Fireworks are fun, but what impact do they have on climate change — and your health?
Nothing celebrates the Fourth of July better like fireworks, but do these pyrotechnics pose a danger to the environment?
Most are not aware but the heavy metals that fireworks contain can get released into the air and water. These metals are used because they give the fireworks a variety of colors.
When fireworks explode, these heavy metals, such as lead, titanium, strontium and copper, do not dissipate but are are released into the environment. Over time, and depending on the size of the fireworks display, these toxic metals can accumulate.
Holiday celebrations last year raised the air quality index from good to moderate in three hours of fireworks, increasing from 3 parts per million per cubic meter at 8 p.m. to 67 ppm at 11 p.m., according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.
Extended exposure of these metals can lead to serious health effects such as gastrointestinal and kidney dysfunction, nervous system disorders, skin lesions, vascular damage, immune system dysfunction, birth defects and cancer. Exposure may occur through water, air or food, and the longer the exposure, the more serious the effects, according to the National Institute of Health.
Even short-term exposures can aggravate lung disease, causing asthma and acute bronchitis, and increasing the susceptibility to respiratory infections. In people with heart disease, short-term exposures to the smoke from fireworks have been linked to heart attacks and arrhythmia, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reports.
Fireworks release smoke and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen, which all increase the rate of climate change.
All kinds of consumer fireworks — from M-80s to sparklers — are banned in Bellingham, with a minimum fine of $250 to $1,000. The city encourages people to enjoy the public fireworks displays instead of setting off their own at home.
The Port of Bellingham is hosting the annual fireworks show at Zuanich Point Park starting at 10:30 p.m.
This story was originally published July 3, 2023 at 3:09 PM.
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