BARCELONA, Spain, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Smoke from fireworks -- in particular microscopic metallic particles -- is a health risk, especially to asthma patients, researchers in Spain say.
Researchers in Barcelona from the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research of The Spanish National Research Council -- a part of Spain's Ministry of Science and Innovation -- say pyrotechnic displays release a lot of smoke containing metallic particles only a few microns in size and small enough to be inhaled deeply into the lungs.
The study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, warns fireworks pose a health risk especially to those with lung or cardiovascular problems.
"The toxicological research has shown that many of the metallic particles in the smoke from fireworks are bio-reactive and can affect human health," lead author Teresa Moreno said in a statement. "The effects in healthy people are still unknown, but common sense tells us it cannot be good to inhale the high levels of metallic particles in this smoke, even if this only happens a few times a year."
Moreno suggested strict controls on fireworks imports so those with the potentially most dangerous chemical composition can be avoided.
