There is no doubt that fireworks create a spectacular show of color and light. However, new research reveals these dazzling displays may have harmful effects on health. NYU Langone Health scientists carried out the study, which is said to be the first to analyze the impacts of firework exposure on animals and human cells. It found a handful of harmful toxins can linger in the air once the show is over.
The research, published in the journal Particle and Fibre Toxicology, looked at air quality samples collected from numerous sites in the United States, spanning across fourteen years. Through this examination, the scientists found unusually high concentrations of toxic metals around New Year’s Eve and Independence Day.
When metals, including lead, titanium, strontium, and copper, within the fireworks, are subject to high temperatures, they strike off a colorful explosion. The team performed some experiments to determine the potential effects these lingering toxic metals have on animals and humans.
Terry Gordon, the study’s senior author, said:
Although people are only exposed to these substances for a short time each year, they are much more toxic than the pollutants we breathe every day.
One of the experiments involved the team igniting a handful of fireworks commonly sold in the US, including the Color-Changing Wheel, the Blue Storm firecracker, and Black Cuckoo. They captured samples of the particles emitted from the explosions, which were at doses similar to the pollutants during a day in Manhattan. All the while, they exposed human lung cells and several mice to the colorful explosions.
The team found a significant increase in oxidation, a process in the human body that can cause damage to DNA and cells. This rise in oxidation was linked with lung inflammation in the mice. However, the most harmful was found to be the Black Cuckoo, causing ten times more damage to the human cells.
Gordon warned:
While many are careful to protect themselves from injury from explosions, our results suggest that inhaling firework smoke may cause longer-term damage – a risk that has been largely ignored.
The team plans to explore the effects of repeated exposure to fireworks rather than a single instance. Once the final results of the work are complete, they plan to share it with public health officials to inform them about the risk.
