Studies about high short-term concentration of fine dust
"Counties can opt out of fireworks ban"
Hawai/America.
The Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs Committee passed a bill February
9, 2010, banning consumer fireworks, except for religious or cultural events.
The measure now moves to the Senate Judiciary and Government Operations
Committee. A separate bill pending in the House Judiciary Committee would give
counties the right to adopt more restrictive rules on fireworks than exist in
state law.
Source: "Counties
can opt out of fireworks ban", 18.2.2010, http://www.mauiweekly.com/page/content.detail/id/501036/Counties-can-opt-out-of-fireworks-ban.html?nav=17
"Close windows vs firecrackers"
Philippines.
Exposure to firecrackers and exposure to ashfall from an exploding volcano have
almost the same hazardous effects, which is why health officials have advised
the people to close the windows of their houses when firecrackers are set off
during the holidays revelries. National Epidemiology Center head Dr. Eric Tayag
advised residents to keep their windows closed especially during Christmas and
New Year's Eves, when many fireworks are lighted at the height of revelries.
"Fireworks are like ash fall in the sense that they both pose threats to
our respiratory systems. They may cause asthma and aggravate other respiratory
problems. So those with asthma must keep their medication handy," Tayag
said in an interview.
He said people
with asthma should wear masks as protection against the pollution as
air-conditioners and ionizer machines may not be enough to keep the particles
from entering the house.
Source: "Health
exec advises: Close windows vs firecrackers", 24.12.2009, http://www9.gmanews.tv/story/180115/health-exec-advises-close-windows-vs-firecrackers
"SIX REASONS AS TO WHY FIRECRACKERS ARE BAD TO PUBLIC HEALTH, CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT"
Firecrackers can cause serious if not fatal injuries. Incorrect handling can lead to the loss of limbs, lives and properties.
Firecrackers produce smoke and dust loaded with harmful chemicals that
can aggravate the poor air quality and cause throat and chest congestion and
other health problems, particularly for people with asthma and chemical
sensitivities.
Firecrackers leave behind unwanted discards such as paper scraps,
cellophane and plastic wrappers, and PVC pipes from "boga" that add to
the mountains of holiday trash.
Firecrackers produce deafening noise that can lead to anxiety, stress,
sleep disorders, and hearing disabilities, and trigger high blood pressure and
heart attack.
Firecrackers can result to severe ear injuries for animals who are more
sensitive to sound, so the noise hurts their ears, terrifies them, and causes
them to run wildly or lose their navigational skills.
Firecrackers waste money that should be spent instead to buy food for the
table, clothes and books for the children and other essential needs.
Source: "EcoWaste
Coalition Implores the Youth to "Say No to Firecrackers" at "Iwas
PapuToxic" Campaign Launch", 16.12.2009, http://ecowastecoalition.blogspot.com/2009/12/ecowaste-coalition-implores-youth-to.html
"Are fireworks bad for the environment?" by Russell McLendon
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. … 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.
"Fireworks best environmental management practices". Memorandum.
To: fireworks contractors and interested parties, from: Janine Commerford, Assistant Commissioner – waste site cleanup, subject: Potential environmental contamination from the use of perchlorate-containing fireworks. Date: 14.4.2008.
Introduction: Over the past few years,
the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has detected
perchlorate in eleven drinking water supplies in Massachusetts, including three
public water supply wells where nearby fireworks displays appear to be a source
of the perchlorate contamination. The purpose of this memorandum is to provide
guidance on perchlorate-containing fireworks to prevent contamination of
drinking water supplies from this potential source.
http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/drinking/fworkbmp.htm
"We need to stop assaulting family, friends with fireworks" by Jean Evans, executive director of the American Lung Association of Hawaii
Few
if any of us would fire up charcoal barbeque in our living room. The obvious
threat to our family's safety from fire, burns and lung damage makes doing do
unthinkable. Yet thousands of us don’t hesitate to set off fireworks in our
shared recreation room despite the same hazards to our family and neighbors. The
hazards are real, especially to the 154,000 island residents who suffer from
some form of lung disease… Short-term exposure to particle pollution can kill
– maybe not the next day, but maybe in months or years. … It's time we stand
up to this assault on our lungs and say, "Enough!" Exploding aerial
fireworks and strings of firecrackers might be fun and even culturally important
for some, but lives are being cut short by this exercise of free will. …
"EcoWaste Coalition launches 'Iwas PapuTOXIC' drive, promotes emission-free noisemakers to welcome the New Year"
Quezon
City/Philippines. The EcoWaste Coalition reminds that firecrackers are toxic to
humans, animals and the environment. As part of their advocacy for chemical
safety and environmental health, the waste and pollution watchdog today launched
their 'Iwas PapuTOXIC' drive, stressing that firecrackers cause not only noise
pollution, but also toxic smoke and litter that can endanger human and animal
health and the environment.
In
an effort to boost the campaign, a thousand students from Claret School in
Quezon City made a big show of how the New Year can be just as festive without
firecrackers by sounding alternative noisemakers from recycled materials. …
"With
money so hard to come by these days, lighting firecrackers is literally burning
hard-earned money away, while putting the safety and health of the people and
animals around us at grave risk," Roy Alvarez, Vice-President of the
EcoWaste Coalition, said. "Centralized pyrotechnic display does not solve
the problem either. It is undeniably pouring money down the drain and should be
discouraged. We propose that public funds earmarked for fireworks should be used
to buy books for school libraries, build more classrooms and set up community
recycling facilities." – The EcoWaste Coalition expressed support for
Senate Bill 2119filed by Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., which calls for a ban on
the manufacture, sale and use of all firecrackers.
http://ecowastecoalition.blogspot.com/
"Festive season puts expecting mothers at risk"
Dr
Vineeta Munjal, consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician, Guru Teg Bahadur
Charitable Hospital, has said that pregnant women who are exposed to
high-intensity sound fireworks can sustain irreversible side-effects. …
Pre-term labour pains, restlessness, irritability, hypertension and hysteria
were other features noted in pregnant women exposed to noise and chemical trauma
of explosives. Crackers exploded in narrow alleys and closed spaces, especially
by children, were the culprits in most cases, she said.
…
if pregnant women were subjected to very noisy situations after fifth trimester,
when the ears of the unborn child have developed and the baby can detect sound,
newborns begin crying for they cannot tolerate the condition.
…
In her detailed analysis, Dr Munjal emphasised that sound waves passing through
the mother's body into the body of an unborn child were reflected at this
mother-baby functional area – placenta – with a consequent separation and
onset of early labour pains and risk of pre-term delivery.
…
Dr Munjal suggested that women in the second and third trimesters should avoid
exposure to fireworks which produce loud noise.
"Doctors warn of the psychological effects of firecrackers on children"
Abu
Dhabi/United Arab Emirates. A group of doctors at the Medical Services
affiliated to the AD Police has warned of the damaging psychological effects of
firecrackers on children. They said that playing with firecrackers will nurture
the attitude of enmity among children, especially when they compete with each
other, and this will lead to destructive behaviours. The explosions and smoke
from the crackers cause scare among some children and this eventually lead to
different types of phobia in their later life. 20.9.2008, http://www.uaedailynews.com/health/1250.html
or http://www.thenational.ae/article/20080920/NATIONAL/475106582/1010/rss
"Experts warn of the dark side to fireworks"
The
Swiss are getting ready to light up the night skies with spectacular
pyrotechnical displays to celebrate Swiss National Day on August 1. Every year
numerous firework accidents result in fires and millions of Swiss francs worth
of damage and in visits to hospital. Fireworks are also dangerous for the
environment, because they contain a certain number of toxic and polluting
substances, which influence the eco-system and people’s health. When they
explode fireworks release a fine dust, which when inhaled can be particularly
harmful. A study in Basel showed that on August 1, the amount of potassium in
the air is around 100 times higher than the days before and after National Day.
"Fireworks create a pollution infusion. Air-quality levels hit the danger zone after July Fourth festivities"
Preliminary
data show one Ogden neighborhood's fireworks pumped so much smoke and heavy
metals in the air on the night of July 4th, levels reached nearly 25
times the health standard for the fine-particle pollution called PM2.5 between
10 and 11pm.
PM10,
the measure for larger-size fine-soot pollution, was about six times the federal
health standard for an hour.
Following
the Stadium of Fire July 4th celebration, the monitors 10 miles away
in Lindon logged pollution levels seven times higher than the health standard
for PM2.5 and more than double the standard for PM10.
Brian
Moench, a Salt Lake City doctor who co-founded Utah Physicians for a Healthy
Environment earlier this year, found the pollution spikes shocking. He noted
that heavy metals used to make the fireworks displays and the smoke they leave
behind can be harmful to people, even if their exposure is only short-term. He
called the high pollution "acutely deadly" and noted that its harmful
health effects can be seen within hours and can last for days. "This is a
kind of celebration in defiance of public health," he said, adding that hig
pollution "ought to be factored into how these events are handled". He
also said heart and lung patients and the parents of young children might want
to be cautious about exposure to fireworks smoke.
"Fireworks can trigger PTSD for veterans"
For
some veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the bright lights
and sharp cracks used to simulate historic battles make celebrating freedom
impossible.
"For
those with PTSD, the sounds and sights associated with fireworks may trigger
memories of actual combat," said Dr. Hani Khouzam, a psychiatrist at the
Veterans Administration Medical Center. "Up to 50% of our soldiers who have
seen combat might have some level of PTSD, and for them, fireworks can be a
dreadful experience."
Source:
"Fireworks
can bring bad memories. Veterans suffering from PTSD may not enjoy the
celebrations", 4.7.2007, http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/77016.html
"Fireworks can trigger PTSD for veterans and troops", 4.7.2007, http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/your_news/capital_region/default.asp?ArID=215489
(watch
the video "Fireworks
can trigger PTSD. While the sights and sounds of fireworks on Independence Day
are exciting for many, for some troops and veterans, fireworks can be a trigger
for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder".)
"Fireworks might cause seizures in those sensitive to light"
The
knowledge that frequent or rapidly flickering bright light can trigger seizures
in some people gives concern that 4th of July fireworks could
stimulate a neurological event.
In
most people, the brain is able to handle the flood of visual information
presented by rapidly flashing lights and repeating patterns. But in some people,
the extra stimulation floods the brain and sends cells called neurons into a
frenzy in which they fire uncontrollably, causing seizures.
Source:
"Reduce
the Risk of Firework Induced Seizures", 4.7.2007, http://psychcentral.com/news/2007/07/04/reduce-the-risk-of-firework-induced-seizures/
or
Report: Fireworks might cause seizures in those sensitive to light, 4.7.2007, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/301846/report_fireworks_might_cause_seizures.html
"Yenshui festival threatens air quality, experts warn"
Yenshui/Taiwan
fireworks festival, 12.2.2006: environmental officials cautioned yesterday those
who suffer from asthma or allergies and senior citizens and children to avoid
visiting the small town in southern county of Tainan today when massive
fireworks will set off there to celebrate the traditional Lantern Festival. EPA
officials (Environmental Protection Administration) also reminded festival
visitors to equip themselves with surgical masks as the medical-grade 'N95' mask,
because debris can pass through normal gauze masks.
At the Yenshui festival's peak in Feb 2004 particulate matter (PM) density was recorded at 326.5mg per square meter. 13.2.2006
"Fireworks festival puts small town of Yenshui on the tourist map"
Yenshui
Fireworks Festival, also called the Beehive Rockets Festival, is perhaps the
world's only audience-participation fireworks event, where firecrackers and
rockets are fired at, into, and around those watching. Appropriate dress for the
event means a full-face motorcycle helmet, gloves, a thick jacket, plus robust
footwear and pants. Many a veteran tapes an old towel around his neck to stop
ricocheting rockets from getting inside his helmet.
At
the 2006 event 19 people were injured. The toll is often higher and sometimes
close to a hundred. Burns and eye injuries are dangers; there's also a risk of
getting trampled by the crowd. 24.2.2006
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/travel/detail.asp?ID=77512&GRP=g
"See
a doctor, cracker victims told"
People
who sustain wounds or burns from firecracker blasts are at risk for tetanus and
should see a doctor immediately, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III advised
the public. <<Firecrackers are not only made up of explosive powders.
Manufacturers also use sand so wounds and even burns are really prone to
infection. Don't disregard even minor wounds or burns because it can cost you
your life,>> Duque added.
Experts
have warned that those who sustain wounds from a firecracker blast and have not
had a tetanus booster during the past five years should get anti-tetanus shots
before symptoms of tetanus appear, usually in one to three weeks after they were
wounded. 1.1.2006
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/news200601016601.htm
The Philippine Star 01/01/2006
"Bonfire
Night: Croydon council introduced air pollution text alerts to help those who
are affected by the heavy smoke of fireworks."
The
risks posed by the potential air pollution from the resulting smoke and fumes of
fireworks and bonfires has prompted Croydon Council to offer SMS alerts that
keep local residents informed about air quality. ... Asthma
sufferers and people with respiratory problems who fear tomorrow's bonfire
parties could cause them breathing difficulties will be able to get air quality
text message alerts from their local authority.
... Innovative use of SMS text
technology will allow Croydon Council in Greater London to keep residents who
are sensitive to air quality changes informed as quickly and effectively as
possible. ... The air quality alerts
are based on forecasts to vulnerable groups such as asthmatics and
people with bronchitis, emphysema and heart disease, warning them of a
deterioration in air quality and giving simple advice on
minimising exposure and managing their symptoms.
Source:
"Texts
will warn of poor air quality", 4.11.2005, http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/eveningchronicle/ukandworld/tm_objectid=16333651%26method=full%26siteid=50081-name_page.html
"Council's SMS wheeze for air quality updates", 4.11.2005, http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,39020336,39235704,00.htm
"Turkmenistan assigns nearly US $ 2 million for holiday fireworks"
Turkmenistan.
Turkmen President signed a resolution authorizing the Central Bank of
Turkmenistan to conclude a US $ 1,868 million contract with a firm for staging
firework displays during the year.
"Thanh
Hoa cancels fireworks to help poor
Thanh
Hoa Province/Vietnam has cancelled its fireworks display on the eve of Tet (lunar
new year) this year to save money to build 100 houses for poor residents who
live in thatched and makeshift houses. The province expects so save VND500
million (US$ 31,200).
http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01DOM200106
"Fireworks
not fun for us all. Nobody knows how bad the microscopic soot is for humans"
Thousands
of Utahns will be left breathless this holiday weekend. Not from the spectacular
Pioneer Day fireworks, but from the fireworks' thick smoke. Shortness of breath,
wheezing, coughing and even emergency room visits are expected for Utahns who
are vulnerable to sooty air. They include 250,000 people with asthma and other
heart and lung ailments that make them sensitive to soot from exploded
pyrotechnics.
…
An international community has organized on the Internet to get fireworks banned
(http://www.stop-fireworks.org). The Web page includes petitions, article links
and comprehensive scientific listings from around the world.
…
Bertrand Kobayashi, of the American Lung Association's Hawaii office, said his
organization developed the "Safe Haven" program in response. On New
Year's Eve people can find respite from the smoke in hotels and mountain
retreats coordinated by Safe Haven.
…
"But it is still a health hazard," Kobayashi said. "People who do
not have asthma do not understand how sensitive people who have asthma can be."
He suggested that it is generally illegal in the United
States to hurt someone else. But fireworks appear to be an exception to that
principle. "One thing we say here at the American Lung Association is, if
you can't breathe, nothing else matters," he said. "And one of our
missions here is to defend everyone's right to breathe."
http://www.sltrib.com/search/ci_2888031 or http://www.sltrib.com (Archiv with articles to pay)
"Fireworks ignite
concerns"
The
future of fireworks at the Fair could go up in smoke, depending on the results
of recent water tests.
Fireworks
contain the chemical perchlorate, which can seep into groundwater, causing
thyroid problems, especially among women and children.
Because
there is a town well near the Marshfield Fairgrounds Public Works commissioners
began raising concerns about perchlorate getting into the groundwater through
fireworks displays during the town's Fourth of July events.
http://www2.townonline.com/marshfield/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=305398
"Mom-to-be, beware of fireworks"
The pregnant woman, if exposed to high intensity blasting
fireworks, can sustain irreversible side-effects. The fact was disclosed by Dr.
Vineeta Munjal, consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician, Guru Teg Bahadur
Charitable Hospital, in her retrospective study in obstetric centres in Delhi
and Ludhiana.
Even pre-term labour pains start due to exposure to high
intensity sounds. Restlessness, irritability, hypertension and hysteria are
other features noted in pregnant women exposed to noise and chemical trauma of
pyrotechnics. Problems like jaundice and even death of the baby in the womb can
occur if there is any injury to blood vessels.
Dr Vineeta Munjal suggested that women in the second and
third trimesters should avoid
Ludhiana Tribune, India / 2.11.2002
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20021103/ldh1.htm
"Fireworks
pose a threat for asthmatic children"
Researchers
have found that fireworks can prove to be a health threat for children suffering
from asthma. The breathing in of the smoke and burned particulate of the
fireworks can trigger an asthma attack especially in children with severe
asthma.
Increased
number of severe asthma attacks has been reported in the emergency section of many hospitals especially
around festivals like Diwali.
Researchers
have also observed that some patients presented with respiratory distress or
heart failure after exposure to fireworks. Hence experts recommended that asthma
patients should be very careful on such festive occasions and try to
avoid using fireworks or seeing a firework display.
"Renton
fireworks ban was 'dramatic' success; Sammamish plans to follow with its own ban
next year"
The
push to outlaw fireworks countrywide may have gained some momentum with the
first-year success of the fireworks ban in Renton. Despite fervent opposition,
fireworks already are banned in 19 of King Conty's 36 cities. The most dramatic
representation of Renton's new ban, officials said, is the decrease in property
damage. Fireworks caused no known property damage this year, while the use of
fireworks accounted for more than $575,000 in damages over the previous five
years.
http://www.kingcountyjournal.com/sited/story/html/214592
"Safeguard
your smile, this Diwali"
Those
fireworks are indeed lovely, but… Do you know they contain about 75% potassium
nitrate, 15% carbon and 10% sulphur? On burning they release deadly gases such
as carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide turning the immediate environment into the
proverbial gas chamber. These gases corrode the very delicate linings of our
respiratory passages. No wonder healthy individuals may suddenly start suffering
severe attacks of wheezing and coughing. It is worse for asthma patients. …
Check if you can curb the rising sound levels. Recommended standards for
firecrackers is not beyond 125 decibels according to the Central Pollution
Control Board. Loud sounds not only affect your hearing power but also create
undue tension. As a result blood pressures may rise and even thinking abilities
may get disturbed. Pregnant women would need extra protection from smoke and
sound.
http://www.indbazaar.com/family/subcategory.asp?artid=872
Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians: "Leave display work
to the professional this 4th of July"
This year alone an estimated 3,000 eye injuries will occur
in the United States because of fireworks, with approximately 1,000 of these
injuries resulting in permanent eye damage.
The most dangerous firework, and the one responsible for the greatest
number of eye injuries, is the bottle rocket. A bottle rocket travels as fast as
200 miles per hour and explodes in mid-air sending glass and metal shattering
into thousands of small pieces in all directions. Sparklers are also extremely
dangerous. They can burn up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature hot
enough to melt gold.
http://www.oaop.com/media/2003/030701.html
"Animal
rights group seeks to block fireworks display at greyhound track"
An
animal rights group has filed a complaint seeking a block Bonita Springs from
holding its Fourth of July fireworks display at the Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound
Track.
…Division
Director David Roberts said the department has received the complaint and opened
an investigation; he said he was unsure if the department had the autority to
stop the fireworks from taking place.
…Other
animal rights groups, such as Grey2kUSA, the American Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals and the Humane Society of the United States, also have
come out against the fireworks. 8.4.2004
http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/bonitanews/article/0,2071,NPDN_14894_2790748,00.html
"Fireworks
and Asthma: Deadly Combo"
During
the summer, parents worry about children and fireworks. Countless numbers of
children are injured each year while playing with fireworks, many of them
experiencing severe burns. However, parents now have another cause for concern,
as more evidence has surfaced regarding asthmatic children and fireworks.
According
to the December issue of the Annals of Allergy, fumes from fireworks can
aggravate pediatric asthma. In the article, Dr. Jack M. Becker of Temple
University detailed two instances of asthmatic children who had played with
fjreworks and the experienced life-threatening asthma attacks.
A
thirteen-year-old boy spent three days in an intensive care unit receiving
oxygen and asthma drugs after a fireworks display. In another incident, a
nine-year-old girl attending a Fourth of July picnic, died after an asthma
attack brought on by exposure to fumes from a sparkler. Researchers note that
many more cases likely exist, and they caution parents of asthmatic children to
exercise caution during fireworks celebrations. 22.6.2001
http://www.injuryboard.com/view.cfm/Article=446
"Fireworks - Pets Hate Them!" by Dave Nicol: http://www.parkvets.com/petsandvets-fireworks.html
...If the problem is
complex, then the solution is delightfully simply. If there are no fireworks available then there is no
problem. An immediate ban on the retail of all fireworks to the general public would achieve this
instantly.
Firework enthusiasts argue that such a ban would fail because fireworks sale would be driven under
ground. Illegal fireworks that do not comply with UK safety regulations would then replace the current legal,
'safe' fireworks. Merely worsening the problem.
The evidence from Northern Ireland, does not support this view as a complete ban was imposed for years during the
'troubles'. In fact a lifting of the ban on the sale of private fireworks saw the firework related problems return to the
region, including their use against the police...
Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 96/82/EC of 9 December 1996 on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances; COM (2001) 624: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/docum/01624_en.htm
Firework Safety - Make your July 4th safe
According to PREVENT BLINDNESS AMERICA, nearly 13,000 fireworks victims keep hospitals busy every year.
More than half of those injured are children. Fireworks not only injure users, but also 40 percent of fireworks mishaps injure bystanders.
The three types of fireworks that keep hospital emergency rooms busy during this holiday period are bottle rockets, firecrackers, and sparklers. Bottle rockets and firecrackers can fly in any direction prior to exploding and sparklers burn at temperatures hot enough to melt gold.
Do you know your firework safety? Take the test and find out. http://usacitylink.com/usa/safety.html
MP warns fireworks industry - 'support tough new laws or face complete ban'; 18.2.2003
Amy
Davis & Gar Smith
Fallout Over Disneyland
Earth
Island Journal, Summer 2002, Vol. 17, No. 2
Disneyland
has been shooting pyrotechnic chemicals into the evening sky since shortly after
the amusement park opened in 1955.
On
summer weekends, Disneyland schedules three fireworks shows a night.
University
of Utah Meteorology Professor Kevin D. Perry tagged the chemicals used in
pyrotechnics and showed that, in mild weather, the heavy metals travelled 100 km
(62 miles) downwind over a two-day period. Among the pollutants traced were:
strontium, vanadium, potassium, titanium, barium, copper, lead, magnesium,
aluminium and zinc. The environmental impacts are not confined to the air since
these heavy metals also fall into local watersheds.
http://www.earthisland.org/eijournal/new_articles.cfm?articleID=580&journalID=64
Gar Smith
Fireworks: Breathtaking ... and Deadly
AlterNet,
July 1, 2002
In the final December of the 20th century, environmentalists in Sweden, Germany and Australia issued a Global Call for Action, asking the world community to take a stand against 21st century air pollution by halting the globe-circling fireworks displays planned to celebrate the dawn of the year 2000.
Fireworks shows are big business. New York-based Grucci ("The First Family of Fireworks") made $2.1 million on Independence Day shows in 1999.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=13501
Gar Smith
Fire in the Sky: A Global Plague – The Shots Heard 'Round the World
Earth
Island Journal, Summer 2002, Vol. 17, No. 2
The
JOURNAL's pioneering report on fireworks displays and air pollution (Summer
2000) was picked up in the July 2 edition of the NEW YORK TIMES. In its report,
the TIMES quoted Clarkson University Chmeistry Professor Philip K. Iiopke who
called fireworks "a threat" to children and people suffering from asthma or
cardiopulmonary diseases.
In
March 2000, the Dutch Environmental Ministry proposed a fireworks tax to reduce
contamination of the air, water and soil...
http://www.earthisland.org/eijournal/new_articles.cfm?articleID=581&journalID=64
"Pretty Skies - Pretty Poisonous"
It has been estimated that if all EU countries use the same number of fireworks per capita, for New Years Eve, the
lead pollution will amount to 124 tonnes (Sweden 9 million people = 3 tonnes, EU 372 million people = 124
tonnes, please note that only full member countries are included in this
estimate). Imagine if all world citizens were to celebrate in this extravagant way: 2,000,000,000 tonnes of lead would be
spread into the air and probably close to the same amount of mercury, not to mention all the other metals and
chemicals....
"People will find it very discouraging and demoralising that such vast pollution on one single occasion is
permitted, while they have been making daily sacrifices and efforts to recycle and use un-leaded petrol, etc." says
Kauppi.
http://www.lead.org.au/mr/24-12-99.html
"Fireworks-Smog Link Found", 27.6.2001
Scientists
in India say fireworks can generate ground-level ozone. They reached their
conclusion after monitoring air quality during a Hindu festival when celebrants
flooded New Delhi's streets to ignite sparklers.
Previously, the interaction of sunlight and air pollutants had been the only
known source of ground-level ozone, which poses a health threat to people with
respiratory problems.
But researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi found that the
flickering light emitted by burning sparklers during the Diwali festival of
lights in November 1999 was enough to cause an atmospheric reaction that
produced ozone.
Arun Attri, an associate professor of biophysics at Jawaharlal Nehru University who led the research, said he suspects that all types of fireworks produce some amount of ozone... He said his team's findings weren’t entirely unexpected because many people with respiratory ailments flee Indian cities during the Diwali festival to avoid fireworks-induced pollution.
Ozone, or smog, is the result of sunlight interacting with a number of
pollutants including hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides from tailpipes or
evaporation from motor vehicles. At high levels, it is a severe irritant that
can damage lung tissues and aggravate respiratory problems.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/06/27/archive/main298674.shtml
"Fireworks
may be more than meets the eye" by Sarah Morgan
<<Fireworks
release tiny combustion particles, and tiny combustion particles are associated
with health problems,>> said Winifred Hamilton, director of the
environmental health section at the Baylor College of Medicine.
<<Besides
gunpowder, fireworks contain an array of chemicals used to create the colorful
effects, some of which are toxic metals and potential carcinogens,>> said
Hamilton. For instance, lead is often used to create red, copper for blue, and
barium for green.
The
thick black smoke created during large commercial fireworks displays can be full
of toxic particulate matter, with particles well below the PM 2.5 size, the
designation of fine particulate matter which penetrates more deeply into the
lungs and is associated with respiratory problems.
http://www.cechouston.org/news/2004/nu-07-04/update7-02-04.html
"EU
propose better regulation: Improved safety for fireworks"
The
Commission has proposed to replace some 25 parallel national approval procedures
of fireworks by one single EU directive. This practical example of better
regulation will lead to a considerable reduction in costs for the industries
concerned, and ensure that essential safety requirements for pyrotechnic
articles are respected throughout the EU. The basic aim is to reduce the risk of
accidents caused by malfunctions and to increase consumer safety as sub-standard
pyrotechnic articles will no longer be available on the EU market.
à
The EU market for fireworks is estimated at around €1.4 billion, but few
fireworks are manufactured in the EU.
European
Commission, Brussels/Belgium (press release), 14.10.2005
Further
information:
"Proposal
for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the placing on
the market of pyrotechnic articles" (presented by the Commission)
and
European
Commission "Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the
Council on the placing on the market of pyrotechnic articles – Impact
Assessment"
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/chemicals/legislation/explosives/doc/pyro_impact_assess.pdf
NFPA model fireworks law:
For more than half a century, NFPA has led the charge to protect the public from injuries and fires resulting from indiscriminate use of
fireworks. The International Fire Marshals Association (IFMA) offers a model fireworks law which reflects NFPA´s zero-tolerance policy on amateur use of
fireworks. The 2000 edition of the Model Fireworks Law is now available to view online in PDF format, and was prepared by the
International Fire Marshals Association and published by
NFPA: http://www.nfpa.org/MemberSections/IFMA/Codes/Codes.asp.
Fireworks Barge Explosions Page: http://www.rbbi.com/folders/acc/firewks/firewks.htm
National
Center for Injury Prevention and Control
Fireworks-Related Injuries: How extensive is the problem?
Who
is most likely to be injured? / When and where do these injuries happen? / What
kinds of injuries occur? / What types of fireworks are associated with the most
injuries? / How and why do these injuries occur? / How much do these injuries
cost each year? / What effect do laws have on fireworks injuries? / What is the
safest way to prevent fireworks injuries? / References
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/fworks.htm
Fireworks
injuries lead to amputations and vision loss
Fireworks
& Costs
ISPOR
International Society for Pharmacoeconomis & Outcomes Research
A
recent study reports that in 2000, out of 98 fireworks-related injuries serious
enough to require hospital care, half were admitted around the 4th of
July.
Researchers
from Caro Research Institute in Concord, MA and The University of Connecticut
Medical School in Farmington, CT reported that 40% of those with serious
injuries were children under age 15 years. One third of those admitted required
an amputation of an arm, finger or thumb. On average, the cost of per stay for
those hospitalized due to a fireworks-related injury was $15,600.
"The
findings of our research show that serious injuries can result from the use of
fireworks and that they are not only costly in terms of health care dollars, but
those injured can pay a personal price for years to come, as the consequences of
some of these injuries, such as loss of vision, are potentially life-altering,"
added Mrs O’Brien, Director of Cost Research at Caro Research Institute.
"Most admissions occur around the 4th of July, parents and
others need to be reminded of the dangers and consequences of using fireworks."
http://www.ispor.org/pressrelease/may04/fireworksinjuries.asp
"Freworks
reate tons of heavy metal pollution"
Roanoke,
VA, 7.4.2005
http://www.world-wire.com/news/0407050001.html
…
Many so-called pretty fireworks carry a cocktail of chemicals that can cause
devastating illnesses and exacerbate existing conditions such as Asthma, ME, MS
and other auto-immune diseases. If you are downwind from a firework display then
you could absorb arsenic, mercury, lead, dioxins and radio-active barium. …
"Festival
of noise and pollution -
Tradition,
health and safety collide amidst celebrations"
November
2001
http://www.indiatogether.org/environment/articles/diwali.htm
Harmful
effects of Chemicals used in Crackers: Copper / Cadmium / Lead / Magnesium /
Manganese / Potassium / Sodium / Zinc / Nitrate / Nitrite / Phosphorous in PO4 /
Sulphur in SO4
[No
authors listed]
Fireworks-related injuries during the New Year-period – Naples, 1992-93
Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly (MMWR). 1993 Mar 26;42(11):201-203
A
national surveillance system maintained by police indicated that on New Year's
Eve 1992, more than 1100 fireworks-related injuries and four deaths occurred in
Italy (Ministry of the Interior, unpublished data, 1993)… To characterize
fireworks-related injuries in the province of Naples the Regional Health
Observatory of Campania and the Italian field epidemiology training program
implemented an active surveillance system in each of the 18 public emergency
rooms (ERs) in the province (1992 population: 3.5 million). This report
summarizes surveillance results for the new year period 1992-93.
Full text is available under http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm4211.pdf
[No authors listed]
Fireworks-related
injuries – Marion County, Indiana, 1986-1991
Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). 1992 Jun 26;41(25):451-454
Since 1986, to better characterize fireworks-related injuries and to improve local health education and prevention efforts, the Marion County (Indiana) Health Department (MCHD) has conducted surveillance of fireworks-related injuries. This report summarizes surveillance results for 1986-1991.
Abstract under http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00017026.htm
[No authors listed]
Fireworks-related injuries - Washington
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). 1983 Jun 10;32(22):285-286
Editorial Note: The above data strongly suggest that the 1982 change in Washington's fireworks law was associated with a significant rise in the number of fireworks-related injuries during the July 4 holiday period, probably because of the increased availability and use of firecrackers and aerial devices.
Full text is available under http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00000091.htm
[No authors listed]
Notice to Readers: Injuries from fireworks
in the United States
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). 2000 Jun 23;49(24):545-546.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that
8'500 persons in the United States are treated in emergency departments each year
for fireworks-related injuries. Of all fireworks-related injuries, 70%-75% occur
during a 30-day period that surrounds the July 4th holiday (June 23-July 23)... Most
commonly, injuries from fireworks affect the hands (34%), face
(12%), and eyes (17%)... The
estimated annual cost of fireworks-related injuries is $100 million. In 1997,
the U.S. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimated that fireworks
were responsible for direct property damage of $22.7 million.
Full
text is available under http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4924a7.htm
or at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm4924.pdf or
at http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/284/3/302.pdf
[No authors listed]
Serious Eye Injuries Associated with Fireworks
- United States, 1990-1994
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). 1995 Jun 23; 44(24);449-452
Eye injuries caused by fireworks are often severe and can cause permanently reduced visual acuity or
blindness. Findings from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database maintained by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) indicate that approximately 12,000 persons are treated each year in U.S. emergency departments because of fireworks-related
injuries; of these, an estimated 20% are eye injuries. To improve characterization of fireworks-related eye injuries, data were analyzed from the United States Eye Injury Registry
(USEIR) for July 1990-December 1994 and from the Eye Injury Registry of Alabama (EIRA) for August 1982-July 1989. This report summarizes the findings of these analyses.
United States Eye Injury Registry
Full
text is available under http://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/prevguid/m0037986/m0037986.asp#Figure_1
or under http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm4424.pdf
[No
authors listed]
U.S. fireworks injuries remain high
NFPA
J. 1995 Jul-Aug;89(4):61-6.
Abdulwadud
Omar, Ozanne-Smith Joan
Injuries
associated with fireworks in Victoria: an epidemiological overview
Injury
Prevention. 1998 Dec 1;4(4):272–274
Results.
The mean (SD) age of attenders at emergency department between January 1988 and
June 1996, was 8.9 (6.2) years and most (88%) were under 18 years of age. Males
accounted for 71% of the cases. The most common anatomical sites and types of
injury were head (47%) and burns (88%), respectively. About 53% of the injuries
were caused by firecrackers, the remainder by sparklers and penny bangers. Among
those admitted to hospital between July 1987 and June 1996, the mean (SD) age
was 22.9 (14.8) years and 50% were under 18 years of age. Males accounted for
87% of the cases. There was a significant difference in mean age between those
admitted and not admitted to hospital, the former being significantly older.
Conclusions.
Although relatively rare, injuries from fireworks still occur in Victoria after
legislative restrictions on their sale in 1985. Consequently, there is a
potential risk for injuries among children, particularly from firecrackers. More
enforcement of the regulations, education, and parental supervision are needed
to prevent injuries from fireworks.
Full text is available under http://ip.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/4/4/272.
Abdulwadud
Omar, Ozanne-Smith Joan
Deaths
and hospitalisation from fireworks injuries
International
Journal of Injury
Control and Safety Promotion
Little
is known about the severity of fireworks injuries and no international reviews
have been conducted. This study aimed to document and describe the severity of
fireworks injuries and the implications for prevention in several countries.
Abstract under http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a725288547?words=fireworks&hash=4215329526
Agus EL, Lingard JJN, Tomlin AS
Suppression of nucleation mode particles by biomass
burning in an urban environment: a case study
Journal of Environmental Monitoring. 2008,10:979-988;
first published on the web 7th July 2008
-
Alison
Tomlin and colleagues at the University of Leeds measured the concentration of
particles resulting from bonfire and firework celebrations. By fitting their
data to a simple model they found that at the peak of the event, the resulting
sooty atmosphere contained approximately 10 times more particles than was usual
for the time of day. Tomlin showed that incomplete combustion due to open
bonfires and fireworks, can lead to large increases in the numbers of sooty
particles over typical urban concentrations. The impact of particles on human
health and the environment depends on their size and chemical content. The
particles in the study tended to be larger than those from vehicle emissions but
were still small enough to cause health problems, such as respiratory and
cardiovascular disease. In addition, the particles could have a larger climate
impact due to their longer atmospheric lifetimes. (Source: "Model fireworks",
10.7.2008, http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemScience/Volume/2008/08/Model_fireworks.asp)
-
Abstract:
Measurements of concentrations and size distributions of particles 4.7 to 160 nm
were taken using an SMPS during the bonfire and firework celebrations on Bonfire
Night in Leeds, UK, 2006. These celebrations provided an opportunity to study
size distributions in a unique atmospheric pollution situation during and
following a significant emission event due to open biomass burning. Abstract
under http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/Journals/EM/article.asp?doi=b803871f
American
Academy of Pediatrics: Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention.
Fireworks-related
injuries to children.
Pediatrics (United States),. 2001 Jul;108(1):190-191
RECOMMENDATIONS:
-
Pediatricians should educate
parents, children, community leaders, and others about the dangers of fireworks.
Children and their families should be counseled to attend public
fireworks displays rather than purchase fireworks for home use.
-
Public sales, including those
by mail or Internet order, of all fireworks should be prohibited. Ideally, this
should be done on a national level by federal law or CPSC regulation.
International importation of fireworks for private use should also be
banned. Sales to professional pyrotechnicians for the purpose of
creating public displays would be exempt.
-
The private use of fireworks
should be banned. Pediatricians should work to increase the number of
communities and states that ban the private use of all fireworks.
-
Accurate surveillance and
reporting of fireworks-related injuries, deaths, and fires must be continued.
-
Additional
research should be conducted to identify factors that have contributed to the
recent decrease in the number of fireworks-related injuries. This
information would be helpful in efforts to promote continued
improvement in this and perhaps other injury problems.
Full text is available under http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/108/1/190
D'Argenio P, Cafaro L, Santonastasi F, Taggi F, Binkin N
Capodanno
Senza Danno: the effects of an intervention program on fireworks injuries in
Naples.
Am
J Public Health. 1996 Jan;86(1):84-86
To
study the effects of a comprehensive, multifaceted intervention program to
reduce fireworks-related injuries during the Italian New Year's holiday season,
active surveillance was conducted in the 18 public emergency rooms of Naples,
Italy, before and after implementation of the program. Preintervention data
collected between December 24, 1992, and January 6, 1993, were compared with
data collected during the same period in 1993-1994.
Full text is available under http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=8561250 or under http://www.ajph.org/cgi/reprint/86/1/84
Arya SK, Malhotra S, Dhir SP, Sood S
Ocular fireworks injuries. Clinical features and visual
outcome
Indian J Ophthalmol, 2001 Sep;49(3):189-190
Full text is available under http://www.ijo.in/article.asp?issn=0301-4738;year=2001;volume=49;issue=3;spage=189;epage=190;aulast=Arya
Attri
AK, Kumar U, Jain VK
Formation of ozone by fireworks
Nature
(England). 2001 Jun 28;411(6841):1015
... We have discovered a surprising
source of ozone which is generated in spontaneous bursts even in the absence of
sunlight and nitrogen oxides – namely, the exuberant mass of colour-emitting
sparklers that are lit during the Diwali festivities, which take place every
year during October and November in Delhi, India.
Abstract under http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v411/n6841/abs/4111015a0.html
Bach
W, Daniels A, Dickinson L, Hertlein F, Morrow J, Margolis S, Dinh Dinh V
Fireworks
pollution and health
Intern
J Environmental Studies. 1975; 7:183-192
This paper discusses the adverse health effects of air and noise pollution caused by fireworks episodes on Oahu, Hawaii.
It
was found that fireworks activities on New Year's Eve on Oahu are responsible
for an increase in total suspended particulates by an average of 300% at 14
locations and by about 700% in the lung penetrating size ranges at one location.
Measured
noise levels at the peak of the fireworks activities reached max. of 117 dBA at
a distance of 15 meters. People exploding the firecrackers are even exposed to
136 dBA which is a greater noise level than that produced by a startling jet
aircraft.
In
light of the fact that a large number of people with a heart condition or any of
the many varieties of respiratory ailments find their state of health worsened
during such fireworks episodes, a reasonable solution to this problem would be
to display fireworks at a remote place under controlled conditions.
Bach
W, Dickinson L, Weiner B, Costello G
Some adverse health effects due to air pollution from fireworks
Hawaii
Med J. 1972 Nov-Dec;31(6):459-465
…In
conclusion it can be stated that the suffering of those afflicted by respiratory
diseases is quite real during such a fireworks episode…
…It
would therefore appear that the very high air pollution levels during the
fireworks episode might have been responsible for the higher occurrence of
respiratory diseases. It is recommended to display fireworks only along the
Waikiki coastline to protect a large segment of the Honolulu populace from
adverse health effects…
Barman SC, Singh R, Negi MPS, Bhargava SK
Ambient air quality of Lucknow
City (India) during use of fireworks on Diwali Festival
Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment. 2008 Feb,137(1-3):495-504
The present study deals with
the effect of fireworks on ambient air quality during Diwali Festival in Lucknow
City. … These results indicate that fireworks during Diwali festival affected
the ambient air quality adversely due to emission and accumulation of PM10, SO2, Nox and trace metals.
Conclusion: The quantitative
results of PM10,
SO2, Nox and trace metals indicate
that fireworks on Pre Diwali and Diwali night were found to be responsible for
the elevated concentrations. During Diwali night, increase of PM10 (446.8%), SO2 (289.3%) and Nox (121.3%) clearly indicated
that fireworks were the source of these pollutants. … The higher level of air
pollutants, especially the many fold (7.53 times) increase of PM10 concentration is of great
concern with regard to the health effects. … Fireworks on Diwali night
resulted in the increase of the metal level in ambient air… which suggests
that use of fireworks be discouraged.
Abstract under http://www.springerlink.com/content/ju7m253418k88552/
Barman SC, Singh R, Negi MPS and Bhargava SK
Fine particles (PM2.5) in ambient air of Lucknow
city due to fireworks on Diwali festival
Journal of Environmental Biology
In
short, this study concluded that burning of crackers and sparklers etc. (fireworks)
on Diwali festival are a very strong source of air pollution, which contributes
significant amount of fine particles (PM 2.5
) in ambient air and degrades air quality for 20 hr and during this period extra
mass (concentration) burden of 289 µg m3 equivalent to 1.9 normal day (of this study) was
imposed in the local environment. The same may be expected on other areas of
Indian environment as Diwali festival is celebrated all over India. Therefore we
strongly suggest use of fireworks be discouraged.
Full text is available under http://www.jeb.co.in/journal_issues/200909_sep09/paper_01.pdf
Beck
Sandra and Graves Charlene, M.D., of the
August
1, 2003
Initial
Report on Fireworks-Related Injuries (Period of May 13, 2003 – July 19, 2003)
Legislation
passed this year by the Indiana General Assembly requires physicians, hospitals,
and outpatient surgery centers to report all injuries resulting from fireworks
or pyrotechnics to the Indiana State Department of Health. This report presents
data compiled from reports received for the 10-week period noted above.
Full text is available under http://www.in.gov/isdh/fireworks/ or under http://www.in.gov/isdh/fireworks/fireworksreport.pdf
Becker
JM, Iskandrian S, Conkling J
Fatal and near-fatal asthma in children exposed to fireworks
Ann
Allergy Asthma Immunol (United States). 2000 Dec;85(6 Pt 1):512-513
We are reporting two patients who had severe
asthma exacerbation shortly after having exposure to different types of
fireworks. One patient had a respiratory arrest and was resuscitated, but
subsequently expire. The second patient was able to treated aggressively and
avoided intubation. CONCLUSIONS: These cases demonstrate risks that fireworks
may present to the asthmatic child and that patient's with asthma should
exercise caution when observing or participating in fireworks demonstrations.
Abstract under http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11152175&dopt=Abstract
Berger LR, Kalishman S, Rivara FP
Injuries
from fireworks.
Pediatrics.
1985 May;75(5):877-882
In
1983, there were more than 8,200 victims of fireworks-related injuries treated
in US emergency rooms… States that allow a wide variety of fireworks to be
sold for personal use have a rate of fireworks-related fires 50 times greater
than states that strictly limit the availability of fireworks. The rate of
fireworks-related injuries is more than seven times greater in the less
restrictive states.
Beyer PG, Schubert M, Plontke St, Zenner HP
Zivil- und strafrechtliche Aspekte von Gehörschäden durch Silvesterfeuerwerkskörper. Ein Ueberblick.
[Legal
aspects of acute acoustic trauma due to New Year's firecrackers
Bundesgesundheitsblatt – Gesundheitsforschung – Gesundheitsschutz, Band 46, Nr. 1, 2003 Jan:59-62.
Every
year several thousand people in Germany experience acute inner ear and middle
ear damage due to exposure to New Year's Eve firecrackers. In most cases these
accidents are caused by an individual other than the patient… This article
reviews legal aspects of acoustic trauma due to New Year's firecrackers,
specifically: licensing regulations, the use of firecrackers and its
implications for civil and criminal law, and liability issues for import and
distribution. The information about the legal status should contribute to
effective prevention of irreversible damage to the hearing organ due to this
type of leisure noise.
Abstract under http://www.springerlink.com/content/j3nuq87ux44125xy/?p=b35fe4c507e34d9d9be0540007a13239&pi=3
Blanco-Pampin
JM
Suicidal deaths using fireworks
J
Forensic Sci (United States),. 2001 Mar;46(2):402-405
National Department of Justice, Division of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
The use of commercial explosives is an unusual method of commiting suicide, and only a few cases have been described in the medicolegal literature. In this paper, two cases of suicide are described. Both individuals committed suicide by detonating an explosive (fireworks). In the first case putting the explosive on his head and in the second case into his mouth. In both cases the cause of death was the destruction of the central nervous system.
Camilleri
R and Vella AJ NEW!
Effect
of fireworks on ambient air quality in Malta
Atmospheric
Environment. 2010 [Article in Press] doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.07.057
Available
online 6 August 2010
We
assessed the effect of fireworks on the air quality by comparing PM10 and its content of Al, Ba,
Cu, Sr and Sb which materials are used in pyrotechnic compositions. PM10 was collected mainly from two
sites, one in Malta (an urban background site) and the other in Gozo (a rural
site) during July-August 2005 when 59 feasts were celebrated and
September-October 2005 when only 11 feasts occurred. For both Malta and Gozo, PM10 and metal concentration
levels measured as weekly means were significantly higer during July-August
compared to September-October and there exist strong correlations between PM10 and total metal content. …
Ba and Sb in dust from the urban background site in Malta during July-August
were at comparable or higher concentration than recently reported values in PM10 from a heavily-trafficked
London road and this suggests that these metals are locally not dominated by
sources from roadside materials such as break liner wear but more likely by
particulate waste from fireworks. Our findings point to the fact that festa
firework displays contribute significantly and for a prolonged period every year
to airborne dust in Malta where PM10 is an intractable air quality concern. The presence in
this dust of elevated levels of Ba and especially Sb, a possible carcinogen, is
of concern to health.
Conclusion:
It is concluded that fireworks are exerting a significant negative effect on air
quality during the summer-long religious festival season and this factor appears
to have been missed as an important and potentially controllable contributor to
the PM10 problem. Moreover, the metals contributed by fireworks to
inhalable dust, and in particular barium and antimony, may represent cause for
concern in view of the special health risks posed by these substances.
Abstract
unter http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VH3-50PVG6M-5&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F06%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1430406315&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=fb2af9dfae3297ff2b73238e6ad01d49
Patrick
Campbell BSc (Hons)
Firework
related injury and legislation: the epidemiology of firework injuries and the
effect of two legislative changes in Northern Ireland
October
2005
In
summary, the main finding of this study was that fireworks continue to cause
severe injuries requiring hospital admission often leading to long term
disability and disfigurement. This study has carefully examined many aspects of
these injuries in order to recommend strategies on the most effective ways to
prevent them.
Vollständiger Artikel unter http://www.bapras.org.uk/UploadFiles/P%20Campbell%20(Belfast).pdf
Chan
WC, Knox FA, McGinnity FG, Sharkey JA
Serious eye and adnexal injuries from fireworks in Northern Ireland before and after lifting of the firework ban – an ophthalmology units experience
Int
Ophthalmol. 2004 May;25(3):167-169
BACKGROUND/AIMS:
To report serious fireworks-related eye and adnexal injuries presenting to the
Department of Ophthalmology in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast. To assess
the effect of lifting of the legislative ban on fireworks in Northern Ireland in
1996. CONCLUSION: Removal of the legislative ban on fireworks in 1996 has had a
significant effect on the incidence of eye injuries. These injuries are
potentially preventable with stricter control on the availability of fireworks
and a greater awareness of the ocular risks they pose.
Abstract under http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15847316&query_hl=6
Chang
SC, Lin TH, Young CY, Lee CT NEW!
The
impact of ground-level fireworks (13 km long) display on the air quality during
the traditional Yanshui Lantern Festival in Taiwan
Environ
Monit Assess
In
this study, the concentrations of CO, non-methane hydrocarbons, NOX,
SO2, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX), PM10,
and PM2.5 were
continuously monitored before and after the fireworks display during the
traditional Lantern Festival from March 2-7, 2007 in Yanshui Town, Taiwan. …
CONCLUSIONS:
The results showed that the concentrations of air pollutants obviously increased
during major periods of ground-level fireworks display, with the hourly
concentrations of pollutants increasing up to 10 times higher than the normal
values. In addition, SO2 could increase up to 212 times, as its
normal value was very low. … Even though the hourly average did not reach
hazardous levels, the concentration changes that appeared numerous times within
short periods would still expose the public to short-term, high-concentration
air pollutants. Therefore, the threat of various high-concentration particulate
metals or ions on human health must be given attention.
Abstract
under http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20155317
Chen
XL, Wang YJ, Wang CR, Hu DL, Sun YX, Li SS
Burns
due to gunpowder explosions in fireworks factory: a 13-year retrospective study
Burns.
2002 May;28(3):245-249
The
aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of burns due to gunpowder
explosions in fireworks factories.
Chen XL, Wang YJ, Wang CR, Li SS
Gunpowder
explosion burns in fireworks factory: causes of death and management
Burns.
2002 Nov;28(7):655-658
The
mortality rate of gunpowder explosion burns from fireworks factory accidents was
high. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different managements
on outcome of these burns patients and to optimise treatment measures and
decrease the morbidity and mortality.
Chen XL, Wang YJ, Wang CR, Hu DL, Fang LS, Li SS
The
Treatment of Burns Caused by Gunpowder Explosion in Fireworks Factories
Annals of Burns and Fire Disasters. 2003;Vol. XVI - n. 1
SUMMARY. Patients with burns caused by gunpowder explosion in fireworks factories
often have inhalation injury and associated injuries that lead to high mortality.
The aim of this study was to analyse the management of these burn patients and
to decrease their morbidity and mortality. The 339 patients considered were
divided into two groups: patients admitted between 1987 and 1993 (group 1) and
patients admitted between 1994 and 1999 (group 2).
Full
Text Article under http://www.medbc.com/annals/review/vol_16/num_1/text/vol16n1p33.asp
Clarke JA, Langley JD
Firework related injury in New Zealand
New
Zealand Medicine Journal. 1994 Oct 26;107(988):423-425
Department
of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin
This paper documented the nature and extent of firework related injury in New
Zealand to prepare for a submission for the private members bill introduced in
to Parliament in March, 1992, seeking to place tighter restrictions on the sale
of fireworks. ... The authors recommend a ban on sale of
skyrockets as there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that they are a major
source of fires around Guy Fawkes.
Abstract under http://www.nisu.flinders.edu.au/pubs/biblio/biblio-show.php?dataid=19
Colbeck
I, Meng-Chen C
Ambient aerosol concentrations at a site in SE England during Bonfire Night 1995
Journal of Aerosol
Science. 1997;28(supplement 1):S219-S220
Collins
M
Keeping
safe on firework night
Health
Education. 1997 Sep 30;97(5):183-186(4)
Describes
a small investigation into keeping safe around fireworks with Key Stage 1 pupils.
The investigation used the draw and write technique to find out what children in
years 1 and 2 already knew about safety in relation to fireworks. Describes a
series of exercises that can provide a starting point for further work to
reinforce the message that care needs to be exercised when watching fireworks.
Cooper
D, Wilburn R, Ehrlich J, Welles WL, Stemmons S, Gunnells L, Horton DK, Kaye WE
(Brief
Report) Injuries Associated with Homemade Fireworks – Selected States,
1993-2004
Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report. 2004 Jul 2;53(25):562-563
To
describe injuries and emergency responses resulting from homemade fireworks
explosions, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
researched data from its Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance (HSEES)
system. This report summarizes four incidents involving homemade fireworks
explosions that were identified by the surveillance system.
Full
text is available under http://cisat.isciii.es/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5325.pdf
Croteau G, Dills R, Beaudreau M and Davis M
NEW!
Emission
factors and exposures from ground-level pyrotechnics
Atmospheric Environment. 2010;44:
Potential exposures from ground-level
pyrotechnics were assessed by air monitoring and developing emission factors.
Conclusions: This study shows that
ground-level pyrotechnics generate airborne contaminants at levels, which could
be a health hazard. Individuals proximal to the pyrotechnics are especially at
risk. SO2 exposure exceeded the threshold for bronchoconstriction in
asthmatics based on personal air monitoring at two performances utilizing
consumer pyrotechnics. Emission factors for seven pyrotechnics indicated that
many metals, including barium, strontium, copper and lead, as well as known
respiratory irritants, were at levels exceeding ACGIH occupational exposure
guidelines. Elements (Sb and unalloyed Mg), which are banned from consumer
fireworks, were present in significant amounts. … These results indicate a
need for exposure monitoring when performers, technicians and other workers are
exposed to airborne contaminants from pyrotechnics. … Workers should be
protected through respiratory protection equipment or increased
ventilation when exposure levels approach the ACGIH TLV. … In addition,
warnings specific to the potential airborne exposures should be provided to both
the general audience at events where these pyrotechnics are used, as well as the
point of sale for consumer (1.4 G) pyrotechnics.
Cunningham
P, Gaudry P
Misuse of fireworks
Med
J Aust. 1984 Sep;141(6):399
Dhir SP, Shishko MN, Krewi A, Mabruka S
Ocular fireworks injuries in children
J
Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 1991 Nov-Dec;28(6):354-355
Department
of Ophthalmology, Al-Fateh University, Tripoli, Libya.
14
children and 6 adults presented in 1987 with firework-induced ocular injuries
following celebrations of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday in Tripoli, Libya. The
children's injuries were much more severe. Indigenous modifications to the
fireworks, which are intended for children's use, render the devices into very
dangerous missiles that, in the cases presented, resulted in the loss of one eye
and serious damage to another. Educating children of the proper use of legal
fireworks, and parents discouraging their children from modifying fireworks
should help reduce the incidence of these severe ocular injuries.
Drewnick F, Hings SS, Curtius J, Eerdekens G and Williams J
Measurement of fine particulate and gas-phase species
during the New Year’s fireworks 2005 in Mainz, Germany
Atmospheric Environment. 2006 Jul;40(23):4316-4327
The chemical composition and chemically
resolved size distributions of fine aerosol particles were measured at high time
resolution (5 min) with a time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (TOF-AMS)
during the New Year's 2005 fireworks in Mainz, central Germany. …
Dutcher
DD, Perry KD, Cahill TA, Copeland SA
Effects of indoor pyrotechnic displays on the air quality in the Houston Astrodome
Journal
of the Air and Waste Management Association. 1999; 49:156-160
Fine
and coarse particulate mass samples were collected during baseball games with
pyrotechnic displays and control games without displays. The average fine and
coarse particulate masses were 173 and 141 micrograms per cubic meter,
respectively, for the one-hour period immediately following the pyrotechnic
displays. The particulate mater generated by the pyrotechnic displays was
composed of the following elements (arranged from the most to least abundant):
K, S, Mg, Ti, Cl, Si, Ca, Al, Sr, V, Zn, Mn, and Pb…
Abstract under http://secure.awma.org/journal/ShowAbstract.asp?Year=1999&PaperID=573
Dyke
P, Coleman P
Bonfire
night 1994
Fuel
and Energy Abstracts. 1996 Jan;37(1):54
An
increase in dioxin concentration in the air by approximately a factor of four
was measured in Oxford, UK, during the period of bonfire night 5th
Novemer 1994 suggesting that bonfires and/or fireworks may be a significant
source of dioxins.
Dyke
P, Coleman P, James R
Dioxins
in ambient air, bonfire night 1994
Chemosphere.
1997 Mar 4;34(5-7):1191-1201
Measurements
were made before, during, and after "bonfire night" (November 5) at
Oxford in England. An increase in dioxin and furan concentration by
approximately a factor of four occurred during the period of bonfire night
suggesting that bonfires and/or fireworks may be a significant source of trace
organic pollutants.
Fleischer O, Wichmann H, Lorenz W
Release
of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans by setting off fireworks.
Chemosphere. 1999 Sep;39(6):925-932
Institute
of Ecological Chemistry and Waste Analysis, Technical University of
Braunschweig, Germany.
Selected
pyrotechnic articles were set off under laboratory conditions. Residues and
vapors of smoke as well as unburnt charges were analyzed for polychlorinated
dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) and their precursors chlorinated
benzenes and phenols. The contamination of the selected products with these
organic xenobiotics proved to be very variable. Remains of fireworks contained
octachlorinated dioxins and furans up to 142 ng I-TEQ/kg as well as
hexachlorobenzene in the range of 0.05 to 1,400 mg/kg. The deflagration of
detonating compositions usually resulted in a dispersion of contaminants,
whereas continuously burning flare compositions partially led to a thermal
decomposition of organic pollutants. A significant rate of formation of
polychlorinated dioxins and furans was observed when setting off blue-lightning
rockets and fountains. Further investigations revealed that even high
temperatures during the deflagration of black powder charges could not suppress
the formation of PCDD/F from appropriate precursors.
Fogarty BJ, Gordon DJ
Firework related injury and legislation: the epidemiology of firework injuries and the effect of legislation in Northern Ireland
Burns.
1999 Feb;25(1):53-56
The
Northern Ireland Plastic and Maxillofacial Service, Ulster Hospital Dundonald,
Belfast
In September 1996 the legislation governing firework sale in Northern Ireland was relaxed thus equalling that of the rest of the UK. For the 2 years following the change in legislation we prospectively assessed those patients who were admitted with a firework injury over the Halloween period. We then compared these results with retrospective data for the 3 years prior to the change in firework law.
Full
text is available under http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T52-43GBXRV-B&_coverDate=02%2F28%2F1999&_alid=131972620&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_qd=1&_cdi=4990&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=36ed3e7d0ab040e93a0b8912d75c4d3b
or under http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/jbur/article/PIIS0305417998001193/pdf
Giessler GA, Leopold A, Germann G and Heitmann C
Explosionsverletzungen der Hände. Verletzungsmuster und
plastisch-chirurgische Therapie
[Blast injuries of the hands. Patterns of trauma and
plastic surgical treatment] Article in German
Der Unfallchirurg. 2006 Nov;109(11)
Blast injuries of the hand represent a demanding surgical emergency for the reconstructive hand surgeon. Commercially available fireworks are often regarded as less dangerous compared to combat ammunition, but the following examples demonstrate their real potential for devastating hand injuries. Some of the closed injuries can represent a pitfall for correct assessment of trauma severity.
Fifty
patients who were seen after fireworks explosions from December 1995 until April
2005 were analysed in respect to their patterns of injury and their subsequent
surgical treatment.
Abstract under http://www.springerlink.com/content/p8242tv4x476h716/
Gjaevenes K, Moeng J, Nordahl T
Hearing loss in children caused by the impulsive noise of chinese
crackers.
Scand Audiol. 1974;3:153-156
Gjaevenes K
Measurements on the impulsive noise from crackers and toy firearms
J Accoust Soc Am. 1966;39:403-4(L)
Grant
E, Fuller C, Birckmayer J, et al.
State study of pyrotechnics-related injuries and property damage
J
Burn Care Rehabil (United States). 1998 May-Jun;19(3):265-267
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of legalized pyrotechnics specific to our state with regard to injury, property damage, and suppression costs. Forty-one injuries and 129 fireworks-related fires were reported during the study period. Total property loss was $185'570. Property loss, injury costs, and fire suppression costs totalled $799'450. This study provides a very conservative estimate of the problem within our state. Stronger legislation to restrict access to pyrotechnics may reduce the damage and costs they cause.
Greene
Michael A., Race Patrick M.
U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission
2001 Fireworks Annual Report: Fireworks-Related Deaths, Emergency Department Treated Injuries and Enforcement Activities During 2001
June
2002
This report provides the results of the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff analysis of data on
fireworks-related injuries and deaths during 2001. The report also includes a
summary of CPSC enforcement activities during that year.
The
full report is available under http://www.cpsc.gov/LIBRARY/2001fwreport.pdf
Gupta
D, Vishwakarma SK
Toy weapons and firecrackers: a source of hearing loss
Laryngoscope.
1989 Mar;99(3):330-334
…
The purpose of this prospective study, conducted at the time of Deepawali, was
two-fold: 1. to measure the acoustic output of representative samples of toy
weapons and firecrackers and the intensity level at critical spectator points
from the site of emission; and 2. to determine the auditory status of a cross
section of the target population before and after exposure to firecracker noise
at Deepawali. The average sound level at a distance of 3 m was 150 dB, thus
exceeding the damage risk criterion for adults (i.e., 130 dB peak level). An
average 30 dB persistent sensorineural hearing loss was found in 2.5% of the
target population as a result of toy weapon/firecracker noise. The 9- to
15-year-old age group was most affected. A judicious approach in the manufacture
and use of toy weapons and firecrackers, in addition to legal restraints, is
advocated.
Abstract under http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2918804&dopt=Abstract
Hall
JR Jr.
Fireworks-related
injuries, deaths, and fires in the U.S. Quincy, Massachusetts:
National
Fire Protection Association, Fire Analysis and Research Division, 1999
Hall
JR Jr.
The
latest toll from the private use of fireworks
NFPA J. 1996 Jul-Aug;90(4):79-82
Hassman DA, Witek-Janusek L
Trismus and acute respiratory
distress in a 63-year-old woman ten days after stepping on a firecracker
Journal of Emergency Nursing
Herrmann A, Wohlrab J, Marsch WC
Unfälle mit Feuerwerkskörpern und Schreckschusspistolen: Schnelle Therapie verhindert Tätowierungen und Narben
[Trauma
due to blank cartridges and fireworks. Early and correct treatment prevents
tattooing and scarring]
Unfallchirurg. 2004 Jan;107(1):22-26
Traumata secondary to blank cartridges and fireworks are not harmless at all. They can cause cosmetic disfigurement due to permanent tattooing and scars. Often the face and hands are injured. Fourteen patients with blast injuries were treated between 1992 and 2002 in our clinic.
Early
correct treatment of tattooing caused by fireworks or gun powder explosions
within 24 h up to a maximum of 72 h prevents the development of permanent
cosmetic disfigurement. The technique is simple, effective, and saves the cost
of later removal of traumatic tattoos by laser or dermabrasion.
Abstract unter http://www.springerlink.com/content/2e6k5u8htvtd8gnt/
Hirai K, Yamazaki Y, Okada K, Furuta S, Kubo K
Acute eosinophilic pneumonia associated with smoke from fireworks
Intern
Med (Japan). 2000 May;39(5):401-403
Although the patient had been a habitual cigarette smoker for over 4 months, he had had not any respiratory distress. After he inhaled smoke from fireworks for 3 consecutive nights, the patient began to complain of cough, fever and dyspnea. He was diagnosed as AEP. In this patient, inhaling of smoke from fireworks was clinically suspected to be associated with the induction of AEP (acute eosinophilic pneumonia).
Full text is available under http://www.journalarchive.jst.go.jp/english/jnlabstract_en.php?cdjournal=internalmedicine1992&cdvol=39&noissue=5&startpage=401
Ipsen
T, Jorgsholm PB
[Fireworks-caused
injuries in Denmark]
Ugeskr Laeger (Denmark). 1997 Dec 8;159(50):7492-7494
The number and type of fireworks injuries occurring around New Year's Eve as well as type of fireworks used was investigated with the aim of guiding future prophylactic efforts. All patient contacts to emergency rooms throughout Denmar that were due to fireworks were prospectively registered for 24 hours before and after New Year's Eve 1995/1996 and 1996/1997. It is concluded that the number of serious fireworks injuries is on the increase, and that the main part of these injuries are hand injuries. Over half of the serious injuries were due to illegal fireworks. Prophylactic efforts should be aimed against hand-held and illegal fireworks.
Isa AR, Moe H
Fireworks related injuries during Hari Raya festival in Hospital Università Sains Malaysia – 1986 to 1990
Med
J Malaysia. 1991 Dec;46(4):333-337
A
total of 38 cases of fireworks related injuries from Hospital USM over a 5-year
period from 1986 to 1990 during Hari Raya festival were analysed… Twenty-four
cases suffered permanent disabilities mostly finger amputations. Such injuries
could be prevented by law enforcement coupled with public health education to
modify social behaviour especially when the ban against the use of fireworks is
lifted on religious grounds.
Jackson D
Injuries from fireworks
Br Med J. 1961 Nov;2(5261):1184-1187
Conclusion: On the evidence of recent
data about firework injuries treated at the Birmingham Accident Hospital, a
serious proposition is put forward to reduce the disgraceful and unnecessary
suffering of the Guy Fawkes celebration year after year.
This proposition combines legal
restriction with an opportunity for the industry to take the initiative in
reorganizing the distribution of their products.
Legislation is called for to prohibit
the retail distributon of fireworks except for organized displays – nothing
less will prevent these injuries.
As a substitute, safe organized displays
might well be encouraged for public enjoyment and the welfare of the industry.
Full text is available under http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=14450579
Jing
Y, Yi-qiao X, Yan-ning Y, Ming A et al. NEW!
Clinical
analysis of firework-related ocular injuries during Spring Festival 2009
Graefes
Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2010 Mar;248(3):333-8
Background:
To document the clinical features, management and visual outcome of
fireworks-related ocular injuries during the Spring Festival.
CONCLUSION:
Fireworks-related ocular injuries occur mainly in children, males and rural
settings, are frequently severe and visually devastating. Therefore, preventive
measures should be strengthened, including public education and legal
restriction on the sale and use of fireworks.
Abstract under http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20119661
Johnston
JJ, Jenkins M, McKinney LA
Fireworks
related injuries: does changing legislation make a difference? A thought for
next Hallowe'en
Emergency
Medicine Journal. 2001 May;18(3):232
Legalising
the sale of fireworks has resulted in an increase in the number of fireworks
related incidents (in Northern Ireland).
Full text is available under http://emj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/18/3/232
Joly A, Smargiassi A, Kosatsky T et al.
Characterisation of particulate exposure during fireworks displays
Atmospheric
Environment
Little
is known about the level and content of exposure to fine particles (PM2.5) among persons who attend
fireworks displays and those who live nearby. An evaluation of the levels of PM2.5 and their elemental content
was carried out during the nine launches of the 2007 Montréal International
Fireworks Competition. For each event, a prediction of the location of the
firework plume was obtained from the Canadian Meteorological Centre of the
Meteorological Service of Canada. … The highest PM2.5 levels reached nearly 10 000
µg m-3, roughly 1000 times background levels. Elements such as K,
CI, AI, Mg and Ti were markedly higher in plume-exposed filters. This study
shows that 1) persons in the plume and in close proximity to the launch site may
be exposed to extremely high levels of PM2.5
for the duration of the display and, 2) that the plume contains specific
elements for which little is known of their acute cardio-respiratory toxicity.
Jones
D, Lee W, Rea S, O’Donnell M, Eadie PA
Firework
Injuries Presenting to a National Burn's Unit
Irish Medical Journal. 2004 Sep;97(8)
The
purpose of this study is to characterise the types of firework injury presenting
to the unit, and to establish whether amateur and unsupervised use of fireworks
represents a real risk to children and adults.
As
we have outlined in this article, fireworks are a significant cause of trauma in
our community, and children as well as adults are vulnerable to their dangers. A
seasonal effort is made in our country to propagate awareness of the dangers of
fireworks through the various available media, but this effort is neither
focused nor sustained. A powerful campaign aimed at children in the classroom
would surely have more influence than a feature on the evening news. We must
also enforce the law, and make illegal traders responsible for the harm that
they do.
Full text article under http://www.imj.ie/news_detail.php?nNewsId=3220&nVolId=117
Jorm
Louisa
Firework
Injuries in New South Wales, 1992-93 to 2001-02
New
South Wales Public Health Bull. 2003;14(6):110-113
…
Recognition of the risk of injury posed by fireworks has led to increasing
regulation of their sale and use. In order to identify the size and nature of
fireworks-related injuries and the characteristics of people who incur these
injuries in NSW, this article presents an analysis of firework injuries over the
10-year period 1992-93 to 2001-02. Statewide emergency department data for NSW
do not include information on external causes of injury. Accordingly, this
analysis was restricted to data describing hospital separations and deaths…
Important strategies for reduction of firework injuries include national
harmonisation of regulations regarding sale and use of fireworks, active
enforcement of these regulations, and increasing community awareness of the
degree of risk associated with illegal fireworks. Improved recording of firework
injuries in hospital data, including information regarding the type of firework
involved, and the circumstances of the injury, could provide a stronger
information base on which to build and monitor prevention strategies in NSW.
Full
text is available under http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/phb/HTML2003/june03html/article2p110.html
Just
T, Pau HW, Kaduk W, et al.
[Danger
from explosing fireworks and blank firearms]
Gefährdung durch explodierende Feuerwerkskörper oder Schreckschusswaffen.
HNO
(Germany). 2000 Dec;48(12):943-948
Explosive amusement and deterrent articles such
as New Year’s Eve cannons and rockets, toy pistols, and blank guns are not at
all harmless items. Their potential dangerousness is often extremely
underestimated. Two damaging mechanisms are important: during explosions, high
pressures and temperatures develop and a considerable sound pressure level can
be measured. If the explosion happens near the human body, not only superficial
lesions can occur, but also serios, deep-seated tissue damage, especially in the
head and neck region with its endangered sense organs such as eye and ear, the
vessels and nerves supplying the brain, the speech- and voice-forming apparatus,
and in particular the face, can be the consequence.
Accidents are published in the relevant
otological and forensic medical papers, but nevertheless it seems important to
us to point out the dangerousness of these readily available items.
Abstract under http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11196097&dopt=Abstract or under http://www.springerlink.com/content/4fdypkwg91689gam/
Knox FA, Chan WC, Jackson AJ, Foot B, Sharkey JA,
McGinnity FG
A British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit study on
serious ocular injuries from fireworks in the UK
Eye, online publication 9 March 2007
Purpose: We conducted a surveillance
study to assess the nature, management, and visual outcomes of serious ocular
injuries from fireworks in the UK.
Conclusion: This prospective national
survey confirms that firework injuries are an important cause of preventable
visual disability particularly to young males. It is likely that such injuries
occur year on year and as such represent an important public health concern in
addition to the burden placed upon the health service.
Abstract under http://www.nature.com/eye/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/6702778a.html
Krishnan R
Ban on firecrackers should not be lifted during festivals.
Med J Malaysia. 1990 Dec;45(4):353
Kuhn
FC, Morris RC, Witherspoon DC, et al.
Serious fireworks-related eye injuries
Ophthalmic
Epidemiol (Netherlands). 2000 Jun;7(2):139-148
CONCLUSIONS: The rate of fireworks-related serious eye injuries has not decreased in Alabama in the last 16 years; most patients are young males. Since bystanders are at a measurable risk even at a distance of 100 feet, wearing eye protection is recommended to both bystanders and operators. Bottle rockets cause most of the injuries and the more severe ones, and should be the prime target of prevention. The benefit of a strict and enforced legislative ban on private fireworks displays is demonstrated by the much lower incidence figure in Hungary. Such a ban should be considered in other countries were fireworks-related eye injuries are common.
Kulshrestha UC, Rao TN, Azhaguvel S, Kulshrestha MJ
Emissions and accumulation of
metals in the atmosphere due to crackers and sparkles during Diwali festival in
India
Atmospheric Environment. 2004;38(27):4421-4425
In India,
Diwali is known as one of the most famous festivals. On the occasion of this
festival, people burn crackers and sparkles. The burning of these fireworks
leads to metal pollution in air. In this study, metal concentrations in ambient
air were observed to be very high as compared to background values on previous
days. For some metals the concentrations were observed to be higher than
reported at industrial sites. … This study shows that burning of crackers and
sparkles on Diwali is a very strong source of air pollution which contributes
significantly high amount of metals in air.
Abstract under http://md1.csa.com/partners/viewrecord.php?requester=gs&collection=TRD&recid=06928876EN&q=&uid=792161441&setcookie=yes or http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VH3-4CTTHHF-4&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=c4d23bd6dedbdb39a35c60f63d1e1da6
Levitz
LM
Children
and fireworks – a dangerous combination
S
Afr Med J. 1997 Nov;87(11):1554,1556
Levitz
LM, Miller JK, Uwe M, et al.
Ocular injuries caused by fireworks
J
AAPOS (United States). 1999 Oct;3(5):317-318
What are the consequences of suddenly legalizing fireworks sales in a largely rural society? Would the spectrum of ocular injuries caused by fireworks differ from those found in the Western world? This is the first study on ocular injuries caused by fireworks conducted in the Republic of South Africa (New Year celebrations of 1996-1997).
DISCUSSION.
It is only a year after the legal relaxation of fireworks sales to the public in
the Republic of South Africa, yet we now reflect all the global trends with
regard to ocular injuries caused by fireworks. We also find that it is young
boys who are at risk for ocular injuries caused by fireworks. Therefore, we
would like to join the call for stricter control on the sale of fireworks.
Full text is available under http://www.health.wits.ac.za/ophthalmology/op0048.htm
Maassen M, Babisch W, Bachmann KD, Ising H, Lehnert G, Plath P, Plinkert P, Rebentisch E, Schuschke G, Spreng M, Stange G, Struwe V, Zenner HP
Ear damage caused by leisure noise
Noise
and Health. 2001;4(13):1-16
Noise
is a health risk. Recent findings suggest that leisure noise is a substantial
danger especially to children, teenagers and young adults. Epidemiological
studies of teenagers with no occupational noise exposure show an increasing
number with a substantial and measurable irreversible inner ear damage. This is
basically due to the wide spread exposition to very loud toys, crackers and
exposure to electronically amplified music. Protection against irreversible ear
damage by leisure noise has an important impact in preventive medical care.
Abstract unter http://www.noiseandhealth.org/article.asp?issn=1463-1741;year=2001;volume=4;issue=13;spage=1;epage=16;aulast=Maassen
MacKenzie DN, Green JA, Viglione W
Firecracker injuries to the hand
Med J Aust (Australia). 2001 Mar 5;174(5):231-232
Between September 1999 and April 2000, the Hand Unit at St George Hospital, Sydney, treated three young men with severe injuries caused by holding a lighted firecracker. These cases illustrate the typical injuries seen with this mechanism of injury. They highlight the dangers of these explosive devices and the potential to improve the laws relating of fireworks.
Maglieri
DJ, Henderson HR
Noise from aerial bursts of fireworks
Journal
of the Acoustical Society of America. 1973 Nov;54(5):1224-1227
As
part of a broad study relating to sonic-boom exposures and their effects on
people and building structures, the opportunity was taken to measure the
shock-wave pressure time histories resulting from aerial bursts during a
professional fireworks display. A considerable amount of information exists in
the literature regarding principles of fabrication and practices of presenting
displays of fireworks, but little information about their noise signatures is
available. It is believed that these measurements may be of general interest in
regard to community noise exposure criteria. This paper presents a description
and the main results of this study.
Makitie
I, Paloneva H, Tikka S
Explosion injuries in Finland 1991-1995
Ann
Chir Gynaecol. 1997;86(3):209-213
Division
of Military Medicine, Logistics Training Centre of the Defence Forces, Lahti,
Finland
BACKGROUND
AND AIMS: Explosion injuries have been considered an increasing problem in many
countries. This study describes the incidence and significance of injuries of
this kind in Finland. CONCLUSIONS: Explosion injuries are epidemiologically not
a great problem in comparison with all accidents, but neither can they be
considered nowadays as a negligible medical problem in Finland.
Mansouri MR, Mohammadi SF, Hatef E et al.
The Persian Wednesday Eve
Festival "Charshanbe-Soori" fireworks eye injuries: A case series
Ophthalmic Epidemiology. 2007
Jan;14(1):17-24
Purpose: To
describe the clinical spectrum and severity of eye injuries sustained during the
Persian Wednesday Eve Festival "Charshanbe-Soori" and to identify the
fireworks devices involved.
Conclusions: In
Iran, fireworks cause frequent and diverse injuries during the Wednesday Eve
Festival and are a leading cause of severe injuries and monocular blindness.
Abstract under http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a772109874?words=fireworks
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
FINAL REPORT: Evaluation of Perchlorate Contamination at a Fireworks Display. Dartmouth, Massachusetts. August 2007
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) conducted a study at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMD) campus to evaluate the potential release of perchlorate to the environment as a result of a typical "community-type" fireworks display. - Based on field investigations conducted since 2004, it appears that 11 years of fireworks displays have resulted in perchlorate contamination in soil and groundwater at the Perchlorate Study Area.
You can download the Dartmouth report from http://www.mass.gov/dep/cleanup/sites/umdrep.htm or direct under http://www.mass.gov/dep/cleanup/sites/umdrep.pdf and appendices from http://www.mass.gov/dep/cleanup/sites/umdrep.htm or direct under http://www.mass.gov/dep/cleanup/sites/umdapp.pdf
McCauley
RL, Stenberg BA, Rutan RL, Robson MC, Heggers JP, Herndon DN
Class C firework injuries in a pediatric population
J
Trauma. 1991 Mar;31(3):389-391.
Our
data suggest that class C firework injuries, although small in terms of TBSA
burned, result in full-thickness wounds that warrant aggressive surgical
management.
McFarland LV, Harris JR, Kobayashi JM, Dicker RC
Risk
factor for fireworks-related injury in Washington State.
JAMA.
1984 Jun 22-29;251(24):3251-4
To
determine the frequency and effects of and risk factors for fireworks-related
injury, we identified all 146 persons who were injured by fireworks and sought
emergency care during the 1983 July 4 holiday in the Seattle area…We conclude
that fireworks cause serious injuries that theoretically could be prevented by
behavioural changes or decreased availability of high-risk fireworks devices.
McPheeters
GO, Straehley CJ
Fireworks
trauma
Hawaii
Med J. 1981;40(5):127-129
Mitchell
D, Gilson T
Commentary
on Blanco-Pampin JM. Suicidal deaths using fireworks. J Forensic Sci 2001;46(2):1526-1528.
J
Forensic Sci. 2001 Nov;46(6):1526
Mohan
D, Varghese M
Fireworks cast a shadow on India's festival of lights
World
Health Forum. 1990;11(3):323-326
Centre
for Biomedical, Engineering Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi.
This article describes a campaign for the safe use of fireworks and the prompt application of cold water to skin burned by them.
Moore
RS, Tan V, Dormans JP, et al.
Major pediatric hand trauma associated with fireworks
J Orthop Trauma (United States). 2000 Aug;14(6):426-428
Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrates the severity of pediatric hand injuries associated with fireworks and the significant burden placed on medical resources in treating these injuries. Efforts toward public education and legislative reforms may help to prevent these unnecessary injuries.
Morell T, Lohmann M, Basse PN
[Injuries
due to fireworks]
Ugeskr Laeger. 1992 Dec 21;154(52):3736-8
This
investigation is a review of the injuries due to fireworks seen in five casualty
departments in Denmark over a period of four years. The review is based on data
from the Danish section of EHLASS-project. (Europea Home and Leisure Accident
surveillance system). The estimated number of injuries due to fireworks in
Denmark is 690 annually. The majority of injuries due to fireworks were due to
incorrect use of fireworks of absence of protective measures.
Moreno
T, Querol X, Alastuey A, Amato F, Pey J, Pandolfi M, Kuenzli N, Bouso L, Rivera
M, Gibbons W NEW!
Effect
of fireworks events on urban background trace metal aerosol concentrations: is
the cocktail worth the show?
Journal
of Hazardous Materials. 2010, doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.07.082. Available
online 26 July 2010
We
report on the effect of a major firework event on urban background atmospheric
PM2.5 chemistry, using 24-hour data
collected over eight weeks at two sites in Girona, Spain. … Marked increases
in these elements were also measured outside the park as the pollution cloud
drifted over the city centre, and levels of some metals remained elevated above
background for days after the event as a reservoir of metalliferous dust
persisted within the urban area. Transient high-PM pollution episodes are a
proven health hazard, made worse in the case of firework combustion because many
of the elements released are both toxic and finely respirable, and because
displays commonly take place in an already polluted urban atmosphere.
The
inhalation of smoke loaded with metalliferous particles small enough to enter
the lung alveoli causes negative health effects in humans, especially among
vulnerable individuals such as asthmatics.
Discussion
and conclusions: … Despite the lack of legal controls on PM emissions
emanating from firework combustion, the severity of the impact of such events on
urban background atmospheric chemistry provides reasonable cause for concern.
There is already abundant published evidence that short-lived fluctuations in
pollutants can induce changes in both lung and heart function. Asthma symptoms,
perhaps the most obvious risk factor, have been linked to one-hour PM10 and NO2 concentrations rising from
background values of 20-30 µg m-3
to brief peaks at 40-70 µg m-3.
1-hour exposure to elevated traffic levels has been associated with the onset of
myocardial infarction, and hourly increases in PM2.5 linked to myocardial
ischaemia. In the specific case of fireworks emissions it is the metalliferous
component of atmospheric aerosols which is additionally implicated in negative
health effects, not only with acute responses but also in their possible
contribution to long term degenerative conditions such as Parkinson's and
Alzheimer's diseases. Presumably, those most immediately at risk from exposure
to dense smoke clouds are people already debilitated by pre-existing illness,
notably severe asthma or coronary heart disease, but the metalliferous and
highly respirable nature of fireworks emissions makes them per se
hazardous to the general population. … Furthermore, our observation of a
continued "reservoir effect" enhancement of ambient metal PM levels
persisting for days after the fireworks event indicates that the effect on urban
background PM is less transient than might be supposed.
Moreno
T, Querol X, Alastuey A, et al.
Recreational
atmospheric pollution episodes: Inhalable metalliferous particles from firework
displays
Atmospheric
Environment. 2007 Feb;41(5):913-922
The
use of fireworks creates an unusual and distinctive anthropogenic atmospheric
pollution event. ...
Although
firework-related recreational pollution episodes are transient in nature, they
are highly concentrated, contribute significantly to total annual metal
emissions, and are on average fine enough to be easily inhaled and a health risk
to susceptible individuals.
Mulla A. AL, Purva M and Behbehani A
Fireworks
injury: temporal bone penetration and a wooden intra-cranial foreign body
J.R.Coll.Surg.Edinb.
2001 Aug;46:249-251
Case
Report: A 13-year-old girl was admitted to Mubarak Al Kabeer Hospital in an
unconscious state after being intubated in a small private hospital earlier. The
girl was sitting in the backseat of a parked car when fireworks, set off outside
the car shattered the glass of the rear window and hit her, following which she
collapsed.
Full
text is available under: http://www.rcsed.ac.uk/journal/vol46_4/4640016.htm
Munster
J, Hanson GN, Jackson WA, Rajagopalan S
The
fallout from fireworks: Perchlorate in total deposition
Water
Air Soil Pollution. 2009 Mar;198(1-4):149-153
Our
study showed that precipitation concentrations after Fourth of July fireworks
displays can be 18 times as much as background levels confirming that, "fireworks
constitute a potential source of increasing importance, as fireworks use is
rising exponentially with average consumption at 4.5 x 107
kg per year". … It
appears that this increase in perchlorate in total deposition is associated with
Fourth of July fireworks. … As a result we need to be concerned about the
potential impact on our groundwater of increased perchlorate in precipitation
associated with fireworks.
Abstract
under http://www.springerlink.com/content/xt68w81615017458/
Free
full text is available under http://www.balancehydro.com/pdf/Munsterfireworks.pdf
Newell
FW, Vail D
Fireworks blindness
Am
J Ophthalmol. 1972 Jul;74(1):167-168
Noordijk H
Luchtverontreiniging door vuurwerk tijdens de jaarwisseling van 1992-1993
[Air pollution due to
fireworks at the turn of the year 1992-1993] Article in Dutch.
Various
meteorological conditions, especially the presence of a very low and strong
temperature inversion and the absence of wind, caused a sharp increase of
atmospheric pollutants during the festivities at the turn of the year 1992. …
The high concentration of fine particles may have caused acute health effects,
such as tightness of the chest. Especially people with chronic lung or pulmonary
diseases may have experienced troubles. Visibility was reduced due to scattering
by the released particles, in combination with moisture in the air. Visibility
in or near domestic areas has been reduced to several tens of meters in the
first hours of the new year. …
Abstract under http://md1.csa.com/partners/viewrecord.php?requester=gs&collection=TRD&recid=N9521718AH&q=fireworks+pollution&uid=792167899&setcookie=yes. The whole rapport in Dutch can be downloaded from http://www.rivm.nl/bibliotheek/rapporten/722103001.html or http://rivm.openrepository.com/rivm/bitstream/10029/10429/1/722103001.pdf; here you will find a summary in English.
O'Leary
MJ, Evans CF, Kobayashi JM
Fireworks-related injuries, King County, Washington, 1983 to 1985
JAMA.
1986 Jul 4;256(1):27-28.
Perry Kevin D
Effects of outdoor pyrotechnic displays on the regional air quality of western Washington State
Journal
of the Air and Waste Management Association. 1999;49:146-55
Meteorology
Department, San José State University, San José, California
Data from a PM 2.5 particulate matter
monitoring network was used to quantify the effects of outdoor pyrotechnic
displays on the regional air quality of western Washington State. Linear
regression and principal component analysis demonstrated that the fine
particulate matter generated by these displays was primarily composed of Sr, K,
V, Ti, Ba, Cu, Pb, Mg, Al, S, Mn, Zn, and soot…
…The PM 2.5 aerosol monitoring network
tracked the pyrotechnic smoke plume for a period of two days as it was advected
by low-level winds. The geometric mass mean diameter of the K particles was ~0.7
mm after transport of ~100 km. In the absence of rain, which is the primary sink
for particles of this size, the particulate matter generated by the pyrotechnic
displays could have an atmospheric residence time of more than one week.
Implicatons: …These factors indicate that
pyrotechnic displays could lead to violations of the aforementioned NAAQS in
populous regions of the United States where regional particulate mass
concentrations are high during summer…
Abstract under http://secure.awma.org/journal/ShowAbstract.asp?Year=1999&PaperID=572
Pilcher
CA
(To the Editor:) Fireworks-related injuries
Ann
Emerg Med. 1985 Jun;14(6):617
The
law regarding the sale of fireworks was liberalized in Washington between 1981
and 1982. As indicated, injury frequency increased. The law was subsequently
restored to a more restrictive status between 1983 and 1984. Injury frequency
decreased.
Plontke S, Schneiderbauer H, Vonthein R, Plinkert PK, Lowenheim H, Zenner HP
Erholung der Hörschwelle nach Knalltrauma durch Feuerwerkskörper und Signalpistolen
[Recovery
of normal auditory threshold after hearing damage from fireworks and signalling
pistols]
HNO. 2003 Mar;51(3):245-250.
Plontke SK, Dietz K, Pfeffer C, Zenner HP
The
incidence of acoustic trauma due to New Year's firecrackers.
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology. 2002 May;259(5):247-252
The
aim of this study was to estimate prospectively the incidence of blast and
explosion trauma due to the use of New Year's firecrackers in a western
industrialized society. The results are based on 562 centers in Germany… These
incidences suggest that firecrackers may pose a momentous public health risk.
Because of the medical and economic importance of incurable sensorineural
hearing loss, it is the task of public health services to promote the effective
prevention of irreversible damage to the hearing organ.
Abstract under http://www.springerlink.com/content/cqbb7kh28klncg5n/ or under http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12107527?ordinalpos=9&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Quass U, Romazanowa O., John
AC, Kuhlbusch TAJ, Schmidt KG, Öztürk E and Fissan H NEW!
New Year's Eve fireworks 2002:
Part 2: Multielement analysis of impactor samples by TXRF
In recent years health effects of airborne particles have become of increasing concern. Epidemiologic studies have shown a strong link between excess mortality among sensitive population groups and the concentration of inhalable particulates with aerodynamic diameters below 10 µm. … Besides sources like traffic or industrial activities which are active throughout the year occasionally there are strong releases of aerosols, particularly due to fireworks and bonfires. On occasion of the New Year firework on December 31st, 2002 we carried out a comprehensive measurement campaign to obtain a physical and chemical characterisation of the ambient aerosol. … Hence, the particles released from the fireworks are largely inhalable and may pose a considerable load to sensitized people.
Full text is available under http://www.dfmf.uned.es/EAC2003/PDFs/QU1693-EAC2003_Paper_Firework_final.PDF
Ravindra
K, Mor S, Kaushik CP
Short-term
variation in air quality associated with firework events: a case study.
J
Environ Monit (England). 2003 Apr;5(2):260-264
The effect of fireworks on air quality was assessed from the ambient concentrations of various air pollutants (SO2, NO2, PM10 and TSP) during Diwali festival in Hisar city (India), in November 1999. The extensive use of fireworks was found to be related to short-term variation in air quality. During the festival the concentration of SO2 was observed to be increased approximately 10-fold at few sites, whereas the concentrations of NO2, PM10 and TSP increased 2-3 times, compared to the data collected on a typical winter day in December 1999. The maximum NO2 concentration was observed a day after the festival. The diurnal pattern of the above pollutants showed a slight increase in the night. The levels of these pollutants observed during Diwali were found to be moderately high, which can be associated with serious health impacts.
Full
text is available under http://www.rsc.org/delivery/_ArticleLinking/DisplayArticleForFree.cfm?doi=b211943a&JournalCode=EM
Rawlins JM, Khan A, Foo I
Pulmonary contusion – an
unusual firework injury (Case report)
Burn. 2004;30(6):600-602
Conclusion: The spectrum and severity of injuries that can result from fireworks is enormous. Whilst the majority of the firework injuries are burns, eye injuries and lacerations, the extent to which fireworks may inflict deeper tissue damage should not be underestimated. In patients who have sustained a missile or explosive firework injury to the chest, conducting a complete examination to detect for the presence of underlying rib fractures or pulmonary injury should be sought, and if present, must be dealt with appropriately. …
Rojas ZJ, Carrasco TR, Cornejo AE, Cortés PL
Epidemiology
of Burns by Fireworks in Children
Ann. Medit. Burns Club -
1994
COANIQUEM, Santiago, Chile
SUMMARY.
An epidemiological survey performed by COANIQUEM (Burned Children’s Help
Cooperation) is presented, dealing with children burned by fireworks between 4
December 1993 and 4 January 1994 in Santiago, Chile. In this period there were
44 burned children, with a predominance of boys (64%); the age group most
affected in both sexes was 6 to 10 years. Bum accidents occurred with greatest
frequency on 25 and 26 December and 1 January, between 10 p.m. and midnight. 70%
of the children came from low-level socio-economic districsts in Santiago. The
most frequent injury-causing agents were firecrackers, sparklers and rockets.
The upper limbs, head and neck were the most affected parts of the body.
Intermediate burns (AB) presented a frequency of 42%. This kind of survey is not
difficult to repeat in view of the high level of cooperation of public and
private hospitals. It is suggested that the domestic use of fireworks of
any kind should be prohibited and that their use in public firework displays
should be strictly regulated. à
COANIQUEM advises
the prohibition of the free sale and use of all kinds of fireworks by ordinary
people in the home, and proposes that firework displays should be regulated and
organized by responsible companies in order to ensure that they are properly
managed with appropriate safety measures and that each individual company is
responsible for fortuitous damage to third parties.
Full
text is available under http://www.medbc.com/annals/review/vol_7/num_4/text/vol7n4p184.htm
Rosenthal AR, Oakley G
Firework related ocular injury
J R Soc Med. 1988 Oct;81(10):559-560
Full text is available under http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=3184083
Sacu
S, Segur-Eltz N, Stenng K, Zehetmayer M
Ocular firework injuries at New Year's eve
Ophthalmologica.
2002 Jan-Feb;216(1):55-59
PURPOSE:
To prospectively study mechanisms and injury characteristica of ocular firework
burns. CONCLUSION: Injuries in minors were significantly more severe than those
in adults. Possible preventive measures include legislation, education of minors
and eye protection.
See
LC, Lo SK
Epidemiology of fireworks injuries: the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, 1980-1989
Annals
of Emergency Medicine. 1994
Jul;24(1):46-50
CONCLUSION:
Fireworks injuries are a health hazard to the public. Young persons are at the
highest risk to suffer injuries, mainly due to personal-use fireworks. A
majority of victims are injured during the week of July 4. Class B fireworks and
rockets appear to be very dangerous.
Abstract
under http://journals.elsevierhealth.com/medline/record/MDLN.8010548
Segal
S, Eviatar E, Lapinsky J, Shlamkovitch N, Kessler A
Inner ear damage in children due to noise exposure from toy cap pistols and firecrackers: a retrospective review of 53 cases
Noise
Health. 2003 Jan-Mar;5(18):13-18
This
retrospective study presents the findings of inner ear damage documented in 53
children exposed to impulsive sound ermitted by toy weapons and firecrackers…
This paper re-emphasizes the possibility of inner ear damage in children from
exposure to noisy toys.
Shakil MS, Smith JE
Penetrating abdominal wound caused by a firework
Br med J (Clin Res Ed). 1987 Sep;295(6599):635-536
Full text is available under http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=3117269
Sharma
O, Mohanan V, Singh M
Characterisation
of sound pressure levels produced by crackers
Applied
Acoustics. 1999;58(4):443-449
The
study of the characterisation of crackers is undertaken to specify maximum sound
pressure levels produced by crackers.
Sheller
JP, Muchardt O, Jonsson B, Mikkelsen MB
Burn injuries caused by fireworks: effect of prophylaxis
Burns.
1995 Feb;21(1):50-53
Department
of Plastic Surgery, Odense Hospital, Denmark
During
the New Year 1991-92, a total of 17 patients with burns caused by fireworks were
admitted to the two Danis burns units. They were all males and all had carried
the causative firework in their clothes; 88% were minors, and 87% of these had
bought their fireworks themselves in ordinary shops. Fireworks described as
‘whistles’ were responsible in 88% of the cases. Appeals to the authorities
resulted in a change of the legislation in November 1992, allowing only whistles
equipped with safety fuses… Campaigns were conducted at all schools and in the
media in November and December 1992 and 1993, giving information about the
dangers of carrying fireworks close to the body. During the New Year 1992-93,
only 4 children were admitted with firework burns… the patients were all
younger than the age group targeted by the school campaign… We conclude that
the prophlactic actions were effective enough to reduce the number and severity
of burn injuries caused by fireworks.
Sheller
JL, Jonsson B, Muchardt O
[Burns
due to fireworks. A 4-year study of the incidence and causes with suggestions
for prevention]
Ugeskr Laeger. 1992 Dec 21;154(52):3739-3742
During
the period around New Year 1991-1992, significantly more patients were admitted
to the burns units in Denmark with
burns caused by fireworks, compared to the previous three years… A campaign
for the oncoming New Year, informing about burns, eye and hand injuries caused
by fireworks is under preparation. Although sale of fireworks to persons under
18 years of age is prohibited, more than 80% of the children had purchased the
fireworks themselves. We recommend reinforcement of the law.
Singh DP, Gadi R, Mandal TK, Dixit CK et al. NEW!
Study
of temporal variation in ambient air quality during Diwali festival in India
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 2009 Sep 16 [Epub
ahead of print]
DOI 10.1007/s10661-009-1145-9
Published
online: 16. September 2009
ISSN:
0167-6369 (Print) 1573-2959 (Online)
The
variation in air quality was assessed from the ambient concentrations of various
air pollutants [total suspended particle (TSP), particulate matter ≤ 10 µm (PM10),
SO2, and NO2] for pre-Diwali, Diwali
festival, post-Diwali, and foggy day (October, November and December), Delhi (India),
from 2002 to 2007. …
…
The extensive use of fireworks was found to be related to short-term variation
in air quality. ...
CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the burning of crackers and sparkles on the occasion of Diwali is a stroung source of TSP, PM10, SO2, and NO2 in ambient air and are emitted in very high quantity, as high as two to six times, as compared to non-Diwali festival days. … The higher level of pollutants, especially the manifold increase (four times) of PM10 is of great concern with regard to the health effects. Strong correleation was observed between TSP, PM10, SO2, and NO2 and meteorological parameters (temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed).
Abstract under http://www.springerlink.com/content/f625201043442214/ and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19757121; Free preview unter http://www.springerlink.com/content/f625201043442214/fulltext.pdf?page=1
Singh
S
Sparklers as a major hazard burn injury
Burns.
1997 June;23(4):369-372
Injuries
caused by sparklers are a particular hazard for young children. Case reports
highlight the potential severity of such injuries and recommendations are made
with regard to prevention.
Smith
GA, Knapp JF, Barnett TM and Shields BJ
The rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air: fireworks-related injuries to children
Pediatrics. 1996 Jul;98(1):1-9
Ohio
State University College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Columbus, USA.
CONCLUSIONS.
Fireworks are associated with serious injuries. Findings of this large
consecutive series describe the epidemiology of these injuries. Children and
their families should be encouraged to enjoy fireworks at public fireworks
displays conducted by professionals. Fireworks for individual private use should
be banned.
Abstract under http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8668376 or under http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/1/1
Smith Richard Merrill, Dinh Vu-Dinh
Changes in Forced Expiratory Flow Due to Air Pollution From Fireworks
Environmental Research. 1975;9(3):321-331
Department of Physiology, University of Hawaii, School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii
Spirometry in humans and air sampling have been performed during a brief but intense bout of air pollution due to exploding fireworks on New Year's Eve in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Smoorenburg
GF
Risk
of noise-induced hearing loss following exposure to Chinese firecrackers.
Audiology.
1993 Nov-Dec;32(6):333-343
Firecrackers
produce sound impulses reaching peak levels measured at the ear sometimes in
excess of 160 dB when fired at 2 m distance. These sound levels are potentially
hazardous to the ear. The peak levels should not exceed 149 dB at he ear…
Steinhauser G, Musilek A
Do pyrotechnics contain radium?
Environ. Res. Lett. 4 (2009) 034006 (6pp)
Many pyrotechnic devices contain barium
nitrate which is used as an oxidizer and colouring agent primarily for
green-coloured fireworks. … Due to their chemical similarities to radium,
barium and strontium ores can accumulate radium, causing a remarkable activity
in these minerals. Radium in such contaminated raw materials can be processed
together with the barium or strontium, unless extensive purification of the ores
was undertaken. For example, the utilization of 'radiobarite' for the production
of pyrotechnic ingredients can therefore cause atmospheric pollution with radium
aerosols when the firework is displayed, resulting in negative health effects
upon inhalation of these aerosols. In this study, the occurrence of
gamma-photon-emitting radionuclides in several pyrotechnic devices is
investigated. … In the course of novel developments aiming at the 'greening'
of pyrotechnics, the potential radioactive hazard should be considered as well.
Abstract
under http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/1748-9326/4/3/034006/,
free full text under http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/1748-9326/4/3/034006/erl9_3_034006.pdf?request-id=25dcd4b6-e37e-4781-b3bf-826a6a352bed
Steinhauser
G, Klapötke TM
"Green"
Pyrotechnics: A Chemists' Challenge
Angewandte
Chemie International Edition, 2008 April;47(18):3330-3347
Fireworks are probably the application of chemistry which resonates best with the general public. However, fireworks and (civil and military) pyrotechnic applications cause environmental pollution and thus have given rise to the development of new, environmentally friendly pyrotechnic compounds and formulations. Nitrogen-rich energetic materials, such as the derivatives of tetrazoles and tetrazines, are about to revolutionize traditional pyrotechnic compositions. This Review summarizes the sources of pollution in current formulations and recent efforts toward "green" pyrotechnics.
Free full text under http://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/PubDat_166319.pdf
Steinhauser G, Sterba JH, Foster M, Grass F, Bichler M
Heavy
metals from pyrotechnics in New Years Eve snow
Atmospheric
Environment, 2008 Dec;42(37):8616-8622
Pyrotechnics
and fireworks cause pollution with barium aerosols. In this study, the
washing-out of barium-rich aerosols by snowflakes during the New Years Eve
celebrations in an Austrian village has been investigated. It could be shown
that the fireworks caused an increase in the barium concentration in snow of up
to a factor of 580 compared to the blank value. An increase of the
concentrations of strontium and occasionally arsenic in snow was also observed.
Abstract under http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VH3-4TB77GM-5&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=4c0140df68762b67cbbd0909b724f75c. Free full text under http://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/PubDat_167751.pdf.
Steinhauser
G, Klapötke TM NEW!
Using the chemistry of fireworks to engage students in
learning basic chemical principles: A lesson in eco-friendly pyrotechnics
Journal of Chemical Education
Beyond classic pyrochemistry, this paper
also deals with environmental pollution caused by fireworks and recent
developments toward greener pyrotechnics. Safety and health aspects of
pyrotechnics are discussed.
Abstract under http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/ed800057x
Sukumar A, Subramanian R
Trace elements in scalp
hair of manufacturers of fireworks from Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu
Sci Total Environ. 1992 Apr;114:161-168
School of Environmental
Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni and Pb were analysed by
AAS in the hair of male and female, controls and workers from firework cottage
industries from Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu. When compared with controls, significantly
higher levels of Mn and Cr were found in male healthy workers and unhealthy
workers with chronic headaches and dizziness. In the case of female workers,
higher Mn and lower Pb levels were found, but the level of any element was not
significantly different in the workers with ulcers and asthma. There is a
possibility of occupational exposure of both male and female workers to the risk
of Cr and Mn pollution.
Sundelin
K, Norrsell K
Eye injuries from fireworks in Western Sweden
Acta
Ophthalmol Scand (Denmark). 2000 Feb;78(1):61-64
CONCLUSION: Ocular injuries from fireworks remain a problem. Preventive measures such as protective glasses and legislation are being discussed.
Abstract
under http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1034/j.1600-0420.2000.078001061.x?prevSearch=%28%28all%3A%28fireworks%29%29%29;
here you can also download the
full text pdf for free
Takiguchi
SA, Kusumoto R, Teruya N, Myers SA
Exacerbation
of respiratory conditions secondary to fireworks pollution
Crit Care Med. 2000;28(12):Suppl 527
A retrospective study of all patients treated with respiratory conditions in the emergency room compared data from two time periods: Time 1 (individual days during the high fireworks exposure time) the last week of December 1999 and the first week of January 2000 compared to Time 2 (control time days without exposure to fireworks) the last week of November 1999 to the first week of December 1999.
Tandon N
Firecrackers noise
Noise
& Vibration Worldwide. 2003;34(5):9-12
Noise
produced by firecrackers that are used to celebrate special occasions has been
highlighted. This impulse type of noise can cause hearing damage. Noise
measurements of firecrackers show that they produce high sound pressure peak
levels… Noise limits and measurement methods used for the fireworks in some
countries are presented.
CONCLUSIONS:
...Studies indicate that these noise levels (of firecrackers) can cause hearing
damage. Some countries have developed noise limits for firecrackers but there is
a need to have an international standard for the measurement method and limits
for them so that the harmful firecrackers are not manufactured/available to
public.
Thygesen J
Ocular injuries caused by fireworks. 25 years of experience with preventive campaigns in Denmark
Acta
Ophthalmol Scand. 2000 Feb;78(1):1-2.
Tobin N
Fireworks – the need for reform
Nurs
Mirror Midwives J. 1976 Oct 28;143(18):46-47
Udesen
A, Ovesen OC
[Burn
injuries due to fireworks during New Year holiday. A 10-year case load]
Ugeskr Laeger. 1991 Apr 15;153(16):1131-1132
The
number of patients admitted to hospital on account of serious burns has
increased. These are most frequently caused by clothes catching fire from
fireworks which have been hidden under outer clothes or in trouser pockets. In
order to avoid the serious burns caused by burning clothes, it is recommended
that fireworks should not be concealed under clothes but carried away from the
body possibly in a container made of non-inflammable material.
U.S.
Fire Administration
The Dangers of Fireworks
Topical
Fire Research Series, January 2001 (Rev. December 2001);1(7)
FINDINGS:
Fireworks were the cause of 13 fatalities, 8,500 injuries, 7,000 fires, and $40
million in property loss in 1998.
State
laws regulating the sale of fireworks have a direct impact on the incidence of
loss. More stringent laws have been responsible for a decrease in injuries in
the last decade – from a high of 12,100 in 1990 to a low of 7,800 in 1996.
70-75%
of fireworks injuries occur during a 30-day period (June 23-July 23). In
addition to Independence Day, other peak periods for injuries are New Year's Eve
and other holidays.
45%
of fireworks injuries are to children under the age of 15. Males are three times
more likely than females to be injured.
Full
text is available under http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/tfrs/v1i7-508.pdf
Vassilia
K, Eleni P, Dimitrios T
Firework-related childhood injuries in Greece: a national problem
Burns.
2004 Mar;30(2):151-153
Department
of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece
During a 5-year period, out of 110'066 children with injuries recorded in the Greek Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System (EDISS), 91 had firework-related injuries… The estimated annual incidence of childhood firework injuries treated in the emergency departments of hospitals countrywide, was 7 per 100'000 children years…
Vecchi R, Bernardoni V, Cricchio D, D'Alessandro A, Fermo P, Lucarelli F et al.
The impact of fireworks on
airborne particles
Atmospheric Environment. 2008
Feb,42(6):1121-1132
Fireworks are one of the most
unusual sources of pollution in atmosphere; although transient, these pollution
episodes are responsible for high concentrations of particles (especially metals
and organic compounds) and gases.
CONCLUSIONS:
Results obtained by hourly elemental analysis showed that in the fine fraction
many metals (i.e. Sr, Mg, K, Ba and Cu) increased significantly during the
celebrations (e.g. Sr up to 120 times in 1 h) while no differences were observed
in the coarse fraction concentrations. It is worth noting that, although
fireworks cause short-lived air pollution events, fine particles are responsible
for adverse health effects, and the bioreactivity of fine metal aerosols is of
particular concern.
Author's
Accepted Manuscript (pdf) under http://wiki.esipfed.org/images/6/6c/Vecchi_Impact_of_Fireworks_on_PM_2007.pdf
Vernon SA
Fireworks
and the eye.
J
R Soc Med. 1988 Oct;81(10):569-571
Department
of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham.
A
prospective study involving all casualty departments in Trent Region and 81% of
the major eye units in UK was performed to determine ocular morbidity from the
use of fireworks during 1986… Of all the injuries from fireworks, 16.7% seen
at major eye units were serious and were caused by rockets or exploding
fireworks… Legislation to reduce ocular morbidity should concentrate on
restricting the use of rockets and exploding fireworks and encouraging the use
of suitable eye protection.
Full text is available under http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=3184088
Wallerstein
C
Christmas firework "sweets" kill hundreds of children.
BMJ.
1999 Nov;319(7219):1222
Health
experts in the Philippines are pleading for a ban on "watusi", a
popular Christmas firework, which has caused the deaths of hundreds of children
through phosphorus poisoning. Each year dozens of young children are killed or
disabled after eating the brightly coloured traditional fireworks, mistaking
them for sweets.
Full text is available under http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/319/7219/1222/a?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&fulltext=fireworks&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1088109126244_14926&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=1,2,3,4 or http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprintsidebar/319/7219/1222/a?andorexacttitleabs=and&eaf
Wang Ying, Zhuang Guoshun, Xua Chang and An Zhisheng
The air pollution caused by
the burning of fireworks during the lantern festival in Beijing, China
Atmospheric Environment. 2007
Jan,41(2):417-431
The effects of
the burning of fireworks on air quality in Beijing was firstly assessed from
the ambient concentrations of various air pollutants (SO2,NO2, PM2.5, PM10 and
chemical components in the particles) during the lantern festival in 2006. …
It was found that over 90% of the total mineral aerosol and 98% of Pb, 43% of
total carbon, 28% of Zn, 8% of NO3 … in PM2.5 were from the emissions of
fireworks on the lantern night.
Download full paper: http://www.serd.ait.ac.th/airpet/publications/Wang_2007c.htm
Ward WD, Glorig A
A case of firecracker induced hearing loss
Laryngoscope. 1961;71:1590-1596
Watanabe
A, Ikeda T et al.
Two
cases of ocular injury caused by rocket fireworks
Japanese
Journal of the Ophthalmic Surgery.
Ocular
injury by rocket fireworks is associated with poor prognosis because of serious
damage in the posterior pole. We emphasize the need for great care in the
handling of rocket fireworks.
Abstract
under http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/200003/000020000399A1040593.php
Wehner B, Wiedensohler A, Heintzenberg J
Submicrometer
aerosol size distributions and mass concentration of the millennium fireworks
2000 in Leipzig, Germany
Journal
of Aerosol Science. 2000 Dec;31(12):1489-1493
In
this technical note, the autors present submicrometer aerosol number and volume
size distributions as well as mass concentrations during the Millennium
fireworks measured at the IfT in Leipzig and their correlation with simultaneous
NO measurements.
Wharton
HK, Slater HJ
Further studies of the noise levels produced by fireworks
Pyrotechnica.
1995;16:20-29
Wharton
RK, Bagley MJ
Review of threshold quantities for the control of explosives in health and safety legislation in The Netherlands
Safety
Science. 2004 Aug;42(7):621-626
This
paper describes a study undertaken for the Ministry of Social Affairs and
Employment in The Netherlands, to examine systems and limits for the control of
explosives. Part of the study: questionnaire and its issue to 11 key countries
to obtain information on controls for the storage of explosives, especially
fireworks.
White
DG
Pollution caused by fireworks
American
Environmental Laboratory. 1996;24-26
Wilkin RT, Fine DD, Burnett NG
Perchlorate behavior in a
municipal lake following fireworks displays
Environ. Sci.
Technol. 2007;41(11):3966-3971
Wilkin's group
definitely established fireworks displays as a source of perchlorate
contamination by analyzing water in an Oklahoma lake before and after fireworks
displays from 2004 to 2006. Within 14 hours after the fireworks, perchlorate
levels rose 24 to 1,028 times above background levels. Levels peaked about 24
hours after the display, and then decreased to the pre-fireworks background
within 20 to 80 days.
You can find this study under http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/esthag/2007/41/i11/html/es0700698.html or under http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/esthag/2007/41/11/pdf/es0700698.pdf
Wilson RS
Fireworks blindness: a cooperative study of Arkansas ophthalmologists and review of fireworks regulation in the South
South
Med J. 1980 Jun;73(6):728-9,731
Through
a cooperative study, 87 ocular injuries caused by class C fireworks have been
recorded in the State of Arkansas over a four-year period. The most common
injuries were corneal abrasion, lid laceration or burn, and hyphema. Rockets and
firecrackers caused 80% of the injuries. In over half the cases there was
moderate or severe injury resulting in permanent ocular damage, visual loss, or
enucleation.
Wilson
RS
Ocular
fireworks injuries
Am J Ophthalmol. 1975
Mar;79(3):449-451
A
survey in Arkansas of 14 cases of ocular injuries caused by the explosion of
Class C fireworks showed significant, and possibly permanent, visual loss in
five men..
Wilson
RS
Ocular
fireworks injuries and blindness. An analysis of 154 cases and a three-state
survey comparing the effectiveness of model law regulation.
Ophthalmology.
1982 Apr;89(4):291-297
154
detailed ocular fireworks injuries in 143 patients are summarized…The most
common injuries were corneal abrasion, hyphema, and lid burns or lacerations.
Thirty percent of these injuries resulted in permanent damage with visual loss,
and 14% suffered lacerated globes. The incidence and severity of ocular
fireworks injuries in this study are higher than other large series. While
states that outlaw fireworks except for public display (so-called "Model
Law") still have injuries, the incidence is greatly reduced, and the
injuries are less severe.
Witsaman RJ, Comstock RD, Smith GA
Pediatric fireworks-related injuries in the United
States: 1990-2003
Pediatrics. 2006 Jul;118(1):296-303
Conclusions: Consumer fireworks cause serious preventable injuries among pediatric fireworks users and bystanders in the United States. Parents should be advised to take their children to safer public fireworks displays rather than allowing consumer fireworks to be used by or near their children. A national restriction of consumer fireworks, in accordance with the policy recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, should be implemented to reduce the burden of fireworks-related injuries among children.
Full text is available under http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/1/296
Zhenxing
Shen, Junji Cao, Richard Arimoto, Zhiwei Han et al. NEW!
Ionic
composition of TSP am PM2.5
during dust storms and air pollution episodes at Xi'an, China
Atmospheric
Environment. 2009 Jun;43(18):
TSP
and PM2.5 samples were collected at Xi'an,
China during dust storms (DSs) and several types of pollution events, including
haze, biomass burning, and fireworks displays. Aerosol mass concentrations were
up to 2 times higher during the particulate matter (PM) events than on normal
days (NDs), and all types of PM led to decreased visibility. … Firework
displays caused increases in K+
and also enrichments of NO3- relative to SO42-.
…
…
Firework displays … can also lead to the impairment of air quality. Fireworks
contain chemicals such as potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, potassium
perchlorate, charcoal, sulfur, manganese, sodium oxalate, aluminium, and iron
dust powder, strontium nitrate, and barium nitrate, etc. The composition of PM
produced from fireworks includes trace metals and organic compounds which may
pose a threat to human health. Furthermore, firework displays can generate
ground-level ozone, which may put people at risk for respiratory disease. …
Abstract
under http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VH3-4VTKKX4-3&_user=10&_coverDate=06%2F30%2F2009&_alid=1278685167&_rdoc=69&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_cdi=6055&_sort=r&_docanchor=&view=c&_ct=2193&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=34cb0d3abb6964aa70a6226ca35ba252
or http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VH3-4VTKKX4-3&_user=10&_coverDate=06%2F30%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1272440445&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=db9a4e0d4411c9756d4a30d79ac784a2
Zohar
Z, Waksman I, Stolero J, Volpin G, Sacagiu E, Eytan A
[Injury
from fireworks and firecrackers during holidays]
Harefuah.
2004;143(10):698-701,768
Background:
Every year during the holidays of the Arab and Druze population, and especially
during Id el-Adha, scores of injured from firecrackers, crackers, skyrockets and
other homemade explosive devices arrive at the Western Galilee Hospital. Similar
casualties present during the Jewish Purim Festival.
Conclusions:
… We recommend conducting a combined campaign of education and parental
guidance with the involvement of community leaders and local media, and to
increase law-enforcement.
Blanchard M et al.
"Programme de surveillance air et santé. Analyse des liens à court terme entre pollution atmosphérique urbaine et mortalité dans neuf villes françaises"
2008
Conclusion et
perspectives: Cette nouvelle analyse conduite sur la période 2000-2004 confirme
l’existence de liens significatifs entre les niveaux de pollution atmosphérique
ambiante couramment rencontrés dans neuf agglomérations françaises et le
risque de décès, en particulier pour causes cardio-vasculaires.
The study can be downloaded under http://www.journaldelenvironnement.net/fr/login.asp?page=%2Ffr%2Fdocument%2Fdetail%2Easp%3Fid%3D20258%26idThema%3D3%26idSousThema%3D15%26type%3DJDE%26ctx%3D259
Canadian
Medical Association/Association Médicale Canadienne
"No
Breathing Room: National Illness Costs of Air Pollution. Summary Report"
August
2008
The
CMA's report shows the effect of poor air quality across the country based on
the concentrations of two highly predictive pollutants – ozone and particulate
matter – on four distinct age groups of Canadians.
The
study predicts more than 2,500 people will die this year because of "acute,
short-term exposure" to air pollution.
Air
pollution affects a person's heart, lungs, and nervous system as well as the
walls of the arteries and the body's clotting system, according to biologic
research.
At
a Glance:
1.
In 2008, 21,000 Canadians will die from the effects of air pollution.
While most of these deaths will be due to chronic exposure over a number of
years, 2,682 will be the result of acute short term exposure.
2.
By 2031, almost 90,000 people will have died from the acute effects of
air pollution…
5.
Approximately 25 deaths per year among those under 19 years of age will
be attributable to short term exposure to air pollution; close to 600 premature
deaths will accumulate between 2008 and 2031.
(*
Acute premature mortality is a measure of the immediate risk from short
term exposure to air pollution. Chronic premature mortality results from
chronic exposure and is a result of the cumulative effects of exposure over an
extended period of time, i.e. years.)
The whole study can be downloaded from http://whcc.newsvine.com/_news/2008/08/13/1745684-no-breathing-room-national-illness-costs-of-air-pollution-summary-report-august-2008 or direct under http://www.cma.ca/multimedia/cma/content_Images/Inside_cma/Office_Public_Health/ICAP/CMA_ICAP_sum_e.pdf
Lynda D. Lisabeth et al.
"Ambient air pollution and risk for ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack"
Annals of Neurology. 2008
Jul;64(1):53-9
New resarch suggests even short-term exposure to low levels of air pollution may increase the risk for stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA). Investigators found a link between same-day and previous-day exposure to ambient air pollution and a 3% increased risk for ischemic stroke and TIA in Neuces County, a community in southeast Texas. – In this particular community, they found there was an association between both acute and short-term exposure to fine particulate matter and stroke and TIA risk. – While previous research has linked air pollution to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, this paper is the first population-based study to report a specific association between air pollution and ischemic stroke.
Abstract unter http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18508356
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use the
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