Beyond burns, fireworks can harm respiratory, auditory, and visual health.

Fireworks contribute to air, water, and soil contamination and disrupt wildlife

Fireworks displays have far-reaching environmental consequences, including acid rain from displays during storms and microplastic pollution in water supplies. Wildlife has also been seen abandoning sites during fireworks and never returning.

Firework or sparkler burns can have large effects on our hands' range of motion.

11 people died from firework injuries in the US in 2024, with most of those deaths involving misuse of the explosives and device malfunctions or misfires.

Fireworks-related ER visits in 2024 increased by 52% as compared to the prior year.

Fun family fireworks turn ballistic

The American Pyrotechnics Association estimates that over 10,000 injuries result each year from fireworks, close to three-quarters of which occur around the Fourth of July. This video shows just one rather explosive miscue.

See images of medical cases of firework injuries shared on this 'Instagram for doctors.' (Warning: Graphic images.)

Fireworks make a loud booming sound after explosion due to air expanding faster than the speed of sound.

Learn how your body is, scientifically, like a firework with its own slow, controlled burn.

Fireworks' chemical composition and internal layout produce their unique displays

The burning of different metal compounds, facilitated by combining fuel with oxidizers, results in explosions of varying colors. The timing and pattern are engineered through the arrangement of pellets and fuses.

Variations in rapidly expanding gas and mechanical elements produce fireworks sounds

Chemical compounds designed to vibrate rapidly when ignited produce whistling, screeching sounds, while crackles and pops are created by small star pellets inside the firework, which explode one after another quickly. Fluttering and chirping sounds are produced by spinning elements that rotate rapidly as the firework ascends.

Watch over a dozen fireworks effects

Adding pellets of salt to gunpowder within a fireworks shell causes them to explode with different colors, but the type of gunpowder used also has an effect. Finely ground gunpowder burns quickly, producing streaks that swiftly burn out.

Fireworks usage on Independence Day comes from their celebratory use in ancient China

Burning bamboo stalks produces a small explosion that was believed to ward off evil spirits. As knowledge of fireworks, which initially used these stalks, carried over into other cultures, so did their use to promote good luck and celebration.

'Silent' fireworks are not entirely noise-free

By using a reduced amount of flash powder—the ingredient responsible for the loud explosions that fireworks make—"silent" fireworks produce displays between 70 and 90 decibels, rather than the approximately 175 decibels heard in professional displays.

'Silent' fireworks have gained more interest in recent years as a quieter celebratory option.

Firework-related celebrations include an annual summer celebration in El Salvador, where residents throw kerosene-soaked balls to commemorate a 1658 volcanic eruption.

Volatile chemical contamination can last in burn areas long after urban wildfires

Lead, arsenic, asbestos, and other chemicals have been found trapped in smoke-exposed rugs, couches, pillows, and other furniture that appeared otherwise undamaged from the 2025 LA wildfires. The gradual release of these substances has produced dangerous indoor air concentrations and contributed to increased emergency room visits and abnormal blood tests.

Visualize the components of fireworks

This article provides animated diagrams depicting how different parts of fireworks function. The elements work together through timed mechanisms to produce desired effects.

Watch a drone flight through a fireworks display

This video explores the history, construction, and preparation of modern fireworks displays, including creating gunpowder from scratch. Experimentation with fireworks underwater is also featured, but they require special materials to prevent water from infiltrating the fireworks shell.

In the early 1900s, Fourth of July celebrations were so dangerous that a reform movement emerged to make them safer.

Air pollution in war-torn Iran unleashes invisible toxic threats

Burning oil depots and bombed buildings are endangering the health of millions of people during the 2026 attacks. Heavy metals from munitions and other damaged materials are going airborne, but the exact health implications depends on dose, wind currents, and other factors including preexisting health conditions.

Massachusetts is the only state that bans all nonprofessional fireworks.

Explore the chemical compounds found in fireworks

Besides the various salts and metals used to produce fireworks colors, shells are also filled with gunpowder and oxidizers to help fuel and accelerate reactions. Chlorates help strengthen colors, while dextrin, a starch, helps hold mixtures together.

The deadliest fireworks accident in history was Marie-Antoinette's wedding

In 1770, a fireworks display in Paris celebrating the marriage of Marie-Antoinette to the Dauphin, later known as Louis XVI, resulted in as many as 3,000 deaths. Most casualties were caused by trampling from a panicked crowd of thousands rushing away after some fireworks were blown into the spectators.

Rising wildfire smoke can create 'fire clouds'—towering clouds that can help combat fires through downbursts of rain or complicate firefighting efforts by triggering new fires via lightning strikes.

How the California wildfires are impacting wildlife

The deadly 2025 Eaton and Palisades Fires in California have devastated neighborhoods, forested canyons and chaparral—a type of shrubland. In addition to taking dozens of human lives and displacing thousands, the fires destroyed countless habitats and displaced many species. See the unfortunate effects of the flames on wildlife populations, including birds, snakes, wildcats, and fish.

Thermal runaway reactions can cause batteries to catch fire or explode

If a lithium-ion battery is heated, punctured, crushed, or short-circuits due to manufacturing flaws or degradation, the cathode and anode can make contact without the resistance provided by a circuit. The ensuing spike in chemical reactions increases the temperature and can release oxygen, initiating and intensifying burning of the battery's interior.

Being struck by lightning has a mortality rate of about 10%

Near-immediate deaths are the result of electrical disruptions in the heart and nervous system, causing cardiac arrest, but severe skin burns, temporary paralysis, and blown eardrums are more common. About 74% of survivors are left with a long-term disability, which includes brain damage and changes in memory and mood.

Volcanic ash is composed of fragments of volcanic rock, minerals, and glass

These abrasive particles are hazardous to aircraft. They can melt within engines and re-solidify on turbine blades, preventing forward propulsion. If inhaled, chemicals within ash can be toxic, and the particles can embed themselves into the lungs' ducts, causing suffocation.

Learn more about the history of fireworks, which date back to an accidental invention during an alchemist's quest for information about immortality.

Watch a pyrotechnician answer questions about fireworks

Professional pyrotechnician Patrick Cyrana answers the internet’s most curious questions about fireworks, from designing ghost effects and exploring how electronic firing systems work to explaining what it takes to create displays in the rain.

Explore a real-time map of fine particle pollution from wildfires and other sources provided by the US Forest Service, which includes overlays for topography, street views, and satellite imagery.

Particles found in Martian air pose significant risks to human lungs

Ultrafine dust, just 3 micrometers wide, is small enough to bypass lung defenses and enter the bloodstream, where its highly reactive chemicals can cause thyroid disease. Silica in the dust can also cause silicosis, a chronic and incurable lung disease.

Spontaneous combustion involves an object igniting on its own

Even without matches, sparks, or external flames, exothermic chemical or biological reactions can increase the internal temperature of objects to the point where they reach a threshold temperature that can cause them to catch fire. Running batteries and fermenting bacteria within compressed materials can build this heat and cause combustion.

A third of Americans now live in wildfire risk zones

Climate change and human development into fire-prone regions have extended the wildfire season, with some areas experiencing fire conditions year-round. Extreme conditions, poor compensation, and exposure to carcinogens have complicated firefighter recruitment, further exacerbating wildfire risks.

Accidental ingestion of batteries can be life-threatening

Tissue in the body can serve as a circuit path between the anode and cathode of a battery, resulting in electrical burns and gradual tissue erosion. Stomach acid can corrode a battery and cause its toxic contents to leak, making a person sick. Batteries for internal use, such as in pacemakers, require special designs.

The most fireworks launched from a pyrotechnics suit is 642

Frenchman Laurent Nat, a pyrotechnics artist and performer with over 10 years of experience, set the world record on June 13, 2014. The suit, inspired by clothes worn by professional firefighters, is made out of 100% cotton and incorporates stilts to allow fireworks to be fired in all directions.

Tornadoes can cause significant air pollution and diminish air quality

Asbestos, a hazardous material that can cause lung cancer, is commonly found in buildings constructed before 1980. Tornadoes that damage such buildings can release asbestos into the air, along with other toxic pollutants and dust as materials are lifted. Individuals, particularly those with asthma or other chronic lung diseases, are encouraged to wear masks after a tornado.

Watch a pyromusical display to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”

The same principles behind fireworks also power the types of pyrotechnic displays in some live events. Here, you can see an application of the technology in a pyromusical set to rock band AC/DC’s iconic song, “Thunderstruck.”

Pyrodrones combine fireworks with millisecond-accurate drone choreography

Drones are outfitted with fireworks and positioned using 3D software to ensure perfect timing and safe spacing during shows. A single GPS error during planning can ruin the show, as happened in 2024 when a drone crashed and injured a spectator due to programming failures.

Burning Man offers an extraordinary experience for its attendees

Many burners claim the festival transforms them, saying that both the magnificent visuals and intense community leave a lasting impression.

The ritual burns of California forests

Many ecosystems around the world have adapted to regularly occurring wildfires. Some human cultures saw the advantage of such fires and integrated them into their community rituals. Learn about similar tribal traditions looking to better manage California's forests today.

Electricity can be lethal because it can disrupt the nervous system, which controls critical bodily functions that rely on electrical signals between cells, such as breathing and heart rate.

The trend of onstage mishaps

In the past few years, performers have seen a rise in onstage accidents. While artists are doing their jobs, they face risks of dangerous falls, flying objects, and audience aggression. This article aims to explain why this trend may be occurring and emphasizes the importance of concert-going etiquette and adequate security.

Bright blue fireworks are the most difficult color to create

Copper chloride emits blue light when heated, but breaks down at the temperatures created when fireworks explode. Pyrotechnicians continue to search for an ideal mixture that provides a temperature high enough for copper chloride to shine brightly without being destroyed.

Invasive species can harm infrastructure and threaten human health

The wildfires in Hawaii in 2022 were made worse by flammable invasive grasses introduced from Africa as livestock pasture, and Zebra mussels native to the Caspian and Black Seas have spread across Europe and the US, where they can clog power plant pipes. Invasive mosquitoes can carry diseases, such as dengue and malaria.

Review the health effects of living near oil refineries, including increased respiratory risks

An analysis of 54 studies published between 1977 and 2024 in 15 international regions found evidence that proximity to refineries increased the risks of leukemia, asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory symptoms. Several studies also identified worse cardiovascular function in children and adults living near refineries, alongside other acute and chronic health impacts.

Disney Research developed a haptic interface where you can feel a fireworks display

Disney’s “Feeling Fireworks” uses water jets and a latex screen to replicate fireworks for blind individuals. Such technology may also provide inclusive experiences for the deaf community, though as of 2024, there are no plans to implement them in Disney parks.

Earth is constantly bombarded by material from space

Most of this matter is composed of small particles, with any smaller than 33 feet in diameter burning up in the atmosphere. Larger asteroids can reach the ground, and those larger than several thousand feet cause global damage, including earthquakes and tsunamis.

Exposure to ionizing radiation from nuclear accidents can damage DNA

The damage can increase the risks of cancer, cataracts, heart disease, and other illnesses based on exposure times and intensities. Contaminated food, water, air, or soil from near nuclear accidents can further prolong one's exposure.

See this graphic describing what different decibel levels mean for hearing loss.