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Thrills & Chills
Fireworks on Our Lakes
(reprinted from "Lake Tides" a Univ. of Wisconsin publication)
Fireworks on Our Lakes
(reprinted from "Lake Tides" a Univ. of Wisconsin publication)
It was a black and sultry night. Not a breath of air was stirring. The lake's surface was as flat as glass. The first starburst lit up the sky in a wild and sizzling display of crimson and white. The water mirrored an exact duplicate, doubling the visual thrill . . . the Independence Day celebration had begun.
How do you remember the Fourth of July at the lake? Barbeques, sparklers, boat parades around the lake? What about the day after when the nasty procession of scorched cardboard and plastic remains wash up on the lakeshore, not to mention how the noise has affected the loons!
Fireworks are big business in the USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the value of fireworks imported from China in 2003 was $163.1 million, representing the bulk of fireworks imports to this country. In 2003, the U.S. consumed 220.8 million pounds of fireworks. Fireworks consist of a wide range of products with a highly variable composition. Although the available safety and environmental effect data on fireworks are often incomplete, issues with fireworks usually fall into the categories of noise, accidents, property damage and pollution.
Noise
Complaints of noise caused by fireworks are common around lakes in the beginning of July. The sounds of fireworks going off at all hours of the day and night can be more than just an annoyance. The blast can terrify pets and wild animals alike, causing them to hide or be overcome with physical effects such as trembling. The noise from exploding fireworks can top 130 decibels (dB). According to acoustic health specialists, exposures to 105 dB for one hour can cause hearing damage. The typical lake environment has noise levels from 30 dB to 50 dB.
Accidents and Property Damage
Fireworks are dangerous. They can cause burns, loss of limbs and sometimes death. They are extremely hot - sparklers can burn at temperatures of over 1800 degrees. On average, annually about 9,000 people are injured severely enough by fireworks to require hospital treatment. Forty-five percent of those injuries occur to children younger than 15 years old. Annually, fireworks cause over 30,000 fires nationwide, resulting in millions of dollars of property damage.
Pollution
Some researchers believe heavy metal fallout from exploding fireworks poses a threat to the environment and us. Currently toxicological studies on the effects of fireworks on the environment are limited and vary in results. The solid reaction products that give us the pretty colors and special effects include a nasty bunch of chemical additives. The unknown factor is the concentrations needed to cause a problem. Fireworks are often propelled by charges of black powder (which contain carcinogenic sulfur-coal compounds). Ammonium perchlorate, which can cause problems with the human thyroid gland, is another ingredient used in fireworks and is not a good thing to find in our water. Ammonium perchlorate has been found in ground and surface water in California, Nevada, Utah and West Virginia. White phosphorus is another toxic substance used in fireworks. Its residue can persist in aquatic environments and has caused die-offs of fish and waterfowl.
Fireworks contain a number of other toxic metals that are used to create a range of colors. Strontium produces blazing reds; copper compounds burn blue; magnesium, titanium and aluminum create brilliant white sparks. Sodium chloride generates orange-yellow fire; boric acid burns green; potassium and rubidium compounds produce purples and burning lithium glows red. Glittering greens are produced by radioactive barium. These ingrediends drift on the winds and settle into our water and soils.
During the Stockholm Water Festival in 1996, air pollutant levels were measured before and after the fireworks display. Levels of airborne arsenic were found to be twice as much as normal, while levels of mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, zinc and chromium were as high as 500 times above normal. Concern about these effects on their waters and people caused organizers to switch to a more environmentally-friendly laser light show.
Like so many other activities that we enjoy, watching fireworks comes at a price. Some of those costs, such as the noise and cardboard waste, are immediate and visible. Others, such as the carcinogenic chemicals let loose to contribute to the pollution of our soil, water and air, are not visible and often not thought about. Celebrating this independence Day can be more enjoyable for everyone if we are all respectful of our neighbors and wildlife, cautious in how we use fireworks and concerned with the potential impact they may have.
How do you remember the Fourth of July at the lake? Barbeques, sparklers, boat parades around the lake? What about the day after when the nasty procession of scorched cardboard and plastic remains wash up on the lakeshore, not to mention how the noise has affected the loons!
Fireworks are big business in the USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the value of fireworks imported from China in 2003 was $163.1 million, representing the bulk of fireworks imports to this country. In 2003, the U.S. consumed 220.8 million pounds of fireworks. Fireworks consist of a wide range of products with a highly variable composition. Although the available safety and environmental effect data on fireworks are often incomplete, issues with fireworks usually fall into the categories of noise, accidents, property damage and pollution.
Noise
Complaints of noise caused by fireworks are common around lakes in the beginning of July. The sounds of fireworks going off at all hours of the day and night can be more than just an annoyance. The blast can terrify pets and wild animals alike, causing them to hide or be overcome with physical effects such as trembling. The noise from exploding fireworks can top 130 decibels (dB). According to acoustic health specialists, exposures to 105 dB for one hour can cause hearing damage. The typical lake environment has noise levels from 30 dB to 50 dB.
Accidents and Property Damage
Fireworks are dangerous. They can cause burns, loss of limbs and sometimes death. They are extremely hot - sparklers can burn at temperatures of over 1800 degrees. On average, annually about 9,000 people are injured severely enough by fireworks to require hospital treatment. Forty-five percent of those injuries occur to children younger than 15 years old. Annually, fireworks cause over 30,000 fires nationwide, resulting in millions of dollars of property damage.
Pollution
Some researchers believe heavy metal fallout from exploding fireworks poses a threat to the environment and us. Currently toxicological studies on the effects of fireworks on the environment are limited and vary in results. The solid reaction products that give us the pretty colors and special effects include a nasty bunch of chemical additives. The unknown factor is the concentrations needed to cause a problem. Fireworks are often propelled by charges of black powder (which contain carcinogenic sulfur-coal compounds). Ammonium perchlorate, which can cause problems with the human thyroid gland, is another ingredient used in fireworks and is not a good thing to find in our water. Ammonium perchlorate has been found in ground and surface water in California, Nevada, Utah and West Virginia. White phosphorus is another toxic substance used in fireworks. Its residue can persist in aquatic environments and has caused die-offs of fish and waterfowl.
Fireworks contain a number of other toxic metals that are used to create a range of colors. Strontium produces blazing reds; copper compounds burn blue; magnesium, titanium and aluminum create brilliant white sparks. Sodium chloride generates orange-yellow fire; boric acid burns green; potassium and rubidium compounds produce purples and burning lithium glows red. Glittering greens are produced by radioactive barium. These ingrediends drift on the winds and settle into our water and soils.
During the Stockholm Water Festival in 1996, air pollutant levels were measured before and after the fireworks display. Levels of airborne arsenic were found to be twice as much as normal, while levels of mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, zinc and chromium were as high as 500 times above normal. Concern about these effects on their waters and people caused organizers to switch to a more environmentally-friendly laser light show.
Like so many other activities that we enjoy, watching fireworks comes at a price. Some of those costs, such as the noise and cardboard waste, are immediate and visible. Others, such as the carcinogenic chemicals let loose to contribute to the pollution of our soil, water and air, are not visible and often not thought about. Celebrating this independence Day can be more enjoyable for everyone if we are all respectful of our neighbors and wildlife, cautious in how we use fireworks and concerned with the potential impact they may have.
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