WHERNTO: erudite
Various journal papers regarding the effects of fireworks will be presented in this section.
Credit: our non-resident researcher Angelkate.
The items will contain abstract, content and conclusion excerpts in italics. Any commentary will be shown inside [].
Animals
This section covers papers related to fireworks and adverse effects on animals.
Owner perceptions and management of the adverse behavioural effects of
fireworks on companion
animals
[This is a 2019 paper published in New Zealand Veterinary Journal which
provides a survey form.]
This anonymous survey will gather information about your animal(s)
experiences with fireworksto help the SPCA and the New Zealand Companion
Animal Council better understand the impactthat they may have on our
animals.
Fear expressions of dogs during New Year fireworks: a video
analysis
A high proportion of pet dogs show fear-related behavioural problems,
with noise fears being most prevalent. Nonetheless, few studies have
objectively evaluated fear expression in this species. Using
owner-provided video recordings, we coded behavioural expressions of pet
dogs during a real-life firework situation at New Year’s Eve and
compared them to behaviour of the same dogs on a different evening
without fireworks … in this case firework noises, which are perceived as
threatening by many dogs), action tendency (e.g. escape attempts), and a
variety of different expressive behaviours, may constitute the best
method to infer the likely underlying emotion experienced by nonhuman
animals.
A survey of owners’ perceptions of fear of fireworks in a sample of
dogs and cats in New
Zealand
To establish reliable information regarding the behav-ioural responses
of dogs and cats to fireworks in New Zealand … Owner-reported increase in
fearful response over time for comforted animals may indicate a negative
impact on the longer-term psychological welfare of their animal.
Birds flee en mass from New Year’s Eve
fireworks
Fireworks are an important part of celebrations worldwide, and although
humans often find fireworks spectacular, fireworks are probably perceived
quite differently by wild animals … A recent event which has attracted a
great deal of media attention is the sudden and mass mortality of
thousands of red-winged blackbirds that fell out of the sky in Beebe
Arkansas on New Year’s Eve 2010 … Additional reports of birds
mysteriously falling from the sky canbe found in the media right around
New Year’s Eve. Our study is just one example of a clear and large-scale
behavioral re-sponse of birds to fireworks, a very specific form of
disturbance.
Effects of severe anthropogenic disturbance on the heart rate and body
temperature in free-living greylag
geese
Anthropogenic disturbances are a major concern for the welfare and
conservation of wildlife. We recorded heart rate and body temperature of
20 free-living greylag geese in response to a major regularly
re-occurring anthropogenic disturbance-New Year’s Eve fireworks. Heart
rate and body temperature were significantly higher in the first and
second hour of the new year, compared with the same hour on the 31st of
December, the average during December and the average during January …
To conclude, our results show that New Year’s Eve fireworks cause a
substantial physiological response, indicative of a stress response in
greylag geese, which is costly in terms of energy expenditure.
The Impact of Noise Anxiety on Behavior and Welfare of Horses from UK
and US Owner’s
Perspective.
Noise anxiety is an over-reaction to loud noises commonly detected
among pets and can greatly impact on their welfare and on their
management. When exposed to noisy events, horses can show intense escape
attempts, which may cause severe accidents for the horse and the
rider/handler. The aim of the present study was to investigate, through
a web survey, UK and US owners’ perception of noise anxiety severity in
their horses, their management strategies and perceived efficacy.
Humane Protection of Animals Against the Effects of Fireworks
Displays
Its subject is the humane protection of animals, expressly declared by
the Polish legislator in the provisions of the Animal Protection Act, as
regarded in the context of wide access to individual use of fireworks by
private persons. The author seeks an answer to the question whether the
legislator’s high-sounding declarations expressed in the Animal
Protection Act, providing for humane protection of animals in Poland,
are reflected in respective national or local regulations which would
make it possible for the owners or guardians of animals to protect them
against the effects of fireworks, especially against noise.
Effectiveness of treatments for firework fears in
dogs
An online questionnaire survey investigated (1) management and (2)
treatment methods for firework fears in dogs used by dog owners and
their (perceived) effectiveness. A Principal Components Analysis on data
from 1,225 respondents revealed four management strategies (i.e.,
interventions during firework exposure): the principal components are
“environmental modification” (e.g., providing a hiding place, keeping
windows and blinds closed, and playing music), “feed/play” (providing
the dog with chews, play, and food during fireworks in general, as well
as contingent on loud bangs), “alternative” (use of calming
nutraceuticals, pheromones, herbal products, homeopathic products, Bach
flowers, and essential oils), and “interaction” (allowing body contact,
petting, and talking to the dog when loud bangs occurred). To explore
possible effects of these management methods on fear development, the
components were correlated with a score for fear progression. Of the
four components, only “feed/play” was statistically associated with an
improvement in fear responses to fireworks.
Extra-auditory effects of noise in laboratory animals: the relationship
between noise and
sleep
Noise has both auditory and extra-auditory effects. Some of the most
deleterious extra-auditory effects of noise are those leading to sleep
disturbances. These disturbances seem to be related to both endogenous
(physical parameters) and exogenous (sex, age) factors of noise.
[Understandably, the relationship between noise and sleep deprivation
can be extrapolated to humans.]
Anthropogenic noise as a stressor in animals: a multidisciplinary
perspective
Consequences of extreme noise exposure are obvious and usually taken
into some consideration inthe management of many human activities that
affect either human or animal populations. However,the more subtle
effects such as masking, annoyance and changes in behavior are often
overlooked,especially in animals, because these subtleties can be very
difficult to detect … Young animals may be particularly sensitive to
stressors for a number of reasons includingthe sensitivity of their
still-developing brains. Additionally, short exposure to stressors may
result inlong-term consequences.
Effect Of Noise On Performance, Stress, And Behaviour Of
Animals
This paper summarises the auditory range and some typical levels of
sound that have been recorded for farm animals inside and outside
housing, during transport and lairage stay. effects of continuous and
sudden noise on animals are also presented in detail. More physiological
and behavioural responses have been described as increased hormonal
production, increased heart rate, and reduction in production.
How and why environmental noise impacts animals: an integrative,
mechanistic
review
The scope and magnitude of anthropogenic noise pollution are often much
greater than those of natural noise and are predicted to have an array
of deleterious effects on wildlife. Recent work on this topic has
focused mainly on behavioural responses of animals exposed to noise.
Noise-Related Stress and Marine Mammals: An
Introduction
Marine mammals (especially cetaceans) use sound as their primary
sen-sory input for social communication, foraging, and other vital
life-processes.Background noise has the potential to interfere with
these functions by maskingnormal sounds, and at least some noise sources
have been linked to behavioral andphysiological responses (with lethal
and non-lethal consequences).
People
Accidental death involving professional fireworks
Deaths and hospitalisation from fireworks injuries
July 4 fireworks can trigger PTSD in veterans
Pollution
Effects of Independence Day fireworks on atmospheric concentrations of
fine particulate matter in the United
States
Dian J. Seidel, Abigail N. Birnbaum
Previous case studies have documented increases in air pollutants,
including particulate matter (PM), during and following fireworks
displays associated with various holidays and celebrations around the
world. But no study to date has explored fireworks effects on air
quality over large regions using systematic observations over multiple
years to estimate typical regional PM increases…
Air Pollution Due To Fireworks During Diwali In Delhi
Air pollution from fireworks during festival of lights (Deepawali) in Howrah, India - a case study
An Initiative towards Saving Environment – Clean and Green
Fireworks
Fireworks are an environmental disaster. A single firework can involve
dozens of separate explosions. A report estimated that after the
firework display event, the pollution level of the area was found to be
500 times more than the normal and persisted there for more than a week
in form of dust, suspended metal particulates etc.All those pretty
colors come from added chemicals, and they leave deadly toxins and
harmful gases in the environment. As we know, reds are the product of
strontium and lithium; copper burns blue and releases dioxins, which
cause cancer; radioactive barium produces sparkly greens. In this paper
harms caused by fireworks and possible remedies are discussed.
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