As the Festive season is approaching quite fast, an urgent appeal is made to all residents and visitors to Pearly Beach to say no to fireworks.

Firstly because there is no legally demarcated site for the disposal of fireworks in Pearly Beach, and secondly because pollution from fireworks is very bad for the environment.

All those colorful explosives pose a serious environmental and health danger from heavy metals and other toxic fallout.

Did you know that aluminum and antimony sulfides are used for the brilliant white and glitter effects and this can cause toxic smoke.

The arsenic compounds in fireworks that are used as colorants, can cause toxic ash and are responsible for lung cancer and skin irritation. Barium Nitrate for glittering greens is poisonous and can have a possible radioactive fallout. Particulates released during firework displays can enter the soil, water and air and can be disruptive to the environment (causing problems such as acid rain and global dimming). Fireworks have been the reason for many serious accidents such as horrific burns, veld fires and sometimes even deaths. Another even more dangerous component of fireworks is Chinese lanterns. These devices contain a candle inside a paper or silk housing. The candle is lit and the heat generated causes the device to rise into the air. The device then remains airborne until the candle burns out and the remainder of the device then falls to the ground.

If the device falls amongst vegetation, it can cause a runaway vegetation fire. This could occur hundreds of metres away from where the device was let off.

In addition, once airborne and floating through the sky, these lanterns give the false impression that a distress signal has been discharged with marine flares.

This may result in the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) launching a search for non-existent people in distress, which is a great waste of resources. And then we have not even mentioned air, water and noise pollution, physical litter and the possible danger to pets!

So please, an urgent plea to share the pollution dangers of fireworks, boycott outdoor fireworks displays and encourage others to do the same.

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