Are fireworks bad for the environment?

Fourth of July fireworks unleash a shower of toxins into the soil and water, and scientists are only beginning to figure out what that means for human health.

By Russell McLendon

Tue, Jun 30 2009 at 8:30 AM EST

Read more: TOXINS & CHEMICALS, WATER POLLUTION

The rockets' red glare on the Fourth of July can fill onlookers with patriotism and awe. Unfortunately, it can also fill them with particulates and strontium.

Fireworks get their flamboyance from a variety of chemicals, many of which are toxic to humans. From the gunpowder that fuels them to the metallic compounds that color their explosions, fireworks often contain radioactive, carcinogenic or endocrine-disrupting substances that seep into soil and water, potentially threatening animals throughout the food chain.

But fireworks shows are woven into the fabric of the United States — they were popular here even before the country won its independence — and it's not like they happen every day. Is an occasional peppering of perchlorates in the Potomac really a big deal compared with all the industrial pollution it and other U.S. waterways have been dealt over the years?

Maybe not, but it's still not entirely clear how fireworks affect ecological health. While they haven't been directly linked to any widespread outbreaks of disease, it's not always easy to pin down why someone developed hypothyroidism, anemia or cancer.

What we do know is that, although they're fleeting and infrequent, fireworks shows spray out a toxic concoction that rains down quietly into lakes, rivers and bays throughout the country. Many of the chemicals in fireworks are also persistent in the environment, meaning they just stubbornly sit there instead of breaking down. That's how mercury from coal emissions winds up in fish, and it's how DDT thinned bald eagles' eggshells in the '70s. There's scant evidence that fireworks are having similar effects, but the possibility has been enough to raise concern in many communities.

Here's a look at what's in fireworks, how it can affect people, and what kinds of alternatives exist:

Perchlorates and particulates

For fireworks and other pyrotechnics to blow up, they need to blow up something — usually a blend of charcoal and sulfur fuel. They also need an ingredient that can inject oxygen to speed up the explosion, historically relying on potassium nitrate. These three chemicals are mixed together into a sooty substance known as gunpowder.

When a spark hits gunpowder, the potassium nitrate feeds oxygen to the fire, helping it quickly burn the charcoal-sulfur fuel. This produces volumes of hot, rapidly expanding solids and gases that can be used to fire a bullet, explode an artillery shell or launch a Roman candle.

The original blends of black powder can be a bit too unstable and messy for some uses, though, so the potassium nitrate is often replaced by perchlorates, a family of chemicals all featuring a central chlorine atom bonded by four oxygen atoms. Two types in particular — potassium perchlorate and ammonium perchlorate — have become the go-to oxidizers of the pyrotechnics industry.

Perchlorates may have introduced a new problem, though: In high enough doses, they limit the human thyroid gland's ability to take iodine from the bloodstream, potentially resulting in hypothyroidism. The thyroid needs iodine to make hormones that control a variety of body functions, and people running too low on these hormones can develop a wide range of disorders. Children, infants and especially fetuses suffer the worst from hypothyroidism, since thyroid hormones are crucial for normal growth. Perchlorates have also been shown to cause thyroid cancer in rats and mice, but scientists believe humans are less vulnerable to this effect.

Low doses of perchlorates don't seem to hurt healthy adults — volunteers who took 35 milligrams for 14 days or 3 milligrams for six months showed no thyroid-related problems, and studies of workers exposed to similar amounts for years also failed to uncover any major side effects. Plus, perchlorate advocates often point out that it should theoretically all be incinerated in the sky before any can fall down to contaminate the ground.

But a 2007 study of an Oklahoma lake following fireworks displays overhead found that perchlorate levels spiked more than 1,000 times above the baseline level for 14 hours after a show. While the maximum concentration detected was 44.2 micrograms — less than 1 milligram — per liter, the study was still the most concrete evidence yet that fireworks release perchlorates into waterways.

Another study by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection found perchlorate levels up to 62 micrograms per liter at eight groundwater-monitoring wells on the Dartmouth campus, near where fireworks are regularly fired.

EPA spokesman Skip Anderson cautions that these weren't health-effects studies, and points out that more data is needed to determine how great a risk perchlorates pose in surface water around the country. Still, he says, their results "suggest that some perchlorate in fireworks is not combusted and therefore can wind up in the environment."

The smoke from fireworks' burned charcoal and sulfur fuel also contains particulate matter that can get lodged in people's lungs, an immediate danger for those with asthma or chemical sensitivities. Prolonged exposure to similar airborne particles from diesel exhaust has also been shown to cause lung cancer. Air-quality monitors reportedly spike for about three hours after a fireworks show.

One positive of both perchlorates and particulates is that they most likely don't pose a long-term threat. Particulates fade away after a few hours, and perchlorates dissipate days or weeks after being released. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about some other chemicals that help light up the sky.

Metallic compounds

In addition to gunpowder, fireworks are packed with heavy metals and other toxins that produce their sparkling shower of colors. Like perchlorates, the exact effect of fireworks' heavy-metal fallout is still mainly a mystery, but scientists do know that the metals themselves can wreak havoc in the human body.

• Strontium (red): This soft, silvery-yellow metal turns red when it burns, is extremely reactive with both air and water, and can be radioactive. Some strontium compounds dissolve in water, and others move deep into soil and groundwater; radioactive strontium has a half-life of 29 years. While low levels of stable and radioactive strontium haven't been shown to affect human health, they both can be dangerous at high doses. Radioactive strontium can damage bone marrow, cause anemia and prevent blood from clotting correctly, and lab studies have shown it can lead to birth defects in animals. Stable strontium is mainly a threat to children because it can impair their bone growth.

• Aluminum (white): Since aluminum is the most abundant metal in Earth's crust — and one of humanity's most widely used — avoiding exposure is almost impossible. Virtually all food, water, air and soil contain some amount of aluminum — the average adult eats about 7 to 9 milligrams of the silvery-white metal every day in food. It's generally safe at these levels, but it can affect the brain and lungs at higher concentrations. People and animals exposed to large amounts of aluminum have performed poorly on mental and physical tests, and some studies suggest aluminum exposure may lead to Alzheimer's disease, although that connection has yet to be proven.

• Copper (blue): Fireworks' blue hues are produced by copper compounds. These aren't very toxic on their own, but the copper jump-starts the formation of dioxins when perchlorates in the fireworks burn. Dioxins are vicious chemicals that don't occur naturally and aren't intentionally produced anywhere; they only exist as unwelcome byproducts of certain chemical reactions, one of which happens in blue fireworks. The most noted health effect of dioxin exposure is chloracne, a severe skin disease with acne-like lesions mostly on the face and upper body. Dioxin doesn't stop there, though — the World Health Organization has identified it as a human carcinogen, and it's also been shown to disrupt hormone production and glucose metabolism.

• Barium (green): Fish and other aquatic organisms can accumulate barium, which means it can move up the food chain. The silvery-white metal naturally bonds with other elements to form a variety of compounds that all have different effects — none are known to be carcinogenic, but they can cause gastrointestinal problems and muscular weakness when exposure exceeds EPA drinking water standards. Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, breathing trouble, changes in blood pressure, numbness around the face, general muscle weakness and cramps. High levels of barium exposure can lead to changes in heart rhythm, paralysis or death.

• Rubidium (purple): This soft, silvery metal is one of the most abundant elements on Earth. It burns purple, melts to a liquid at 104 degrees Fahrenheit and is highly reactive with water, capable of igniting fires even far below the freezing point. It hasn't been reported to cause any major environmental damage, but it can cause skin irritation since it's so reactive with moisture, and it's moderately toxic when ingested, reportedly able to replace calcium in bones (PDF).

• Cadmium (various): Used to produce a wide range of fireworks colors, this mineral is also a known human carcinogen. Breathing high levels of cadmium can seriously damage the lungs, and consuming it can fluster the stomach, often resulting in vomiting and diarrhea. Long-term exposure can lead to kidney disease, lung damage and fragile bones. Plants, fish and other animals take up cadmium from the environment, meaning that any released into waterways from a fireworks show can be passed up the food chain.

Alternative fireworks

The most eco-friendly alternative to fireworks is to forgo explosions altogether — go to a parade, go fishing, grill out, camp out or help out.

If you must see the sky festively illuminated, you might want to try a laser light show, which create dazzling displays of color without launching dangerous chemicals into the air. They may consume lots of energy, but so does the rampant production of single-use fireworks. Here's an example of lasers in lieu of fireworks on the Fourth of July, from Stone Mountain, Ga., in 2008:

In 2004, Disney began using compressed air to launch fireworks at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., reducing at least the issues of smoky particulates in the air and perchlorates in the water. Researchers have also been fine-tuning alternative propellants that use nitrogen-rich materials in place of perchlorates, but those are still likely several years away from hitting the market.

UPDATE: Several readers have commented that toxins in fireworks are insignificant, or are combusted before they can contaminate the ground. Both are valid arguments — this article doesn't claim that fireworks are definitively dangerous to environmental health; it simply highlights the concern that known toxins are unnaturally entering the environment and scientists don't know exactly what ecological effects they have. The potential dangers alone have been enough to spur Disneyland and some communities to explore other options, and researchers are pursuing alternatives to perchlorates due to the possibility of health effects. As for combustion, the article cites two studies that found perchlorates can still make it into lakes, either from shells being overstuffed or from duds that fail to combust. Only a small amount was found, but only two lakes were studied. Again, this article aims simply to point out the potential dangers since scientific understanding is still limited.

The explanations of the chemicals that give fireworks their colors have also drawn some fire from commenters. The environmental impact of these hasn't been studied well enough for anyone to know their ecological effects; rather than speculating how they might affect ecological health, the article summarizes the toxicological profiles of these chemicals, primarily using information from the CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The article makes clear at several points that it's merely presenting the potential dangers inherent to the materials in question. While common chemicals like table salt that contain otherwise dangerous components are known to be safe, the effects of fireworks' toxins in the environment are much less understood.

Thanks to everyone who's commenting, and please feel free to include links to any data or studies that conflict with information presented here. We scrutinized this article to ensure its accuracy, but we will certainly correct any errors or clarify any unclear statements.

Happy Fourth of July (and Canada Day)!

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Comments(47)

Posted By angela harmon - Fri, Feb 05 2010 at 2:36 PM EST

i got sick 2 years in a row from the fire works

i went to the fire works sat on the sand semi close to where they where shot off and i got sick the same way 2 years. the first year i thought food poisoning but the 2nd. year the same way no way it was the fire works by the time i drove home got in the yard i could not hold my head up i had to be helped in and i threw up was very sick and disy until the next day this happened 2 years in a row i had forgotten the first year until it happened the 2nd year so no more close fire works for me and.... More

Posted By DP - Sun, Jan 03 2010 at 1:39 AM EST

Well Thought out Article

I really enjoyed the video. What a call to wake up about fireworks! Thanks you! I started to do some searching and came across http://www.backcountryattitude.com/toxic_fireworks.html which was also helpful in my research. I'm gonna tell everyone I know!

Posted By Harry - Thu, Dec 31 2009 at 11:24 PM EST

what about air pollution

i was searching for how harmful are fireworks for the enviornment becauase i was not sure if they are. this article tells me that they are and the various comments as usual are for and against it ... what i am a bit confused about is that i didn't see anyone (including the article itself) mention about simple air-pollution. the emission of CO2 in the air. isn't that in itself a reason not to burn them? no matter how small, air pollution is air pollution, right?

Posted By james - Tue, Aug 25 2009 at 5:58 AM EST

Nitrogen-Fueled Fireworks are Green, But Pricey

Want to wow your neighbors this Saturday with some bright and cheery Fourth of July trvia? Tell them about the dangers of perchlorate, the molecule that helps fireworks burn longer. According to experts at debit cards Systems who study explosive materials, the molecules are not only harmful to the environment, but to humans as well–-and repeated exposure poses health risks.

The good news is that scientists

Posted By Rachel - Wed, Aug 12 2009 at 12:17 PM EST

What about the sound & light pollution?

One thing I always think about on the 4th is how much bangs and flashes of light going on across the country would disturb wildlife. I know a lightning storm is a somewhat similar thing, but...?

Posted By Anonymous - Tue, Jul 07 2009 at 7:51 PM EST

Good position

I don't think your health argument is too strong because you don't mention how people ingest these chemicals. Also, you say "high doses," but how high is "high?" Show danger levels compared to actual levels supposedly ingested by people as a result of firework debris.

Posted By Anonymous - Tue, Jul 07 2009 at 3:40 AM EST

OMG THIS GUY KNOWS SH*T

This guy doesnt even know what he is talking about. did you guys know that pottasium nitrate is in your foods?

Sulfur is something you put in your garden to get rid of fungersides and stuff.

Chercoal, well, its a fricken tree!

People like this have no clue what they are talking about. Im not saying fireowkrs do nothing to the enviriment, but eveything effects the envienment

Im sick of poeple like this, just saying stuff useing bigs words and stuff, and alot of.... More

Posted By Hiyori - Thu, Oct 22 2009 at 1:12 PM EST

Not as OK as this guy says

Pardon me, but your argument might be a little more valid if you knew how to speak English well.

The combination of sulphur, potassium nitrate (a.k.a. saltpetre), and charcoal (mostly carbon) results in gunpowder, as explained in the article. Is gunpowder as safe as its ingredients?

Rather than downright flaming the author of this article, one should point out the fallacies and correct them. Your insults are not backed up with solid evidence.

Posted By Outdoor-type - Sun, Jul 05 2009 at 10:59 PM EST

Great information

I was watching our local fireworks display last evening and, as I watched large clouds of smoke move downwind, couldn't help but questions the environmental affect of this long held and loved practice.
Your article was just what I needed and the post commentary was also entertaining as well as educational. The bottom line appears to be that we just don't know the extent of the effects. If you consider that thousands of communities are using this practice across the US in one evening, not.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Sun, Jul 05 2009 at 8:19 PM EST

Fireworks

I needed a good laugh. You're frickin' idiot, Russell. Now go drink some Barium.

Posted By Nicole - Sun, Jul 05 2009 at 4:03 AM EST

Um...

I'm hypothyroid (hashimotos- my immune system decided to destroy my thyroid), and, call me stupid, but I don't think fireworks caused it. I think, if I was to go searching for why I'm hypothyroid, I would start with my grandmother. Who was also hypothyroid. I also have asthma. Guess what? My father, grandfather, and 4 aunts and uncles also have asthma. Funny how genetics works. Not to say environment and genetics do not have a decent amount of interplay- it's just overly simplistic to.... More

Posted By notfa - Sun, Jul 05 2009 at 12:28 PM EST

fireworks warehouse worker

For generations my maternal side of the family has ran a fireworks warehouse. My mom worked there as a teen and continues to run stands on the 4th. She just had to have her thyroid removed because it was cancerous. My great-grandma died of thyroid cancer. I have worked the warehouse in the June July months every year from age 10-20years old. I am now 26 and have an enlarged thyroid. Haven't had the ultrasound yet but it may be cancerous as well. I spent years breathing in gunpowder and metals..... More

Posted By notfa - Sun, Jul 05 2009 at 12:41 PM EST

warehouse worker

I will clarify that my personal health care proffessionals and my own research is convincing of the harm of gunpowder ingestion. I do not think the occassional 4th celebration will be detrimental only chronic exposure. I wish I could find info on other fireworks warehouse workers health. Women seem more prone to the thyroid problems caused by toxins. Also I have anemia which can be a side effect of exposure but it is off and on. I believe the toxins are preventing my throid from absorbing.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Sat, Jul 04 2009 at 11:09 PM EST

True risk of fireworks

The major risk of fireworks, as any ER doc knows, is children playing with the fireworks and getting severe burns. Even if fireworks are not legal in their state, many families have purchased these items out of state and brought them home.
Lets not pretend that fireworks are safe. We all know better.

Posted By David - Sat, Jul 04 2009 at 10:04 PM EST

Amazing

Had no idea so many people who don't give a crap or even believe in climate change are reading MNN and spend their time trying to attack a writer for discussing POSSIBLE environmental damage. You guys need a hobby, for real...

Posted By Anonymous - Fri, Jul 03 2009 at 5:34 PM EST

Think - Chemicals cant be good for you

All those who are yelling at the writer, you must not have done your research. A Biochemist would know what kind of effect these chemicals have on one's body. Common sense tells us that these fireworks are all made with chemicals, and chemicals are not good for you (period).
Those laser fire works as an alternative look good but one needs to study if there is any harm from them, just in case.
Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic also causes us to breathe exhaust fumes, burning.... More

Posted By Shadow - Thu, Jul 02 2009 at 9:34 PM EST

Are fireworks bad for the environment?

Several points:

1) Rubidium is never used in fireworks. And, it is not "one of the most abundent elements on earth". Rather, it's about the 23rd most abundant. Finally, it's flame color is not purple, but red. Purple (a difficult fireworks color) is produced by using a carefully balanced mixture of strontium and copper compounds.

2) Cadmium, likewise, has no use in fireworks.

3) Your mention on "radioactive" strontium is entirely spurious to a discussion of fireworks.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Jul 02 2009 at 6:20 PM EST

Already Shut Down!

Here in Gualala Ca, The almighty CCC shut down our firworks show after our 2007 show, claiming distubance of birds 1.4 miles from the firing point in another county! their extremest leader (Birdman of Sea Ranch) built his home for 2 years as close to the island where these birds live as possible. I suppose Back Hoes, Hammers, Heavy Equipment,Nail Guns ect. didn't bother these birds? Hipocrats!

Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Jul 02 2009 at 4:02 PM EST

fireworks bad for the environment?

I can't wait untilt he story breaks on the true effects of perchlorate on our nation. It moves 30:1 over iodine and concentrates in the breast milk. It is effecting all infants and children in Our Nation. It's in the food. Look at the Colorado River and the Imperial Valley. 0.5 ppb is recommended in water. The EPA is saying 24 ppb is ok. What about the 1,500 ppb in the tomatoes? The watermelons? The spinach? The FDA knows about the problem. When are we as a nation going to begin talking about it?.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Jul 02 2009 at 4:33 PM EST

Fireworks?

thee have ben many studies on this subject: Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary did a 12 year study, and disneyland did a study of the lake where fireworks were detonated for 10 years EVERY NIGHT.
This Article is full of lies and speculation and NO SCIENCE

Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Jul 02 2009 at 3:53 PM EST

Cadmium and Rubidium? You're Nuts.

Cadmium and rubidium compounds are never used in commercial fireworks.
Your "research" obviously involved participating in on-line chat groups of teenagers who "know" all about how to make big booms.

I make fireworks for a living. Cadmium and rubidium compounds are NEVER used for coloring fireworks.

Also --
Disney did NOT employ the air-lift system for the reason of "limiting particulates". They employed it to improve the visuals at ground level, that can be.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Jul 02 2009 at 2:39 PM EST

Your Idiots if you believe this Idiot

Like the title says... Do some researching... Harming the environment please... You all hurt the environment way more than fireworks ever will...

Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Jul 02 2009 at 2:29 PM EST

Environmental Science is an Oxymoron

"some studies suggest aluminum exposure may lead to Alzheimer's disease, although that connection has yet to be proven"

Since when has proof ever been required by the environmentalist agenda? There's no proof that perchlorates from fireworks have caused any thyroid problems in humans, but that doesn't keep you green weenies from crying about it. There's no proof of man made global warming either, but that hasn't stopped you idiots from making scare mongering movies and badgering.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Jul 02 2009 at 6:04 PM EST

No Proof???

"There's no proof of man made global warming..."
Show me proof there is not proof. Folks like you are like arguing with religious zealots; constantly arguing against and pleading lack of proof when you yourself have nothing to stand on.
Perhaps you should read scientific periodicals and/or research papers which have the proof you suggest does not exist. And, these papers are written by people who spend many many years actually studying the subject. Instead what you do is spend a.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Jul 02 2009 at 1:04 PM EST

Complete BS

The author of this article clearly knows very little about what he is writting. Rubidium and Cadmium are NOT used in ANY fireworks compositions, PERIOD. This and much other information in this article are typical of the junk science propagated by environmentalists when they latch onto something they just FEEL isn't good for the environment regardless of what the FACTS are. Disney has done studies of the bogus perchorate claims in its lakes over which fireworks are fired EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Jul 02 2009 at 11:09 AM EST

Complete Rubbish

The information presented in this "news" article is simply untrue, and is nothing more than scare-mongering by someone who is clearly biased against fireworks, and woefully or deliberately ignorant of their chemical composition.

Radioactive?!?! No. Never.

Toxic?!? Everything found under your kitchen sink, or in your garage, is "toxic".

He then goes on to compare fireworks "pollution" to mercury and DDT pollution. Disingenuous at best, and deliberately misleading at.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Jul 02 2009 at 1:55 AM EST

Fireworks

Not to mention the freakish levels of noise...disturbing humans and animals. How about noise pollution? Fireworks...something I could do without for the rest of my life without any adverse effects.

Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Jul 01 2009 at 4:33 PM EST

pm 2.5 particulate pollution, etc.

Many (most) fireworks come from China where contaminants in manufacturing have been often found (lead, for example). The jury is out on perc but it does not necessarily "dissipate" quickly in potable water, like ground water. PM2.5 particles are dangerous to asthmatics and persons with other lung and heart diseases, even after brief exposures. Add in the fires and the burns, and you have serious and multiple health issues.
Then there is the noise which disturbs the peace, harms hearing,.... More

Posted By kevin - Wed, Jul 01 2009 at 2:31 PM EST

dangerous chemicals

A dangerous chemical has been found in many househoulds--it is half composed of sodium a chemical that is so reactive that it spontaneousely burns when added to water and will kill you if you eat it. The second half is the toxic gas chlorine used to kill soldiers during the first world war -one lungfull is enough to cause you to drown by filling your lungs with your own secretions---what is this chemical? sodium chloride otherwise known as table salt. This is how crass this article is

Posted By deandome - Wed, Jul 01 2009 at 2:11 PM EST

But They're COMBUSTED!!

All of this anecdotal 'science' fails to take into account the fact that the chemicals are DESTROYED during the combustion process. That red strontium (which is NOT radioactive...it CAN be, but the kind used in fireworks is not) is 90%+ destroyed/depleted by the explosive/combustive process. Same with all the rest. Maybe it turns into OTHER toxic baddies during the process, but you don't delve into that.

Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Jul 01 2009 at 1:34 PM EST

Naturally Occuring Chemicals?

It's OK to use chemicals that are "natural?" Poison ivy is natural too. Would you jump into it? Mercury is natural. Would you drink it? Rotting meat is natural. Would you eat it?

Posted By Bill Page - Wed, Jul 01 2009 at 7:23 AM EST

Toxins in Fireworks

Radio active Strontium, Rubidium and Cadmium are not used in civilian pyrotechnics. This type of shoddy journalism goes a long way to convince people that know even less about pyrotechnics than the author, that pyrotechnics are a danger to our inviornment. There is not enough room here to dispute all the rediculous conclusions drawn, especially the connection between Dioxins and burning fireworks. I urge readers that think fireworks are a serious environmental issue to investigate further..... More

Posted By Bryant Raiford - Wed, Jul 01 2009 at 5:40 AM EST

I was looking for that information!

I teach science for Mad Science (www.madscience.org) and, while the science presented here is a bit shoddy, the information on which metals produce which color fireworks is very helpful.

Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Jul 01 2009 at 1:13 AM EST

Seriously?

I am very glad that the majority of people posting here are smart enough to really consider this shoddy attempt at profiting off of sensationalism and emotional argument with few even remotely supportive facts. Fireworks have been around with no ill effect for so long in this world and there are a lot more real things to worry about than a Temporary spike in perchlorate levels. If you actually read the story it denounces the effects of many times that exposure. If you make a habit of feeding.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Tue, Jun 30 2009 at 8:52 PM EST

Sensationalist and poorly researched

I stopped reading when I got to the part about aluminum causing Alzheimer's disease. It's been twenty years since that theory was taken seriously. If that's an example of how carefully you do your research, you can't be taken seriously.

Posted By James WOods - Tue, Jun 30 2009 at 8:30 PM EST

FIreworks

But Fireworks are COOL. Thats all that matter!

RT
www.complete-privacy.tk

Posted By Anonymous - Tue, Jun 30 2009 at 7:41 PM EST

wanring:

warning: Life is hazardous to your heath!

ok : "Strontium, extremely reactive" ie will bond with other things and not stay in the atmosphere;
Copper : like copper in your water pipes?
Rubidium: "one of the most abundant elements on earth" naturally occurring. but then again you silly wankers think CO2 is bad.
Cadmium: "mineral" also naturally occurring.

Posted By Like Woh - Tue, Jun 30 2009 at 7:35 PM EST

Insignificant Toxins in Fireworks

As this very report states at the beginning, there are no results from testing that shows any significant or noticeable increase in any disease nor impact to the environment to be of any concern. Everything is wrapped in If's / Maybe's / and Could be Possible... This article may be interesting, but don't take any of this as fact just yet.

Posted By Ruggy - Tue, Jun 30 2009 at 7:29 PM EST

Better yet...

Just stay home and have sex.

Posted By Jackie S. - Tue, Jun 30 2009 at 4:46 PM EST

Fireworks

Maybe that's where rockets red glare comes from? Just sayin...

Posted By aliG - Tue, Jun 30 2009 at 10:39 AM EST

Good Info

Well, I'll never look at fireworks the same way again! Thanks for this important info-- more people should know this stuff!

Posted By Frozentech - Fri, Jul 03 2009 at 2:37 AM EST

Why spread lies, half truths & misinfo

Seldom have I seen such a misinformed opinion piece. Others have pointed out most of the fallacies of this article. I guess it's best we stop orbiting satellites, and shut down the internet & mass media since a single rocket launch releases more perchlorate into the environment than all the Independence Day fireworks in many years.

Posted By Chuck L. - Tue, Jun 30 2009 at 10:17 AM EST


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Are fireworks bad for the environment?

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