Health hazards caused by fireworks exceed by far the damage done as a result of explosions or burns.

Fireworks let off are the result of explosions releasing a mixture of chemical components. While fireworks burn down a number of chemical reactions take place among the matters involved (so-called conversion of matter); at the same time a large number of new substances are generated, substances of largely unknown composition and toxicity. The smoke of fireworks consists mainly of fine toxic dusts that enter the lungs easily.

Exposure to fine dust particles, scientifically defined a "PM10/Particulate matter smaller than 10 microns", can deteriorate existing illness and cause new complaints. This means that we are all in danger: fine dust particles do not recognize borders and infiltrate the lungs of each and everyone!

In cases of heavy PM10 concentrations we inhale millions of fine dust particles each time we take a breath. Larger particles (5-10µm) are filtered by nose and throat; smaller particles (3-5µm) reach the respiratory tract, the bronchi (2-3µm), the bronchioles (1-2µm) and the alveoli (0.1-1µm) and ultimately enter our blood circulation. Once absorbed there, the particles can cluster into bloodclots, in medical language thromboses, which in the worst of cases can cause a heart infarct or a stroke. Through the blood stream the particles reach every part of the body.  This explains why fine dust jeopardizes more than just our respiratory tract.

Coughing will not get rid of fine dust particles. The particle deposits ultimately cause inflammations, specially in people already predisposed to inflammation and more specifically in asthma patients. However, although they may not feel any irritation, deposits will also be formed in healthy people!

A number of other substances contained in the air can attach themselves to the fissured surface of fine dust particles and be absorbed by our body.This even increases the damage these particles cause to our health. On public holidays, when a lot of fireworks are let off, these substances that attach themselves to dust particles are mainly heavy metal compounds.

Meanwhile, more and more fireworks are being let off at an increasing number of occasions throughout the year. As a result, fireworks emissions take a growing share of longtime fine dust concentrations.

Short-term high level fine dust emissions lead to respiratory tract complaints (coughing, expectoration, shortage of breath), they cause bronchitis and asthma attacks, heart arrhythmia, job absences, increased intake of medication for asthmatics, emergency medical visits, and increased hospital admittance (as a result of cardiac arrest, asthma attacks, heart infarcts and other respiratory and cardiac complaints). All these complaints may result in the patient dying.

The health of risk groups, the aged and specially children is severely harmed by fine dust emissions. According to the WHO, numerous studies prove a clear link between air pollution and health hazards for children. With regard to children suffering from asthma, bronchitis or coughing fits, their health is severely jeopardized by fine dust.

Further European and US studies show that high concentrations of air pollutants result in increased hospital admittance. Among the victims are mainly the aged or people who are already suffering from respiratory or cardiac ailments. An increase of concentrations over the previous day of 10 µg/m3 PM10 (10 microgram per quare meter air) leads to 1-2 additional hospital entries and about 1% more entries of people with heart or circulatory complaints.

Regarding heart infarcts, one of the studies shows that in instances of fine dust increase, the infarction rate rises by 48% within two hours and by 69% within 24 hours.

All studies show that regardless of volumes, there is no threshold value for fine dust particles below which point no health damage would occur. It is obvious that the more and the longer fine dust particles are allowed to affect organisms the greater the health hazard will be.

Fine dust penetrates through every crack, fissure and crevice. As long as our houses are not airtight, most of the time merely staying behind closed doors and windows to protect against fireworks emissions does not prevent against fine dust penetration.

Fine dust knows no borders in terms of cities or countries; it is able to move over hundreds of kilometers and sometimes remains stagnant in the air over days.

Literatur:

Ø      "Fine Particulate Air Pollution and Hospital Admission for Cardiovascular and Respiratory Diseases", Francesca Dominici et al., JAMA 2006;295:1127-1134

Ø       "Health aspects of air pollution. Results from the WHO Project 'Systematic review of health aspects of air pollution in Europe'", June 2004, http://www.euro.who.int/document/E83080.pdf

Ø       "Health Aspects of Air Pollution with Particulate Matter, Ozone and Nitrogen Dioxide", Report on a WHO Working Group, Bonn/Germany, 13-15 January 2003, http://www.euro.who.int/document/e79097.pdf 

Ø       "Effects of outdoor pyrotechnic displays on the regional air quality of western Washington State", Perry Kevin D, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, Feb 1999;49:146-55 (Abstract under http://www.awma.org/journal/ShowAbstract.asp?Year=1999&PaperID=572) 

Ø       "One bad day a year is enouth to give Oahu air quality a black eye. New Year's Eve results in a grade of 'D'", 1.5.2007 by the American Lung Association of Hawaii, http://www.ala-hawaii.org/_library/documents/air%20quality/sota%202007%20release%20%20final.pdf

Ø       News Release "Neighborhood fireworks contribute to poor air quality" by Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), 17.7.2007, http://www.deq.utah.gov/News/2007/071707_Neighborhood_Fireworks_Contribute_to_Poor_Air_Quality.htm and "Fireworks" by Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Division of Air Quality (DAQ), June 2007, http://www.airquality.utah.gov/fireworks.htm