Four Types Of Tissue I. Muscle Tissue A. Contract for Movement & Support B. Skeletal muscle 1.

voluntary (works when you want it to) C. Cardiac Muscle 1. Only found in the heart 2. Involuntary (works all the time) D. Smooth Muscle 1. involuntary (works all the time) II. Nerve Tissue A. Gives signals to muscles, informs us of environmental conditions (hot, cold, humid) B. ex. Brain, Spinal Cord, Nerves III. Epithelial Tissue A. Lines our organs B. ex. Stomach lining, skin IV. Connective Tissue A. Connects, supports, and protects other tissues 1. ligaments, tendons, cartilage, bone, blood, fibers (organ walls)
the epithelium in all animals is derived from the ectoderm and endoderm with a small contribution from the mesoderm, forming the endothelium, a specialized type of epithelium that comprises the vasculature. By contrast, a true epithelial tissue is present only in a single layer of cells held together via occluding junctions called tight junctions, to create a selectively permeable barrier. This tissue covers all organismal surfaces that come in contact with the external environment such as the skin, the airways, and the digestive tract. It serves functions of protection, secretion, and absorption, and is separated from other tissues below by a basal lamina. Connective tissue Main article: Connective tissue Connective tissues are fibrous tissues. They are made up of cells separated by non-living material, which is called extracellular matrix. Connective tissue gives shape to organs and holds them in place. Both blood and bone are examples of connective tissue. As the name. It supports and binds other tissues. Unlike epithelial tissue, connective tissue typically has cells scattered throughout an extracellular matrix2. Muscle tissue Main article: Muscle tissue Muscle cells form the active contractile tissue of the body known as muscle tissue or muscular tissue. Muscle tissue functions to produce force and cause motion, either locomotion or movement within internal organs. Muscle tissue is separated into three distinct categories: visceral or smooth muscle, which is found in the inner linings of organs; skeletal muscle, in which is found attached to bone providing for

gross movement; and cardiac muscle which is found in the heart, allowing it to contract and pump blood throughout an organism. Nervous tissue Main article: Nervous tissue Cells comprising the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system are classified as neural tissue. In the central nervous system, neural tissue forms the brain and spinal cord and, in the peripheral nervous system forms the cranial nerves and spinal nerves, inclusive of the motor neurons. Nervous tissue functions to transmit messages in form of impulse. Epithelial tissue Main article: Epithelium The epithelial tissues are formed by cells that cover the organ surfaces such as the surface of the skin, the airways, the reproductive tract, and the inner lining of the digestive tract. The cells comprising an epithelial layer are linked via semi-permeable, tight junctions; hence, this tissue provides a barrier between the external environment and the organ it covers. In addition to this protective function, epithelial tissue may also be specialized to function in secretion and absorption. Epithelial tissue helps to protect organisms from microorganisms, injury, and fluid loss. Functions: the cell of the body surface form the outer layer of skin. inside the body,epithelial cells forms lining of mouth & alimentary canal & protect these organ. epithelial tissues help in absorption of water & nutrient. epithelial tissues help in elimination of waste product.

The different types of epithelial tissues are as follows: Squamous epithelium, Cuboidal epithelium, Columnar epithelium,

Glandular epithelium, Ciliated epithelium.

Tissues Chapter 5
Tissue - a group or mass of similar cells working together to perform certain common functions There are 4 major types of tissue

Epithelial Connective

Muscle Nervous

1. Epithelial Tissue

General Characteristics: - Found throughout the body, covers all body surfaces both inside and out. - Main glandular tissue. - Attached to underlying connective tissue by noncellular nonliving basement membrane. - Usually has no vascular tissue - blood supply - Cells reproduce rapidly (rapid healing). - Cells tightly packed together Functions: Protection, secretion, absorption, excretion, sensory perception Six Specific types of epithelial tissue - categorized based on the shape of the cells and the layers of cells. ( * We won't distinguish glandular epithelium because it is of the cuboidal or columnar type.) A. SIMPLE SQUAMOUS - single layer (simple) of very thin, flattened cells (squamous). Function: diffusion and filtration. Found in air sacs of lungs, walls of capillaries.

B. SIMPLE CUBOIDAL - single layer, cube-shaped cells. Function: Secretion and absorption. Found: Lining of kidney tubules, ducts of glands, covering surface of ovaries

C. SIMPLE COLUMNAR - single layer, elongated cells with their nuclei in about the same position in each cell (usually near the basement membrane). Protection, secretion, absorption. Found in the lining of digestive tract and uterous - contains scatter goblet cells functioning in the secretion of mucus - some columnar cells (involved in absorption) have tiny finger-like processes from their free surface called microvilli (increases surface area)

D. STRATIFIED SQUAMOUS - muli-layered, squamous cells. Thicker tisse. Functions in protection. Found lining body cavities like the mouth and outer layer of skin

E. PSEUDOSTRATIFIED COLUMNAR - appear "stratified" but really a single layer with nuclei at various levels giving the appearance of layered cells. Usually ciliated (tiny, hair-like projections for sweeping materials along a surface). Contains goblet cells.

- Function: secretion and cilia-aided movement - Location: lining air passages like the trachea and tubes of the reproductive system

F. TRANSITIONAL EPITHELIUM - thick, layered cuboidal cells. "Stretchable" tissue, also forms barrier to block diffusion. Found: lining of urinary bladder.

2. Connective Tissue

General Characteristics: -Most abundant tissue in your body, found throughout -Binds structures together -Provides support, protection, framework, fills space, stores fat, produces blood cells, fights infection, and helps repair tissue. -Composed of more scattered cells with abundant intercellular material ' matrix -Made up of a ground substance (fluid, semi-solid) and fibers -Most has a good blood supply -Cells can reproduce Three common types of cells: 1. mast cells (prevents blood clots) 2. macrophages (phagocytic) and 3. fibroblasts (most abundant, produce fibers)

Main types of fibers: -collagenous fibers - thick, made of protein collagen, major structural protein in the body, appear in long parallel bundles. Strong, flexible, but not very elastic, also known as white fibers. (bones, ligaments, tendons) - elastic fibers - microfibrils in protein elastin, yellow fibers. Not as strong, but very elastic (respiratory and vocal cords)

CATEGORIES OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE A. LOOSE C.T. or AREOLAR TISSUE - binds skin to underlying organs and organs to organs, space between muscles, throughout body B. ADIPOSE TISSUE - aka FAT, beneath skin, around kidneys and eyeballs, abdominal membranes. Function: Protective cushion, insulation to preserve body heat, stores energy, cells are called adipocytes

Smoke from Fireworks Is Harmful to Health, Study Suggests

Nov. 17, 2010 The metallic particles in the smoke emitted by fireworks pose

a health risk, particularly to people who suffer from asthma. This is the conclusion of a study led by researchers from the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC).
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"The toxicological research has shown that many of the metallic particles in the smoke from fireworks are bio-reactive and can affect human health," Teresa Moreno, a researcher from the IDAEA (CSIC) and lead author of a study that has been published this week in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, said.

The different colours and effects produced in these displays are achieved by adding metals to the gunpowder. When a pyrotechnic display takes place it releases a lot of smoke, liberating minute metallic particles (of a few microns in size, or even less), which are small enough to be inhaled deeply into the lungs. "This poses a risk to health, and the effects are probably more acute in people with a background of asthma or cardiovascular problems," Moreno explains. "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." The study focused on the San Juan fiestas (the night of 23 June through to 24 June, 2008) in the Spanish city of Girona. The researchers analysed the levels of more than 30 chemical elements and compounds in May and June in order to confirm that the levels of lead, copper, strontium, potassium and magnesium skyrocketed after the fireworks were launched. The team found the results were similar in other towns too. During the Masclet (18 March), for example, in the Las Fallas fiestas in Valencia, levels of these elements rose once again, as well as others such as aluminium, titanium, barium and antimony, and also concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). Other studies have confirmed that the smoke from fireworks increases the presence of metallic particles in the skies over L'Alcora and Borriana (Castelln), Barcelona and even London (United Kingdom) during the Guy Fawkes' Night celebrations. "People who live in cities already inhale significant amounts of contaminant particles stemming from traffic emissions, chimneys and cigarettes, and the dense smoke caused by fireworks only worsens this situation," points out Moreno. Possible solutions The researcher compares the problem with that of tobacco. "The less you expose yourself to the smoke, the fewer negative effects it will have on your health, and so the best solution is to avoid inhaling it." According to the scientists, in the absence of a ban on fireworks, spectators should stay well back in a place not affected by the smoke and pay attention to the wind direction. They also recommend that fireworks displays should be sited in a place that ensures the plume of smoke will blow away from densely populated areas. An added problem is the chemical mixtures in the different kinds of fireworks, since some contain extremely toxic metals such as lead. "There should be strict controls on fireworks imports so that those with the potentially most dangerous chemical composition can be avoided," concludes Moreno.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101116111715.htm
Journal Reference: 1. Teresa Moreno, Xavier Querol, Andrs Alastuey, Fulvio Amato, Jorge Pey, Marco Pandolfi, Nino Kuenzli, Laura Bouso, Marcela Rivera, Wes Gibbons. Effect of fireworks events on urban background trace metal aerosol concentrations: Is the cocktail worth the show? Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2010; 183 (1-3): 945 DOI:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.07.082

CPSC Special Study on Fireworks Incidents Finds Hundreds of Injuries a Day Surrounding July 4 Holiday Festivities

Home / Newsroom / News Releases / CPSC Special Study on Fireworks Inc... Espaol E-mail Share Print JUNE 26, 2012 Release Number: 12-203

A special study (pdf) conducted by CPSC staff found that 65 percent of all fireworks injuries in 2011 were sustained during the 30 days surrounding the Independence Day holiday. More than half of these injuries were the result of unexpected ignition of the device or consumers not using fireworks as intended. Fireworks injuries most often resulted in burns to the hands and head, including the eyes, face, and ears. According to the special study, sparklers, firecrackers, and aerial devices were associated with the most incidents. Whether it is the sparkle of the bright lights, or the thunderous boom of the explosion, there is no denying the thrill that fireworks can bring to an Independence Day celebration. Unfortunately, when consumers get their hands on professional fireworks, the results can be deadly. Last year, CPSC received reports of four consumers who were killed by either professional-grade or homemade firework devices, while an estimated 9,600 consumers were injured. "For thousands of consumers, last year's 4th of July celebration ended with a visit to the emergency room," said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. "CPSC wants you to understand the risks with legal and illegal fireworks, in order to prevent an injury, or worse, during this holiday." While the majority of fireworks injury reports involve emergency room treatment and release, CPSC is aware of more severe and fatal injuries that are associated with consumer use of professional-grade and homemade fireworks. Reports of faster-than-

expected explosions and unpredictable flight paths of aerial devices have resulted in tragic consequences for some consumers. In the four reported fireworks-related deaths, the victims were killed when the illegal devices exploded, causing severe trauma to the head and face, and resulting in decapitation in one incident. In other incidents involving professional-grade or homemade devices, the victims reportedly sustained severe burns and the loss of fingers. On the grounds of the Washington Monument today, Chairman Tenenbaum led the agency's annual fireworks press event, including a live demonstration of the dangers associated with fireworks and provided consumers with commonsense steps to prevent injuries this year. The Chairman was joined by Arthur Herbert, Assistant Director of Enforcement Programs and Services with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Cynthia Quarterman, Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration with the Department of Transportation (DOT). CPSC and its federal partners highlighted continued import surveillance and enforcement actions to prevent hazardous firework devices from reaching the U.S. marketplace. CPSC and its partners at ATF and DOT are committed to stopping the manufacture, importation, and sale of illegal fireworks. Consumers who decide to purchase legal fireworks are urged to take these safety steps: - Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them. - Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks. Parents may not realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees-hot enough to melt some metals. - Always have an adult closely supervise fireworks activities if older children are allowed to handle devices.

- Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers. - Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks. - Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap. - Never try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks. Soak them with water and throw them away. - Never point or throw fireworks at another person. - Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly. - Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers. - After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: SaferProducts.gov, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing and speech impaired. Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go tohttp://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/Subscribe/ http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/researchers-blast-human-eyes-study-fireworkinjuries/story?id=16707023
By LARA SALAHI (@BostonLara) July 3, 2012

Fireworks are a Fourth of July celebration staple. But if party planning were left up to eye doctors, they'd likely say to leave the explosions to the professionals. Even with the myriad warnings issued each year on the risk of eye injury of at-home fireworks around the holiday, eyes are still the second most common injured part of the body. There were 1,100 eye injuries treated in the same one-month period in 2011, according to Prevent Blindness America. But exactly what type of eye injuries are caused by fireworks? To keep people protected this Fourth of July, researchers at the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University Center for Injury Biomechanics put a pair of eyes to the test. Researchers inserted four different pressure sensors in each of the cadaver eyes, which were restored to simulate a living pair of eyes. They then blasted 10 grams of gunpowder 18 different times, at 22 centimeters, 12 centimeters, and 7 centimeters away from the cornea of the eyes. The researchers also tested firecrackers at different distances from the eyes. Corneal tears were the most common injury seen at each distance. The researchers found it was most likely from tiny shards of unspent explosive

debris that sprayed onto the eye. The closer the blasts, the more serious the injury, according to the study.

Firework Blasts Bring on Eye InjuryWatch Video

"We can now prove it's the impact of the projectile and not the pressure waves that can cause eye injury," said Stefan Duma, the principal study investigator and department head of biomedical engineering at Virginia Tech University. However, a corneal tear is not the only injury of concern, according to Dr. Sandra Block, medical director of school-based vision clinics at the Illinois College of Optometry and a board member of Prevent Blindness America. In many cases, corneal tears heal over time without long-lasting effects. "Broken bones and lacerations in and around the eye are more concerning," Block said. Since the study used eyes that were removed from the cadaver, the researchers could not study the the blast impact on the face and around the eyes. Burns caused by sparklers or other fireworks held in close proximity are also common, said Block, who was not involved in the study. Childeren are at particular risk for these injuries since they are often given smaller fireworks including bottle rockets and firecrackers, which are highly dangerous, she said. "Children should not be given sparklers or other novelties because they don't know enough to protect themselves," she said.

The preliminary research, funded by the Department of the Defense, aims to look at how larger explosions such as improvised explosive devices shape eye injuries in combat soldiers, Duma said. "But our findings do have applications for consumer products," he said, adding that studying fireworks was a way for them to start small. The findings helped researchers clarify that using goggles or an eye shield is beneficial in reducing the impact and potentially preventing eye injuries. "If it was a blast wave that caused the injury, then a goggle might have no effect," Duma said. Goggles may also be an important safety object for those who may be considering setting off fireworks at home this year, he said. But according to Block, the only way to prevent eye injuries from fireworks is to leave the show to the professionals. "There's no reason why any of that should take place," said Block. "They are all avoidable accidents."
Are fireworks bad for the environment? Fireworks can unleash a shower of toxins into soil and water, and scientists are only beginning to figure out what that means for human health.

By
Russell McLendon Tue, Jun 30 2009 at 9:30 AM 67

Related Topics:
Toxins & Chemicals, Water Pollution

The rockets' red glare during a fireworks show can fill onlookers with patriotism and awe. Unfortunately, it can also fill them with particulates and aluminum.

Fireworks get their flamboyance from a variety of chemicals, many of which are toxic to humans. From the gunpowder that fuels their flight to the metallic compounds that color their explosions, fireworks often contain carcinogenic or hormone-disrupting substances that can seep into soil and water, not to mention the lung-clogging smoke they release and plastic debris they scatter.

But fireworks shows are woven into the fabric of the United States they were popular here even before the country won its independence and it's not like they happen every day. Is an occasional peppering of perchlorates really a big deal compared with all the industrial pollution U.S. waterways have been dealt over the years?

Maybe not, but it's still not entirely clear how fireworks affect environmental or human health. While they haven't been linked to any widespread outbreaks of disease, it's not always easy to pin down why someone developed hypothyroidism, anemia or cancer.

What we do know is that, although they're fleeting and infrequent, fireworks shows spray out a toxic concoction that rains down quietly into lakes, rivers and bays throughout the country. Many of the chemicals in fireworks are also persistent in the environment, meaning they stubbornly sit there instead of breaking down. That's how mercury from coal emissions winds up in fish, and it's how DDT thinned bald eagles' eggshells in the '70s. There's scant evidence that fireworks are having similar effects, but the possibility has been enough to raise concern in many communities.

Here's a look at what's in fireworks, how they might affect people, and what kinds of alternatives exist:

Perchlorates and particulates For fireworks and other pyrotechnics to blow up, they need to blow up something usually a blend ofcharcoal and sulfur fuel. They also need an ingredient that can inject oxygen to speed up the explosion, historically relying on potassium nitrate. These three

chemicals are mixed together into a sooty substance known as gunpowder.

When a spark hits gunpowder, the potassium nitrate feeds oxygen to the fire, helping it quickly burn the charcoal-sulfur fuel. This produces volumes of hot, rapidly expanding solids and gases that can be used to fire a bullet, explode an artillery shell or launch a Roman candle.

The original blends of black powder can be a bit too unstable and messy for some uses, though, so the potassium nitrate is often replaced by perchlorates, a family of chemicals all featuring a central chlorine atom bonded by four oxygen atoms. Two types in particular potassium perchlorate and ammonium perchlorate have become the go-to oxidizers of the pyrotechnics industry.

Perchlorates may have introduced a new problem, though: In high enough doses, theylimit the human thyroid gland's ability to take iodine from the bloodstream, potentially resulting in hypothyroidism. The thyroid needs iodine to make hormones that control a variety of body functions, and people running too low on these hormones can develop a wide range of disorders. Children, infants and especially fetuses suffer the worst from hypothyroidism, since thyroid hormones are crucial for normal growth. Perchlorates have also been shown to cause thyroid cancer in rats and mice, but scientists believe humans are less vulnerable to this effect.

Low doses of perchlorates don't seem to hurt healthy adults volunteers who took 35 milligrams for 14 days or 3 milligrams for six months showed no thyroid-related problems, and studies of workers exposed to similar amounts for years also failed to uncover any major side effects. Plus, perchlorate advocates often point out that it should theoretically all be incinerated in the sky before any can fall down to contaminate the ground.

But a 2007 study of an Oklahoma lake following fireworks displays overhead found that perchlorate levels spiked more than 1,000 times above the baseline level for 14 hours after a show. While the maximum concentration detected was 44.2 micrograms less than 1 milligram per liter, the study was still the most concrete evidence yet that fireworks release perchlorates into waterways.

Another study by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection found perchlorate levels up to 62 micrograms per liter at eight groundwater-monitoring wells on the Dartmouth campus, near where fireworks are regularly fired.

EPA spokesman Skip Anderson cautions that these weren't health-effects studies, and points out that more data are needed to determine how great a risk perchlorates pose in surface water around the country. Still, he says, their results "suggest that some perchlorate in fireworks is not combusted and therefore can wind up in the environment."

The smoke from fireworks' burned charcoal and sulfur fuel also contains particulate matter that can get lodged in people's lungs, an immediate danger for those with asthma or chemical sensitivities. Prolonged exposure to similar airborne particles from diesel exhaust has also been shown to cause lung cancer. Air-quality monitors reportedly spike for about three hours after a fireworks show.

One positive of both perchlorates and particulates is that they most likely don't pose a long-term threat. Particulates fade away after a few hours, and perchlorates dissipate days or weeks after being released. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about some other chemicals that help light up the sky.

Metallic compounds In addition to gunpowder, fireworks are packed with heavy metals and other toxins that produce their sparkling shower of colors. Like perchlorates, the exact effect of fireworks' heavy-metal fallout is still mainly a mystery, but scientists do know that the metals themselves can wreak havoc in the human body.

Strontium (red): This soft, silvery-yellow metal turns red when it burns, is extremely reactive with both air and water, and can be radioactive. Some strontium compounds dissolve in water, and others move deep into soil and groundwater; radioactive strontium has a half-life of 29 years. While low levels of stable and radioactive strontium haven't been shown to affect human health, they both can be dangerous at high doses. Radioactive strontium can damage bone marrow, cause anemia and prevent blood from clotting correctly, and lab studies have shown it can lead to birth defects in animals. Stable strontium is mainly a threat to children because it can impair their bone growth.

Aluminum (white): Since aluminum is the most abundant metal in Earth's crust and one of humanity's most widely used avoiding exposure is almost impossible. Virtually all food, water, air and soil contain some amount of aluminum the average adult eats about 7 to 9 milligrams of the silverywhite metal every day in food. It's generally safe at these levels, but it can affect the brain and lungs at higher concentrations. People and animals exposed to large amounts of aluminum have performed poorly on mental and physical tests, and some studies suggest aluminum exposure may lead to

Alzheimer's disease, although that connection has yet to be proven.

Copper (blue): Fireworks' blue hues are produced by copper compounds. These aren't very toxic on their own, but the copper jump-starts the formation of dioxins when perchlorates in the fireworks burn. Dioxins are vicious chemicals that don't occur naturally and aren't intentionally produced anywhere; they only exist as unwelcome byproducts of certain chemical reactions, one of which happens in blue fireworks. The most noted health effect of dioxin exposure is chloracne, a severe skin disease with acne-like lesions mostly on the face and upper body. Dioxin doesn't stop there, though the World Health Organization has identified it as a human carcinogen, and it's also been shown to disrupt hormone production and glucose metabolism.

Barium (green): Fish and other aquatic organisms can accumulate barium, which means it can move up the food chain. The silvery-white metal naturally bonds with other elements to form a variety of compounds that all have different effects none are known to be carcinogenic, but they can cause gastrointestinal problems and muscular weakness when exposure exceeds EPA drinking water standards. Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, breathing trouble, changes in blood pressure, numbness around the face, general muscle weakness and cramps. High levels of barium exposure can lead to changes in heart rhythm, paralysis or death.

Rubidium (purple): This soft, silvery metal is one of the most abundant elements on Earth. It burns purple, melts to a liquid at 104 degrees Fahrenheit and is highly reactive with water, capable of igniting fires even far below the freezing point. It hasn't been reported to cause any major environmental damage, but it can cause skin irritation since it's so reactive with moisture, and it's moderately toxic when ingested, reportedly able to replace calcium in bones (PDF).

Cadmium (various): Used to produce a wide range of fireworks colors, this mineral is also a known human carcinogen. Breathing high levels of cadmium can seriouslydamage the lungs, and consuming it can fluster the stomach, often resulting in vomiting and diarrhea. Long-term exposure can lead to kidney disease, lung damage and fragile bones. Plants, fish and other animals take up cadmium from the environment, meaning that any released into waterways from a fireworks show can be passed up the food chain.

Alternative fireworks

The most eco-friendly alternative to fireworks is to forgo explosions altogether go to a parade, go fishing, grill out, camp out or help out.

If you must see the sky festively illuminated, you might want to try a laser light show, which create dazzling displays of color without launching dangerous chemicals into the air. They may consume lots of energy, but so does the rampant production of single-use fireworks. Here's an example of lasers in lieu of fireworks on the Fourth of July, from Stone Mountain, Ga., in 2008: