Fireworks are pollution bombs that can do long-term harm to wildlife including disrupting breeding, a new Australian-led study has found.
Curtin University researchers say it's time to rethink displays like Sydney's New Year's Eve spectacle after a review of overseas investigations showed how bad fireworks are for nature.
But the party doesn't have to be over with drone and laser light shows among cleaner, greener options.
Associate Professor Bill Bateman led the review and was horrified to discover the scope of harm caused by fireworks.
In the short-term, it's clear they terrorise wild species. One overseas study documented young storks leaping from their nests in response to fireworks, despite being unable to fly.
Another detailed how the heartbeat of a Griffon Vulture leapt from 50 to 170 heart beats per minute in response while fireworks were exploding. It returned to normal when the flashes and booms stopped.
But there are also longer term effects.
In Spain, for example, house sparrow populations took a hit in villages where fireworks displays coincided with their breeding season. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when fireworks displays stopped, those populations recovered.
South American sea lions also changed their behaviour during breeding season as a result of New Year's fireworks in Chile.
None of the studies Prof Bateman was able to find looked at Australia, but he says the evidence from overseas means it's safe to assume similar negative impacts would be felt by wildlife here.
"Apart from anything else they are full of nasty pollutants that can get into our food - milk, fish, things like that," he says.
"But there's also things like heavy metals and once they're in the environment they're pretty much there, and they can bioaccumulate."
On the Indian subcontinent, where fireworks are heavily used to mark festivals such as Diwali, scientist also found fireworks can dramatically hurt air quality for three days after a display.
"They really are horrible things which is a pity because I enjoy a good fireworks display as much as anybody.
"But there's growing evidence these community events can be managed in a sustainable way and it's clear out-dated firework displays need to be replaced by cleaner options that are not harmful to wildlife and the environment."
