It’s almost time to celebrate the Chinese New Year! From special foods, yearly beliefs and traditions, and fireworks, have you had everything ready for this festivity? We’re definite that you are! However, we might have an issue with lighting up the sky. Festive fireworks bring light and life to the season, but they can also bring harm to your health.
Find out more as you read further.
Fireworks Create Harmful Gases and Pollutants
Many people would agree that having festival fireworks during celebrations like Chinese New Year creates a special impact. Even if we know the hazards it could bring to the people, we still keep on lighting them up. But there’s a fact that many are completely unaware of – its negative impacts on the environment and our health.
Fireworks are small pyrotechnic missiles that explode in a specific way. It may look wonderful above, but in reality, it has a lot of toxic elements. It contains metal salts and explosives that undergo chemical reactions. The process releases smoke and harmful gases including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen which are primary greenhouse gases responsible for climate change.
When a firework explodes, the metal salts it contains don’t get burnt. They remain to be metal atoms and many of them become aerosols that can poison the air, soil, and water.
Apart from these natural resources, aerosols could also harm your health. When inhaled or ingested, it can cause short or long-term reactions such as diarrhea, vomiting, kidney disease, asthma, and cancer.
Air Pollution During Chinese New Year
When you initiate a fireworks show during celebrations like Chinese New Year, you’re adding up to air pollution. To see for yourself, you can measure the airborne pollutants minutes after lighting up the fireworks through the Air Quality Index. Its value ranges from 0 to 500, with anything above 401 classified as severe, which can seriously damage the health of people, especially those with respiratory illnesses.
These pyrotechnic missiles not only add a huge amount of fine particulate matter to the air we breathe, but also contribute harmful gases and aerosols to the atmosphere. Here are some facts surrounding this issue:
- A recent study shows that fireworks create a burst of ozone that can certainly affect and irritate your lungs.
- In a 2007 study, researchers have found out that fireworks can increase nitric oxide (NO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and metallic elements. These airborne pollutants are highly concentrated with particles that are small enough to be inhaled.
The harmful impacts of these emissions are not isolated in the air because in most cases, they are being washed out of the air by the rainfall. This process results in heavy metals being accumulated, polluting the local watersheds.
Healthier Way to Celebrate Chinese New Year
Have you finally decided to say no to fireworks? Fret not as there are others ways to celebrate important events. Keep in mind that in festivities, your health and safety should always be on top of everything.
To help you celebrate in a better and healthier way, we’ve prepared a list of alternative ways you can do:
- Prepare healthy foods for everyone.
- Set up an area that’s best for stargazing.
- Play some party music perfect for the occasion.
- Purchase party poppers that you can use when the clock strikes 12.
- Have some party blowers and distribute them to your family to add just enough noise for the celebration.
- Give out vibrant party favors to add flavors to the season.
There are many more alternatives you can do. Just make your imagination and creativity work and you’ll surely have other ideas that will fit the celebration.
Also Read: 6 Healthy New Year’s Resolutions You Can Keep
In Conclusion
The wonders of fireworks last only for a few minutes, but the harmful gaseous compounds it contributes to the environment and our health can last long. And every year, we add more to this toxic mix. Not to mention the fact that apart from the hazards of festival fireworks during celebrations like Chinese New Year, there are many other contributors to airborne pollution.
The accumulation of all these harmful elements in the air is deeply concerning. So the next time you plan a fireworks show, you might want to consider better alternatives for our health and safety.
If you are on the hunt for reliable air purifiers or a service provider who can help you maintain better indoor air quality, get in touch with us. Let’s celebrate Chinese New Year and all festivities cautiously.
