THE EASING of COVID-19 restrictions might entice more individuals, families and neighborhoods into lighting firecrackers and fireworks to make Christmas “merry” and the New Year “happy” amid spiraling prices and the lingering impacts of recent calamities.
The Department of Health (DOH) should step up its campaign to raise awareness about the dangers posed by firecrackers and fireworks to life, limb, property, and the environment. It is never too early to remind the public about the chemical threats to health of firecrackers and fireworks. Yes, they have chemicals and pollutants, and their use makes the holidays literally toxic.
There are hazardous and substances of concern present in the emissions from detonating or lighting such products. And exposure to them threatens a wide range of other rights, including the rights to bodily integrity, health and healthy environment.
Aside from the highly publicized injuries to the eyes, hands and other body parts caused by firecrackers and fireworks, these products are packed with chemicals like carbon, potassium nitrate, sulfur and other substances of concern such as barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese and zinc, which can adversely affect the right of every Filipino to a clean and non-toxic environment.
According to information obtained from the DOH website, exposure to these chemicals is harmful to health. For example, cadmium can irritate the respiratory tract and damage the liver and kidneys; chromium may cause skin damage and hypersensitivity, nasal mucosa ulceration and nasal septum perforation; copper dust fumes when inhaled may cause irritation in the respiratory tract; lead may affect the blood, the brain and the central nervous system; manganese dioxide fumes can cause lung irritation, pneumonia, with possible Parkinsonian symptoms, rigidity, muscular pains and tremor; and that zinc can cause metal fume fever.
The smoke from the blasting of firecrackers and fireworks are loaded with by-product pollutants. These pollutants increase to unprecedented levels in air during fireworks displays particularly affecting population groups that are most vulnerable to chemical exposures, including children and pregnant women.
Exposure, according to health authorities, can cause nose, throat and eye-related problems, aggravate the conditions of those suffering for cold allergies or coughs; result in headaches and reduced mental acuity, and bring about a variety of respiratory problems such as allergic or chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, laryngitis, pneumonia, and rhinitis.
Let us all be safe this holiday season. Do not patronize and stay away from firecrackers and fireworks.
