FIREWORKS AREN'T AS PRETTY AS THEY LOOK

FIREWORKS AREN'T AS PRETTY AS THEY LOOK

There is no question that people love pyrotechnic displays. Fireworks have become a technicolor backdrop for holidays such as Victoria Day, Canada Day, New Year's Eve, sports events, festivals, and other events in celebration and remembrance. On a warm and clear evening, the reds, blues, greens, and golds blooming in the sky and reflected in the water are as spectacular as one wishes, accompanied by an exciting sense that anything might happen. Fireworks displays are viewed by many as a time-honored tradition, but times are changing. Over the years, extensive research, studies, and testing have established that although fireworks are pretty beautiful, they pose many wildlife, environmental, and citizen-related concerns.  

BYPRODUCTS

The colorful explosions may seem to vanish into the night sky, but the byproducts of fireworks don't just disappear. They leave behind harmful remnants that pose a threat to our environment and all its inhabitants. The time to act is now. We can no longer overlook the noise and light bursts that disrupt the peace of our wildlife and the health of our environment. It's time to take responsibility and make a change.

CONTRIBUTE TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION 

Fireworks are often set off over water because setting them off over land creates a fire risk. Once thought to be a good move, this is the equivalent of trading in one concern for another as ''what goes up must come down.'' 

Fireworks propel chemicals into the atmosphere that cause extensive air pollution quickly through a toxic fog of fine metal particulates (particles), dangerous toxins, harmful chemicals, and smoke in the air for hours, affecting local air quality. This occurs when the fireworks explode, releasing these harmful substances into the air. Furthermore, fine metal particulates, chemicals, and product remnants quietly rain down and settle into lakes, other bodies of water, and inland. Fine particulates are defined as airborne matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, which are considered a health risk because they are easily inhaled and penetrate indoor spaces due to their small size.

Some chemicals and heavy metals used in fireworks dissolve into the water supply and drinking water for people and wildlife. Other chemicals and heavy metals never fully decompose or disintegrate but rather hang around in the environment. The chemicals, metals, and fireworks remnants that wash up on a shoreline and/or end up inland can leach into the soil, causing further contamination.

Additionally, to produce the oxygen needed for an explosion, many fireworks contain oxidizers known as perchlorates. Perchlorate is used in a variety of industrial products, including solid rocket fuels used by the military and aerospace industry, missile fuel, fireworks, and fertilizers. It can dissolve in water, contaminating lakes, rivers, the adjoining tributaries, and drinking water.

Although much of the perchlorate in pyrotechnic devices is transformed into harmless compounds during combustion, any remnants of the chemical that fall back to earth can enter the soil and water. When ingested, perchlorate is absorbed by the thyroid gland in place of iodine, which can interfere with the production of thyroid hormone, an essential part of metabolism and mental development. As a result, perchlorate exposure may be particularly harmful to fetuses. 

Studies before and after annual fireworks displays have found that the perchlorate concentration in the water increased significantly in the hours after the show, typically exceeding the maximum allowable levels for drinking water. The levels took between 20 and 80 days to return to normal, during which time harm can set in.

The airborne drift of contaminants can also be affected by the wind. 

All of the above have the potential to harm people, wildlife, companion animals, farm animals, and the environment. This has led to a growing number of communities, such as Vancouver, banning fireworks over lakes used as drinking water sources. Some communities, e.g., [Brampton, Halton Hills, Orilla, and Woodstock], have banned fireworks displays completely. Other communities are looking to follow suit.

Note: Please note that the adverse effects of fireworks displays are concerning on any scale but are related to the number of fireworks used in a display, the duration of the display, the types of fireworks used, and the frequency of displays. 

Another concerning aspect of fireworks displays is the risk of starting a fire. It only takes one spark. Small-scale fireworks displays in people's backyards run the risk of causing fires. 

WHAT CHEMICALS ARE USED IN FIREWORKS?

The heavy metals that colorize fireworks are a reason for concern, and unlike perchlorate, they're not used up during the combustion reaction. What you start with is also what you end up with. They can get aerosolized and breathed in and/or they go into the soil and water. 

The vivid colors in fireworks displays come from metallic compounds, including strontium carbonate (red fireworks), calcium chloride (orange fireworks), sodium nitrate (yellow fireworks), barium chloride (green fireworks), and copper chloride (blue fireworks). During the explosion, these metal salts do not "burn up." They are still metal atoms, and many of them end up aerosolized in the air, water, and soil. 

When inhaled or ingested, these metals can cause a variety of short—and long-term reactions, ranging from vomiting, diarrhea, or asthma attacks to kidney disease, cardiotoxic effects, and links to a variety of cancers. Pick your color; each one has a different chemical composition and poses health concerns to people, wildlife, companion animals, farm animals, and the environment.

Barium, used to produce green, is particularly harmful; studies suggest it may cause respiratory problems, among other maladies. Studies found that barium was present in the water at a fireworks display.

WILDLIFE & ECOSYSTEM CONCERNS

The contaminants and remnants from fireworks displays that end up deposited in water bodies for miles around can affect the health of the fish, turtles, loons, otters, and all manner of wildlife residing in the lake, as well as the wildlife that drinks from it and dogs that may, at times, enter the water. Aquatic, terrestrial, and avian species have been known to ingest discarded fireworks remnants, confusing them with food and thinking they are edible.

Wildlife depends on one another to live. Animals are part of the food web and eat plants and/or animals to survive. Food webs describe the feeding connections between organisms in an ecosystem. This means contaminants risk accumulating in the food chain and causing damage to its organisms, particularly in the predators at the end of the chain. Accumulated toxic compounds cannot be excreted.

Fishing is a very big economic draw to various communities. To ensure a healthy fish population like humans, fish need a clean, uncontaminated environment to thrive. The metal particulates, toxins, and chemicals in fireworks that end up in a lake or other bodies of water can affect the fish, the vegetation, microorganisms, the ecosystem, and people, as many fish caught are intended for human consumption. 

FIREWORKS AFFECT WILDLIFE & COMPANION ANIMALS

The intensity and duration of fireworks' noise and bright flashes of color cause confusion, panic, fear, and anxiety in wild animals (terrestrial and avian), companion animals (dogs, cats, etc.), and livestock.

Exposure to unpredictable loud noises can cause phobias in many animals, increasing panic reactions to loud noises in the future. 

It is estimated that one-fifth of disappearances of animals who are companions to humans are due to very loud sounds, mainly fireworks and storms.

Animal shelters report increases in stray animals and injuries and trauma to animals.

ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLIER FIREWORKS

Some newer, ''cleaner'' fireworks replace perchlorates with safer alternatives, or use compressed air to reduce smoke created. While one would expect these greener fireworks would be readily available they are not as widespread as should be the case. Eco-friendly fireworks versions are used at enclosed venues and in some theme parks that have daily shows, but they're significantly more expensive than their traditional counterparts. 

It is important to note that most eco-friendly products are not entirely green. There is a reason fireworks makers use certain chemicals, and replacing these with alternatives has not been easy without hindering product quality. In other words, technology and science have yet to improve enough to make a viable, cost-effective alternative to standard fireworks. The problem has been finding chemicals that are as explosive and water-resistant as barium and perchlorate. 

Overall, the fireworks industry has moved towards a more sustainable model, which means enough effort has been made to lessen the concerns, but the impact has remained the same.

Cost, performance inadequacies, and availability have contributed to why cheap and dirty fireworks, often from China, are still typically the pyrotechnic of choice.

ALTERNATIVES TO THE USE OF FIREWORKS

There is a growing acceptance of alternatives to fireworks, such as laser lights and drone light shows. If you must see the sky festively illuminated, try a laser light show. It creates dazzling displays of color without launching dangerous chemicals into the air that end up in bodies of water and/or leaching into the soil. Laser light shows may consume lots of energy, but so does the rampant production of single-use fireworks. 

Laser/light shows may be more eco-friendly, but they are not without concerns for wildlife, including animals, plants, and microorganisms. All wildlife have definitive rhythms based on the unchanging day, night, and seasonal cycles. These rhythms are crucial to animal behavior, such as sleeping, reproduction, and predation. Extensive research supports the fact that artificially altering the night-time environment disrupts the rhythmic cycles aforementioned.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

In conclusion, the message we hope people take from this post is that being better equipped with knowledge in these times and not wanting to negatively impact any species or the environment, it is within our ability to opt for the most kind and environmentally conscious alternative: forgoing explosions and unnatural light display altogether. 

The entertainment value is very short-lived, but the potentially harmful effects can linger. Anyone fully considering the matter will no doubt agree that fireworks aren't as pretty as they look.

If you have any questions or concerns about a turtle or nest, please phone or text Think Turtle Conservation Initiative at 647-606-9537 when you are with the turtle or nest. For additional information about helping turtles, we have a variety of platforms for you to choose from—check out our other web pages at www.thinkturtle.ca, follow us on Facebook, or read our WordPress Blog posts at https://thinkturtleconservationinitiative.wordpress.com.  

Thank you for being a friend to the turtles and for your dedication to protecting Ontario's species at risk and their habitat. Your efforts are truly appreciated and make a significant difference.