answer:Hmm..I love fireworks, but a bit of research turns up the following potentially toxic compounds commonly used in pyrotechnics or resulting from their combustion, and their associated hazards: Aluminum (Contact dermatitis, bioaccumulation) Antimony sulfide (Toxic smoke) Barium Nitrate (Poisonous. Fumes can irritate respiratory tract) Copper compounds (Polychlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans. Can bioaccumulate. Cancer risk) Lead Dioxide / Nitrate / Chloride (Bioaccumulation, developmental danger for kids & unborn babes, may remain airborne for days, poisonous to plants & animals) Lithium compounds (Toxic and irritating fumes when burned) Mercury (Mercurous chloride) (Toxic heavy metal. Can bioaccumulate) Nitric oxide (Toxic by inhalation. Is a free radical) Nitrogen dioxide (Highly toxic by inhalation. SIDS risk) Ozone (Greenhouse gas that attacks & irritates lungs) Perchlorate – Ammonium & Potassium (Can contaminate ground & surface waters, can cause thyroid problems in humans & animals) Potassium Nitrate (Toxic dusts, carcinogenic sulfur-coal compounds) Strontium compounds (Can replace calcium in body. Strontium chloride is slightly toxic) Sulfur Dioxide (Acid rain from sulphuric acid affects water sources, vegetation & causes property damage. SIDS risk) Additionally, there is a large amount of ultra-fine particulate matter that poses an inhalation risk, especially to asthmatics. Worth it? My heart is torn. Fireworks are a spark of magic that I would hate to see disappear from our lives. but… Agh! I don’t know!