Course:CONS200/2024WT1/The impacts of fireworks on wildlife

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Introduction

Fireworks are explosive devices that are widely used around the world for aesthetic and entertainment purposes, particularly during celebrations. For centuries, fireworks have been a key feature of celebratory occasions, offering visually stunning displays that captivate audiences and create lasting memories. Typically used outdoors, firework displays can range in length from about ten to thirty minutes, with some shows even being accompanied by music, enhancing the overall experience. The appearance and impact of each firework display depend on several factors, including the type, size, and stars contained in each firework. The combination of these elements, along with the timing and arrangement of the fireworks, creates a dynamic and often breathtaking visual display that is central to the celebration of holidays, public events and special occasions. While they are beloved for their aesthetic appeal, fireworks have significant detrimental effects on both the environment and wildlife as they produce colorful displays through chemical reactions. Their popularity has led to increased pollution of air, water, noise, and light which harms ecosystems and poses serious risks to animal health.[1]

The environmental impact of fireworks is far-reaching. The explosion of fireworks, composed of black powder made from potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur, releases harmful chemicals into the air. These chemicals, including heavy metals used to create vibrant colors, can significantly degrade air quality. This pollution worsens during firework displays, as levels of certain chemicals rise rapidly, contributing to short-term air quality degradation. In addition to air pollution, the smoke, debris, and residues from fireworks can contaminate soil and water, harming plant and animal life, including aquatic species.[1] The toxic materials that settle in water sources can disrupt marine ecosystems, especially impacting fish and other wildlife that depend on clean water for survival.[1]

The effects on wildlife are also profound. Fireworks produce sudden bursts of intense light and loud noise, both of which can disturb animals' natural behaviors.[2] The loud sounds of fireworks have been linked to increased stress and fear in many animal species, leading to disturbances in their normal routines.[2] Additionally, fireworks can cause long-lasting disruptions to ecosystems, as the chemical residue can remain in the environment long after the celebration ends. Furthermore, fireworks are typically used during holiday seasons, which coincide with increased instances of air pollution and wildfires, compounding the challenges faced by wildlife. The combination of pollution from fireworks and the increased risk of fire hazards contributes to habitat loss, further threatening species already vulnerable to environmental degradation.

History of Fireworks and How They are Used

2024 Vancouver World Fireworks Conference-Portugal Field

Fireworks have a long history, dating back about 15 centuries in China and their invention was quite accidental. According to the record, A Chinese cook accidentally mixed saltpeter (potassium nitrate), charcoal, and sulfur and found that the mixture burned brightly and quickly. He then put this powerful powder into a hollow bamboo tube and threw it into a fire, thus inventing what we now call black powder. [3] This serendipitous discovery laid the foundation for the birth of fireworks.

Since then, fireworks technology has gradually spread and advanced worldwide. In the 13th and 14th centuries, gunpowder was brought to Europe by Roger Bacon and the Earl of Warwick, who used it to develop firearms and cannons. Up until the 19th century, fireworks technology continued to change, even if there were no significant breakthroughs. At this stage, fireworks were mainly used for military and celebratory matters.[4]

During the 19th century, many new materials were developed such as nitric acid ester, nitrated paper, nitrocotton, smokeless nitrocellulose, wood powder, blasting gelatine, picric acid, and trinitrotoluene. [4] The availability of these new materials provided more choices in the production of fireworks.

In the 20th century, more powerful explosives appeared, such as Hexogen (RDX), cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX), trinitroazetidine (TNAZ), and hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (HNIW). [4] RDX is a quite powerful explosive that can cause a high-intensity explosion when exposed to open flames, high temperatures, friction, etc. Due to its strong explosive power, RDX is often used in the military field rather than in fireworks manufacturing. [5] HMX has greater explosive power than RDX, but its production cost is expensive and difficult to use alone. HMX is generally not used in fireworks production, but in industrial manufacturing and rocket fuel production. [6] TNAZ, as one of the components of rocket fuel, has good combustibility and durability, and is more used in industrial production rather than fireworks production.[7] HNIW has a stronger explosion power and can be used in high-explosive military applications. Compared with RDX, HMX, etc., HNIW has good chemical stability. [8] The explosion power of these explosives gradually increases, so they are basically not used in fireworks production.

Fireworks work primarily based on the reaction of chemical substances. Fireworks consist of a fuel, an oxidizer, a binder, and a color additive.[4] The most common oxidizer is potassium nitrate, which provides oxygen for the fireworks to burn. The fuel is usually charcoal or sulfur, which burns in the presence of an oxidizing agent, releasing energy. The binder can be sugar or starch, usually dextrin, which serves to bind the various chemicals together to form a paste.[4] This paste hardens around anything coated with it, providing the basis for fireworks.

Fireworks can be made by dipping a wire of the right length into a slurry of this mixture.[4] The various chemicals in fireworks produce different effects when burned. Color additives can give fireworks a variety of brilliant colors. The fireworks can also have glitter added to them to increase the visual effect of the fireworks. During the ascent, the fireworks will continue to release a variety of colors and effects, bringing visual enjoyment to people.

Environmental Impacts of Fireworks

Fireworks explosions have many negative impacts on wildlife and humans. The chemicals in fireworks are harmful to the air quality and the extreme light brought by the fireworks explosion is considered light pollution, the residue of fireworks causes soil and water pollution, which could bring more harmful impacts on the ecosystems, as well as the environment.

Water pollution

During the explosion of fireworks, the black smoke with the potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal releases huge amounts of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide, as well as particulates like aluminum and manganese.[9] Especially the perchlorate content in fireworks perchlorate is the chemicals that help with making loud explosions, colourful flames, and bright explosions during the explosion.[10] After the explosion, the perchlorate would be released and eventually sink into water.[11] According to the reports, with the use of perchlorate in the manufacture of fireworks, the groundwater and surface water in many countries like America, Korea, and Japan, India, China have been polluted by it.[9] Also, ten micrograms of perchlorate pollution per ten litres of groundwater for every one hundred meters of fireworks explosion could lead to serious pollution of the drinkable water for animals as well as humans.[11] Perchlorate is a strong, potent thyroid disruptor. When discharged into the water, it threatens the safety of drinking water and has a significant impact on human health as well as many species' health. It inhibits the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland, leading to a decrease in thyroid hormone production,[12] which can lead to many types of fetal developmental disorders and breast problems.[13] The perchlorate and chemicals from the manufacturing of fireworks also affects the growth of fish and many species of animals for example, leading to fish hermaphroditism and larval development in amphibians.[9]

Air pollution

Fireworks explosions polluted particulates into the atmosphere and led to some unusual atmospheric pollution events.[14] as well as the greenhouse gases from the fireworks leading to harmful effects on climate change and air quality. In Valencia, Spain, the Las Fallas, a famous fireworks celebration festival, the atmospheric aerosol procedures during these days illustrate the suspended particles and aerosol clouds containing metals in the atmosphere, the concentrations of these metallic substances have shown an explosive increase, such as potassium, aluminum, titanium, barium, the growth of these metallic substances varies from a few times to tens of times, which made a huge contribution to the year metal air pollution.[14] These metal pollutants can be inhaled, causing a series of diseases that seriously threaten human health.[15] Carbon concentrations are an important part of greenhouse gases, and the carbon emissions from fireworks are enormous, according to a study by Hirsh, the carbon emissions of America because of fireworks are 54,740 tonnes, which equals 12,000 cars annually carbon emissions.[16] The pollution brings PM 2.5 concentration growth dramatically, during the Chinese New Year Festival, which is a festival has lots of fireworks, the PM 2.5 average concentration has reached 57.70 μg/m3,[17] the WHO (World Health Organization) suggestion annual PM 2.5 concentration should no more than 5μg/m3.[18]

Noise exposure

Noise exposure from fireworks has been considered one of the most harmful things to young people’s hearing health, and it might lead to hearing impairment.[19] According to epidemiological studies, fireworks leisure noise becomes a danger which can ultimately cause irreversible hearing loss.[19] Fireworks noise has been defined as impulsive noise, which could be more harmful to human hearing health than any other type of noise since it might cause damage to hearing health at one-time exposure.[19] The exploding fireworks bring peaks at 160dB(A), which could cause a rupture of the tympanic membrane--an important part of the human hearing system, and eventually cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. Meanwhile, the noise exposure also brought the impacts besides the hearing health. Humans and animals would receive noise including stress, the annoyance that the fireworks noise brings.[19]

Impacts of fireworks on wildlife

Impact on birds

When exposed to fireworks, birds often experience negative effects such as increased metabolism, heart rate and stress hormones which in turn is realized as behavior detrimental to birds such as panic and predation responses.[20][21] These responses usually trigger a strong flight response resulting in interruptions to their normal behaviors such as nesting, reproductive, migratory and feeding which can induce collision accidents, especially in urban areas, and abandonment of habitats [22]. Overall, the sudden visual and sonic stimuli provided by fireworks directly affects birds via a flight response which has a negative impact on their energy consumption while also giving potential for abandonment and collision accidents resulting in injuries. There is also concern that the literal physical explosion of fireworks may cause hearing and bodily harm to birds though there are not many documented examples of this.

Impact on mammals

Domestically, fireworks have caused direct bodily harm, stress and panic among human companion animals.[23] Wild mammals, especially urban ones, share similar experiences with birds and also experience disruptions to their hunting and reproductive behaviors. Urban animals especially have been shown to adapt to the generally louder and brighter background of an urban environment; however events such as fireworks are more seldom in terms of frequency and offer more intense experiences which escapes this adaptation resulting in increased stress and abnormal behavior.[2] A greater concern is the leaching and bioaccumulation  of  heavy metals and perchlorate into the soil, waterways and animals.[9] Mammals in the higher trophic order tend to be more prone to bioaccumulation and may experience carcinogenic issues affecting development and reproduction.[2]

Solutions to Reduce the Impacts

In recent years, the development of modern technological alternatives has provided greener and safer options to traditional fireworks, offering solutions that still maintain the aesthetics and cultural significance of celebratory displays while minimizing their negative environmental impacts. These alternatives include eco-friendly fireworks, reusable drone light shows, and laser-based displays, each with the potential to reduce pollution and protect wildlife.

Eco-friendly fireworks represent a significant step forward in reducing the environmental harm caused by traditional pyrotechnics. These fireworks are designed to exclude harmful perchlorates and use fewer heavy metals, which are the main contributes behind pollution and the contamination of soil, air, and water.[2] While eco-friendly fireworks still produce some light, noise, and pollution, they are notably quieter, less intense in their brightness, and release fewer toxic chemicals compared to conventional fireworks.[2] However, one downside is that eco-friendly fireworks are more expensive to manufacture, which could limit their widespread acceptance.[2] Despite this, they are still seen as a valuable alternative for those wishing to celebrate with a reduced ecological footprint.

Drone light shows and laser-based displays offer another innovative alternative that eliminates the harmful effects of fireworks entirely. These systems are reusable, produce no emissions, and are much quieter, making them a better option for protecting wildlife from stress and disruption.[2] However, drones flying at low altitudes could still pose a potential risk to wildlife if they come into contact with birds or other animals.[2] Despite this risk, drones and lasers offer a sustainable, noise-free option for creating spectacular visual displays, without the chemical pollution associated with fireworks.

In addition to technological alternatives, simple changes in the way celebrations are held can also help reduce environmental harm. For example, using recyclable and eco-friendly glow sticks, biodegradable confetti, and luminous light-up toys can minimize the ecological footprint of events.[1] Confetti that biodegrades naturally reduces waste and avoids contributing to plastic pollution, while glow sticks and light-up toys provide festive ambiance without the need for fireworks.[1] Even simple activities like blowing bubbles can add a magical element to celebrations, without the harmful effects of traditional pyrotechnics.

For more immersive celebrations, light projections, melodic rhythms, and water elements can create enchanting and ethereal displays that maintain the aesthetic appeal of fireworks while avoiding noise and pollution.[1] These alternatives can offer a captivating experience and a peaceful atmosphere, preserving the magic of celebrations without disturbing wildlife or the environment.

One promising solution is to implement fireworks bans in specific areas or seasons, such as during summer breeding periods or winter migrations, when wildlife is most vulnerable. Prohibiting fireworks in these sensitive times can reduce the negative impact on animal behavior and health, as well as improve air quality and reduce pollution levels.[1] However, despite the environmental benefits of these bans, many people view fireworks as an essential part of cultural traditions and celebrations, making them resistant to prohibitions.[2] Balancing the enjoyment of fireworks with environmental and wildlife protection remains a challenge.

In conclusion, the growing availability of modern alternatives to traditional fireworks, along with proactive measures such as fireworks bans in critical areas and seasons, offers a pathway to reduce the environmental harm caused by pyrotechnic displays. These alternatives allow for the continuation of cultural traditions and celebrations while minimizing the negative impacts on the planet and its wildlife.

Looking Forward

The most direct way of minimizing the impacts of fireworks on wildlife is limiting the use of fireworks which most concretely means some type of restrictions, bans and or alternatives to fireworks. On the technological side, improvements and alternatives (see solutions to reduce fireworks impacts) to fireworks are being made so potential solutions should focus more on legislation and restrictions. On this front, until an acceptable sustainable option with regards to wildlife replaces fireworks, legislating restrictions on firework issues can theoretically end much of the negative impacts of fireworks on wildlife overnight. This sort of approach taken too far may upset the public and has upset the public before. According to a UK government report,[24] 44% of participants did not want to see a ban on firework displays. More fundamentally, education surrounding the impacts of fireworks should be taught to the public so that the citizens can make a more informed decision on where they draw the line for firework usage with regards to the impacts done on wildlife.

Conclusion

Therefore, although fireworks can bring colorful and shining visual effects, the negative impact of fireworks on the environment cannot be ignored. For example, fireworks may cause air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution. Once the various chemicals in fireworks penetrate into the land, they will affect the health of various organisms and humans, and will also have a bad impact on air quality. Air pollution is largely responsible for diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lower respiratory infections (LRI), allergies, and even death in extreme cases (Saxena et al., 2022).[25] For some wild animals, setting off fireworks may interfere with their nesting, foraging, and reproduction behaviors. If the chemicals in fireworks penetrate into the sea, it will also affect various marine organisms, because heavy metals, chlorates, etc. in fireworks can cause health problems for organisms.[26] Considering this, in order to reduce the negative impact of fireworks, it is important to limit the use of fireworks or implement corresponding bans. For example, limiting the use of fireworks during the period of large-scale reproduction and migration of wild animals can better protect the ecosystem. At the same time, some environmentally friendly green fireworks can also be developed, or laser light shows and drone shows can be used instead of fireworks, which can also give people a bright and stunning visual effect. Future research needs to evaluate the effectiveness of these alternatives and find more sustainable ways to celebrate in order to balance the needs of human recreation and ecological conservation. In addition, it is also necessary to further enhance public awareness, let them realize the harm that fireworks may cause, and help people make better decisions.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Ziaul, Islam (May 07, 2024). "Is celebration of New Year and other festivals worth their environmental impact?". The Geographical Journal. 190 (4). doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/geoj.12589 Check |doi= value (help). Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Bateman, Philip W.; Gilson, Lauren N.; Bradshaw, Penelope (January, 2023). "Not just a flash in the pan: short and long term impacts of fireworks on the environment". Pacific Conservation Biology. doi:https://doi.org/10.1071/pc22040 Check |doi= value (help). Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ↑ Neil, Gussman (Oct 2004). A Blast from the Past: The History of Fireworks. New York: Chemical Engineering Progress; New York. ISBN 03607275 Check |isbn= value: length (help).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Naik, Vedang; Patil, K.C. (23 June 2015). "A brief history and chemistry of fireworks and rocketry". High energy materials. 20: 431–444.
  5. ↑ Kuykendall, S.T. (2023). "CHARACTERIZATION OF EXPLOSIVES TESTING RANGES: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND REMEDIATION CONSIDERATIONS" (PDF). In Selinus University, Department of Geotechnical Engineering: 25.
  6. ↑ Chatterjee, Soumya; Deb, Utsab; Datta, Sibnarayan; Walther, Clemens; Gupta, Dharmendra K. (October 2017). "Common explosives (TNT, RDX, HMX) and their fate in the environment: Emphasizing bioremediation". Chemosphere. 184: 438–451.
  7. ↑ Sikder, N.; Sikdar, A.K.; Bulakh, N.R.; Gandhe, B.R. (10 September 2004). "1,3,3-Trinitroazetidine (TNAZ), a melt-cast explosive: synthesis, characterization and thermal behaviour". Journal of Hazardous Materials. 113: 35–43.
  8. ↑ Bayat, Yadollah; Taheripouya, Ghazaleh; Zeynali, Vida; Azizkhani, Vahid (02 Mar 2023). "Methods and strategies to achieve hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (HNIW or CL-20): a comprehensive overview". Journal of Energetic Materials. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Sijimol, M. R.; Mohan, Mahesh (10 July 2014). "Environmental impacts of perchlorate with special reference to fireworks—a review". Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. Volume 186: pp 7203–7210 – via Springer Nature Link.CS1 maint: extra text (link)
  10. ↑ Aziz, Carol; Borch, Robert; Nicholson, Paul; Cox, Evan (2006). "Alternative Causes of Wide-Spread, Low Concentration Perchlorate Impacts to Groundwater". Perchlorate Environmental Occurrence, Interactions and Treatment: pp 71-91 – via Springer, Boston, MA.CS1 maint: extra text (link)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Munster, Jennie; Hanson, Gilbert N.; Jackson, W. Andrew; Rajagopalan, Srinath (March 2009). "The Fallout from Fireworks: Perchlorate in Total Deposition". Water, Air, and Soil Pollution. Volume 198: pp149-153 – via Springer Nature Link.CS1 maint: extra text (link)
  12. ↑ Clewell, Rebecca A.; Merrill, Elaine A.; Yu, Kyung O.; Mahle, Deirdre A.; Sterner, Teresa R.; Fisher, Jeffrey W.; Gearhart, Jeffery M. (August 2003). "Predicting Neonatal Perchlorate Dose and Inhibition of Iodide Uptake in the Rat during Lactation Using Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling". Toxicological Sciences. Volume 74: pp 416-436 – via Oxford Academic.CS1 maint: extra text (link)
  13. ↑ Dasgupta, Purnendu K.; Kirk, Andrea B.; Dyke, Jason V.; Ohira, Shin-Ichi (September 17, 2008). "Intake of Iodine and Perchlorate and Excretion in Human Milk". Environmental Science & Technology. Vol 42: pp 8115-8121 – via ACS Publications.CS1 maint: extra text (link)
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Moreno, Teresa; Querol, Xavier; Alastuey, Andrés; Minguillón, Mari Cruz; Pey, Jorge; Rodriguez, Sergio; Miró, José Vicente; Felis, Carles; Gibbons, Wes (February 2007). "Recreational atmospheric pollution episodes: Inhalable metalliferous particles from firework displays". Atmospheric Environment. Volume 41: pp 913-922 – via Elsevier Science Direct.CS1 maint: extra text (link)
  15. ↑ Fu, Haimei; Yang, Zheng; Yanju, Liu; Shao, Peng (31 August, 2020). "Ecological and human health risk assessment of heavy metals in dust affected by fireworks during the Spring Festival in Beijing". Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health. Volume 14: pp 139-148 – via Springer Nature Link. Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: extra text (link)
  16. ↑ Hirsh, Sophie (July 3, 2024). "Are Fireworks Bad for the Environment? What to Know for July 4th". Green Matters. Retrieved 6 December, 2024. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  17. ↑ Hao, Yufang; Meng, XIangpeng; Yu, Xuepu; Lei, Mingli; Li, Wenjun; Yang, Wenwen; Shi, Fangtian; Xie, Shaodong (October 2019). "Chemical characteristics and health risks of trace metals in PM2.5 from firework/firecracker burning during the Spring Festival in North China". 15th International Conference on Atmospheric Sciences and Applications to Air Quality 28-30. Volume 489 – via IOP science.
  18. ↑ Han, Jessica (April 19, 2023). "Crowd-Pleasing Fireworks Are Not So Pleasing to the Planet". EARTH.ORG.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Passos, Robson Silva; Rocha, Cecília Alexandra Abreu Coelho da; Carvalho, António Pedro Oliveira de; Silva, Luiz Bueno da; Silva, Ricardo Luís Alves da (October 2021). "Environmental noise exposure assessment from fireworks at festivals and pilgrimages in Northern Portugal". Applied Acoustics. Volume 181 – via Elsevier Science Direct.
  20. ↑ Stickroth, H. (2015). Effects of fireworks on birds–a critical overview. Ber. Vogelschutz, 52, 115-149.
  21. ↑ Shamoun-Baranes, Judy, et al. "Birds flee en mass from New Year’s Eve fireworks." Behavioral Ecology 22.6 (2011): 1173-1177.
  22. ↑ Hoekstra, B., Bouten, W., Dokter, A., van Gasteren, H., van Turnhout, C., Kranstauber, B., van Loon, E., Leijnse, H., & Shamoun‐Baranes, J. (2023). Fireworks disturbance across Bird Communities. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2694
  23. ↑ Gates, M., Zito, S., Walker, J., & Dale, A. (2019). Owner perceptions and management of the adverse behavioural effects of fireworks on companion animals: an update. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 67(6), 323–328. https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2019.1638845
  24. ↑ Office for Product Safety & Standards (2021) Consumer behaviours and attitudes to fireworks. Research report: 2021/025. Available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/988245/consumer-behaviours-and-attitudes-to-fireworks-report.pdf
  25. ↑ Saxena, Priya; Kumar, Ankit; Mahanta, SS Kalikinkar; Sreekanth, Bojjagani; Patel, Devendra Kumar; Kumari, Alka; Khan, Altar Husain; Kisku, Ganesh Chandra (13 July 2022). "Chemical characterization of PM10 and PM2.5 combusted firecracker particles during Diwali of Lucknow City, India: air‐quality deterioration and health implications". Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 29: 88269–88287.
  26. ↑ Cao, Xinyuan; Zhang, Xuelei; Tong, Daniel Q.; Chen, Weiwei; Zhang, Shichun; Zhao, Hongmei; Xiu, Aijun (14 October 2017). "Review on physicochemical properties of pollutants released from fireworks: environmental and health effects and prevention". Environmental Reviews: 26.


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