Declare Your Independence from Toxic Fireworks Pollution

By Larry West, About.com Guide   July 3, 2011
Planning to take in one of those great fireworks displays on the Fourth of July? Be careful. Those fireworks may leave you and your family with more than a patriotic feeling.

Fireworks pollution litters the ground, contaminates water supplies, and rains down chemicals and heavy metals that contribute to a wide range of serious health problems.

Perchlorate, which can interfere with thyroid function and metabolism, and may be detrimental to mental development in fetuses and young children, is one of the chemicals produced by the rockets' red glare.

Most researchers say a single fireworks display probably won't do you and your family serious harm, despite the toxins and heavy metals it produces--although the risks are higher for babies and unborn children--but repeated or long-term exposure can be a real problem for people who work around pyrotechnics.

Maybe it's time for a change in the way we celebrate our independence.

Photo by Getty Images
