Protect Your Shoreline With An Itasca Waters Shoreland Advisor

Potential Impacts of Fireworks on Lakes and Other Waters

Each year in the U.S., hundreds of millions of pounds of fireworks are used, releasing perchlorate—a key fireworks ingredient and a known drinking water contaminant—into the environment. Perchlorate can disrupt thyroid function, and studies have shown that fireworks can elevate perchlorate levels in nearby surface and groundwater.

This presentation explores how fireworks may affect drinking water sources by examining field studies, aerial deposition measurements, and national water surveys conducted before and after major fireworks events. We’ll discuss how factors such as the amount of fireworks used, waterbody size, dilution capacity, direct deposition, runoff, and natural attenuation influence perchlorate levels and potential risks to water quality.

Presented by: Jessica La Grenade is a Research Assistant and PhD student at Texas Tech University in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering. Her current research efforts focus on the quantification of environmental contaminants in surface waters. Most of her research focuses on the impact perchlorate has on water quality as a result of fireworks use.