“Our Incident Management Team is preparing to monitor conditions and will activate for the Fourth of July events, with field staff strategically staged to respond as needed,” DC Water spokesperson Sherri Lewis said in an email.
Unlike in years’ past, the fireworks are not just on the National Mall. Some will also be shot off eight Potomac River barges and from West Potomac Park.
The drought means that pollutants may linger longer in the Potomac than they would under normal conditions, said Tyler Frankel, an associate environmental science professor at the University of Mary Washington. Contaminants can easily get trapped in the river near Theodore Roosevelt Island due to “tidal slosh,” a phenomenon where the water flows both upstream and downstream, Frankel said.
Amphibians and juvenile fish are particularly vulnerable to perchlorates, compounds used in fireworks to enable a rapid burn but that can also disrupt animals’ developmental processes.
“Even though we’ve gotten some significant rainfall, we’re still under drought conditions,” Frankel said. “The idea of this stuff getting flushed downstream to decrease the concentrations and mitigate effects, the time it takes to have that happen is being extended.”
Other animals at risk include ospreys, iconic fish-eating birds that are currently in the midst of breeding season and are easily spooked by loud noises.
The Chesapeake Bay region contains 20 percent of the world’s ospreys, but the population has declined in recent years, said Joanie Millward, executive director of the Virginia Osprey Foundation. When fireworks are set off, frightened ospreys often flee their nests, leaving chicks at risk of being eaten by predators, Millward said.
“At best, it places a lot of stress on them. At worst, it can cause death,” she said.
An osprey tends to its nest on the Potomac River.J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Health risks and ‘skyrocketing pollution’
Fireworks also rain down small but potentially potent amounts of heavy metals that are used to create vibrant colors but also pose serious health risks.
A 2020 study conducted by Gordon found a “disturbing amount” of lead in the exhaust from some types of fireworks sold to individuals for home use. Consumer fireworks made up the vast majority of products sold in 2025 — almost 300 million pounds, versus 23.5 million pounds of “display” fireworks, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association. Overall fireworks consumption has more than doubled over the past 25 years.
Source:
www.politico.com
