Justina's Writing Corner

Independence Day, better known as July 4, is an important day in American history for it marks the date in which the Declaration of Independence was adopted. When people think about July 4, it is common for them to imagine American flags, family backyard barbecues, and, of course, fireworks. However, despite America’s obsession with celebrating July 4 with fireworks, many citizens are unaware of the dangers brought about by them. 

Research by the American Pyrotechnics Association has shown that 285.3 million pounds of fireworks are used each year. This excessively large amount of fireworks is guilty of causing some minor consequences, including water pollution, air pollution, etc, but with hundreds of millions of fireworks used, the negative impact is added up. From a small amount of water pollution to a greater amount. 

Even though fireworks have brought people an abundance of joy, there are numerous consequences to igniting these mini-chemical explosions. For one, fireworks contain many dangerous chemicals that are simply there to determine the color of the fire. When fireworks explode in the air, they release smoke and metal particles, including copper, magnesium, barium, and strontium metal particles. Exposure to high doses of these specific particles can actually be harmful to humans because they can cause nausea, diarrhea, headaches, and dizziness. In serious scenarios, these toxic chemicals can lead to serious cardiovascular problems. Henceforth, the chemical makeup of fireworks is a clear safety hazard for humans and should be reconsidered as a joint celebration sight. 

Additionally, the chemical particles released from fireworks can harm the environment. Ammonium perchlorates, one of the oxidizers needed for a firework’s explosion, can dissolve in water. “ These can dissolve in water, contaminating rivers, lakes, and drinking water,” stated by Science Focus. This is a hazard because the dissolving of ammonium perchlorates can contaminate any body of water it is able to reach, including rivers, lakes, oceans, and even underground water sources. Overall, the contaminated water is very harmful to creatures residing in them and also to humans who drink the water. 

Furthermore, animals are also affected by fireworks. The loud noises caused by the fireworks place animals in high-stress situations. Due to these high-stress situations, animals are more likely to harm themselves, their fellow animals, their surrounding environment, and the humans around them. Many animals have run into oncoming traffic on roads and highways because of sudden sounds and visual changes. The animal’s erratic behavior has caused many car accidents. “Wildlife rehabilitation centers are often flooded with traumatized, injured and orphaned wild animals after the holiday,” as stated by Human Society Organization. 

From animals to humans, fireworks prove to be a threat to one’s safety and health. Therefore, it is evident that fireworks should not be glorified as a party trick due to their hazardous nature.