative environmental side effects associated with fireworks.

Edited by Frederic Beaudry.

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Fireworks litter the ground, pollute water supplies, and rain down chemicals and heavy metals that contribute to a wide range of health problems.

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firework's colors

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Fireworks are a traditional part of many celebrations, including Independence Day. There is a lot of physics and chemistry involved in making fireworks. Their colors come from the different temperatures of hot, glowing metals and from the light emitted by burning chemical compounds. Chemical reactions propel them and burst them into special shapes. Here's an element-by-element look at what is involved in your average firework:

Aluminum - Aluminum is used to produce silver and white flames and sparks.

It is a common component of sparklers.

Antimony - Antimony is used to create firework glitter effects.

Barium - Barium is used to create green colors in fireworks, and it can also help stabilize other volatile elements.

Calcium - Calcium is used to deepen firework colors. Calcium salts produce orange fireworks.

Carbon - Carbon is one of the main components of black powder, which is used as a propellent in fireworks. Carbon provides the fuel for a firework. Common forms include carbon black, sugar, or starch.

Chlorine - Chlorine is an important component of many oxidizers in fireworks. Several of the metal salts that produce colors contain chlorine.

Copper - Copper compounds produce blue colors in fireworks.

Iron - Iron is used to produce sparks. The heat of the metal determines the color of the sparks.

Lithium - Lithium is a metal that is used to impart a red color to fireworks. Lithium carbonate, in particular, is a common colorant.

Magnesium - Magnesium burns a very bright white, so it is used to add white sparks or improve the overall brilliance of a firework.

Oxygen - Fireworks include oxidizers, which are substances that produce oxygen in order for burning to occur. The oxidizers are usually nitrates, chlorates, or perchlorates.

Sometimes the same substance is used to provide oxygen and color.

Phosphorus - Phosphorus burns spontaneously in air and is also responsible for some glow-in-the-dark effects. It may be a component of a firework's fuel.

Potassium - Potassium helps to oxidize firework mixtures. Potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, and potassium perchlorate are all important oxidizers.

Sodium - Sodium imparts a gold or yellow color to fireworks, however, the color may be so bright that it masks less intense colors.

Sulfur - Sulfur is a component of black powder. It is found in a firework's propellant/fuel.

Strontium - Strontium salts impart a red color to fireworks. Strontium compounds are also important for stabilizing fireworks mixtures.

Titanium - Titanium metal can be burned as powder or flakes to produce silver sparks.

Zinc - Zinc is used to create smoke effects for fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices.

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Fireworks are a traditional part of many celebrations, including Independence Day. There is a lot of physics and chemistry involved in making fireworks. Their colors come from the different temperatures of hot, glowing metals and from the light emitted by burning chemical compounds. Chemical reactions propel them and burst them into special shapes.

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Many people associate fireworks with Independence Day, but their original use was in New Year's celebrations. Do you know how fireworks were invented?

Legend tells of a Chinese cook who accidentally spilled saltpeter into a cooking fire, producing an interesting flame. Saltpeter, an ingredient in gunpowder, was used as a flavoring salt sometimes. The other gunpowder ingredients, charcoal and sulfur, also were common in early fires. Though the mixture burned with a pretty flame in a fire, it exploded if it was enclosed in a bamboo tube.

This serendipitous invention of gunpowder appears to have occurred about 2000 years ago, with exploding firecrackers produced later during the Song dynasty (960-1279) by a Chinese monk named Li Tian, who lived near the city of Liu Yang in Hunan Province. These firecrackers were bamboo shoots filled with gunpowder. They were exploded at the commencement of the new year to scare away evil spirits.

Much of the modern focus of fireworks is on light and color, but loud noise (known as "gung pow" or "bian pao") was desirable in a religious firework, since that was what frightened the spirits. By the 15th century, fireworks were a traditional part of other celebrations, such as military victories and weddings. The Chinese story is well-known, though it's possible fireworks really were invented in India or Arabia.

From Firecrackers to Rockets

In addition to exploding gunpowder for firecrackers, the Chinese used gunpowder combustion for propulsion. Handcarved wooden rockets, shaped like dragons, shot rocket-powered arrows at the Mongol invaders in 1279. Explorers took knowledge of gunpowder, fireworks, and rockets back with them when they returned home. Arabians in the 7th century referred to rockets as Chinese arrows. Marco Polo is credited with bringing gunpowder to Europe in the 13th century. The crusaders also brought the information with them.

Beyond Gunpowder

Many fireworks are made in much the same way today as they were hundreds of years ago. However, some modifications have been made. Modern fireworks may include designer colors, like salmon, pink, and aqua, that weren't available in the past.

In 2004, Disneyland in California starting launching fireworks using compressed air rather than gunpowder. Electronic timers were used to explode the shells. That was the first time the launch system was used commercially, allowing for increased accuracy in timing (so shows could be put to music) and reducing smoke and fumes from big displays.

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The History of the Invention of Fireworks

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Many people associate fireworks with Independence Day, but their original use was in New Year's celebrations. Do you know how fireworks were invented? Legend tells of a Chinese cook who accidentally spilled saltpeter into a cooking fire, producing an interesting flame. Saltpeter, an ingredient in gunpowder, was used as a flavoring salt sometimes.

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How Firework Colors Work and the Chemicals That Make Vivid Colors

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Fireworks combine art and science. Learn the chemistry behind firework colors, including the mechanisms of color production and a table of colorants.

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How do fireworks work? The chemistry behind Fireworks

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chemistry with great expériments

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Fireworks are used to please crowds, celebrate big holidays, and end festivals with a bang - literally. But at what environmental cost? Especially when climate change has made its way to the forefront of the planet, it is important to consider the environmental impact of fireworks.-
Society has a growing (and strange) desire to set off and watch explosives for the sake of entertainment and celebratory purposes.

On the business side, fireworks are a profitable industry where the average retail price for consumers to buy fireworks is about three times the wholesale price. In other words, a consumer buying one case of fireworks for $100 can result in a profit of $300 for the business owner.

Fireworks, as spectacular when displayed and profitable when sold, are a real-life horror show for the environment. Put aside the thought of entertainment and moneymaking for a few minutes because the planet we live on is hurting from fireworks.

What Are Fireworks?

In order to understand the damaging effects a firework has on the environment, it is necessary to first understand what fireworks really are.

The most basic component that all fireworks have is black powder, also known as gunpowder. When black powder - which is made from a mixture of 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal, and 10% sulphur - is placed inside a shell and ignited with a fuse, a loud, gaseous, and hot chemical reaction is created, essentially an explosion.

Exploding black powder does not seem very entertaining to watch, at least not to some. Mineral elements are mixed with black powder, providing colour to these explosions. Some colours simply require one element to produce the targeted colour. For example, only strontium is needed to make red, sodium for yellow, and barium for green. Other colours, such as orange, require a combination of mineral elements which are strontium and sodium, or purple necessitates a mix of strontium and copper. Additional chemicals, such as carbon, sulphur, aluminium, and manganese, are added to the fireworks, functioning as stabilisers, oxidisers, and extra colours.

Trained experts designing and handling fireworks, known as pyrotechnicians, measure the correct amount of black powder, mineral elements, and other chemicals, and arrange these compounds under a specific order to provide the firework with a particular shape and colour. Pyrotechnicians also calculate the altitude of each firework so that explosions happen at the right time and location. After everything is neatly calculated and wrapped together in a shell, a fuse is attached to the shell, and when lit, the chemical mixture reacts with the fuse's heat, and exploding fireworks ensue.

So now what? Fireworks explode, but where do all these chemicals go? One thing is for sure: what goes up must come down.

Still Up in the Air: The Environmental Impact of Fireworks

Chemicals from fireworks do not just disappear into thin air. When burned and exposed to oxygen, substances undergo a chemical reaction called combustion. This chemical reaction produces two results: Short-lived entertainment and toxic atmospheric pollutants.

The temporary enjoyment of fireworks releases a host of contaminants that affect air quality and can contribute to climate change, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, and particulate matter.

PM2.5 are inhalable fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller. The measure (μg/m3) means one microgram of pollutant per cubic metre and micrograms are smaller than milligrams but larger than nanograms. As a comparison, the average strand of human hair is 70 micrometers in diameter, approximately 30 times larger than a fine particle with two-point-five micrometers in diameter.
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A Horror Show for Animals

Imagine being an animal, comfortably sleeping in your habitat, and suddenly being awakened by hearing a sequence of booming noises and witnessing unexpected bright flashes out of nowhere, yet unable to escape - a horrifying experience. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many animals.

"Being unpredictable, as well as intermittent and relatively infrequent, also makes it unlikely that animals will acclimatise to fireworks noise."

Aside from deafening noises and disruptive lights, the aftermath of a firework display consists of debris, such as shells and heavy metals, littered across the ground, providing opportunities for animals to accidentally ingest these hazardous materials and potentially leading to illnesses. And it doesn't stop there.

While spectators are left with feelings of amazement and satisfaction, firework displays leave wild animals feelings of trauma and oftentimes injuries. Wildlife rehabilitation centres have increased patients and calls of reported wildlife sightings on roads following firework-filled celebrations.

Bad for Soil, Worse for Waterbodies, Worst for the Ecosystem

It is already established that fireworks pollute the air and traumatise wildlife. What's next? Ever think about how fireworks harm the planet's surface and its abundant ecosystems?

Perchlorate, a chemical compound, is often added to fireworks, working as an oxidiser to facilitate their upward propulsion. Though, this chemical can affect the function of the thyroid gland in large amounts. When fireworks burst into their colourful lights, chemical debris is left scattered across the ground. Perchlorate is one of them and it is often associated with contaminating soil and water. This chemical remains in the environment for long periods, easily absorbed by neighbouring flora. When it ends up in waterbodies, it can also affect fish development.

"Whilst we expected an increase in microplastics' presence, we did not expect over a 1000% increase from the sample taken on the 30th December 2019 to the one taken 6 hours after the firework display on the 1st January 2020 roughly 24 hours later," describes Ria Devereux, one of the researchers of this investigation which took samples of water from the river to examine the concentration of microplastics.

Particulate matter from fireworks can land on soil and water as well, altering nutrients in the soil and resulting in surface water becoming more acidic, with severe consequences on ecosystems. Similarly, atmospheric sulphur components, such as sulphur dioxide, are able to damage leaves and disrupt the growth of trees and plants.

A Greener Alternative?

There is no hiding that fireworks are not the best for the environment. The short spectacle that happens worldwide at countless holidays and festivals leaves potent and long-lasting footprints on the planet. Thus, there needs to be a call for change to minimise these effects, especially when climate change is in the limelight.

Some countries have decided to take political routes, implementing policies to reduce the environmental impacts of fireworks.

The city of Zhengzhou in China enforced a policy prohibiting fireworks in 2016 so that air pollution could . In 2018, the firework prohibition policy was reinforced, expanding into other regions, which in turn, had considerable improvements in the Air Quality Index , progressing from the category of Unhealthy for Sensitive People to the Moderate one. Besides Zhengzhou, Beijing decided to ban the use of fireworks before the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics took place. This ban "helped China's capital record its cleanest air for a Lunar New Year," as reported by the National Post .

For those who desire firework-related entertainment, greener alternatives are on the rise.

The government administers many of these policies and greener alternatives. As an everyday person, it may seem challenging to voice just how harmful fireworks are. There is really no need to fret. Even the smallest actions like writing to local government and politicians, spreading information through word-of-mouth or on social media, and signing petitions are all steps towards creating awareness of the impacts that fireworks pose on the planet.
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With the slew of problems that climate change bring existing at the front line of this world, it is vital to take all necessary actions to strive for a greener and healthier planet, including taking action on the dazzling but damaging fireworks.

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The Environmental Impact of Fireworks | Earth.Org

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Fireworks are used to please crowds, celebrate big holidays, and end festivals with a bang - literally. But at what environmental cost? Especially when climate change has made its way to the forefront of the planet, it is important to consider the environmental impact of fireworks.