The fireworks season started with a bang this year, quite literally. At around 6.30 on Monday morning, many of us were jolted awake by the sound of rattling windows and shaking doors. What should have been a relatively quiet day, with many children unofficially off school, began instead with an explosion so powerful that it was felt across much of the island. It may not have cost the lives of persons this time round, but it did cause the death of a number of animals in nearby farms and caused substantial damage to houses and restaurants in close vicinity.

Fireworks in Malta sit at a complex intersection of tradition, tragedy, and emerging public health concerns. The recent blast serves as a stark reminder of how quickly a cultural practice can shift into tragedy. This is not an isolated occurrence. Malta has repeatedly woken to similar incidents over the years, through a long history of fireworks-related accidents, injuries, and deaths. Increasingly, this tension increased by another dimension. Growing awareness of environmental and health impacts, including potential effects on the thyroid from fireworks-related chemical exposure.

Historical research by Edward Attard documents how fireworks production and its use in Malta have been accompanied by a considerable number of fatal accidents. Between 1882 and 2010, 169 individuals, among them nine children, died in explosions linked to fireworks. The incidents occurred not only in manufacturing facilities but also during transportation and public firing, illustrating the risks embedded throughout the entire fireworks production and display process.

It is no surprise that the festa remains deeply rooted in Maltese cultural life. Building on the work of Jeremy Boissevain and Jon P. Mitchell, my colleague Professor Mark Anthony Falzon remarked in a co-authored article, how fireworks form part of wider social and cultural expression. He notes that displays often work as a kind of village rivalry, where people compare intensity, timing and quality, and where reputation can depend on the success of the spectacle. He highlights the strongly sensory nature of fireworks, which go beyond entertainment to express identity, belonging and local pride.

While the skill and voluntary effort behind this tradition are widely recognised, each accident or explosion is also a reminder of the risks that come with it. Another important factor that made noise this week was the effect of perchlorate, a chemical used in fireworks as an oxidising agent, present in Maltese soil, dust and water systems, with fireworks identified as the principal source. Once released during displays and manufacturing, the compound settles back onto land, accumulating in soil and gradually entering groundwater through rainfall and surface runoff. What makes this particularly concerning in Malta is the island's small geographical scale and reliance on limited groundwater resources, meaning that even seasonal bursts of fireworks activity can have a measurable environmental impact.

Perchlorate is known to interfere with the thyroid gland by blocking the uptake of iodine, a nutrient essential for producing thyroid hormones. These hormones regulate metabolism, growth, and overall endocrine function. When perchlorate is present in drinking water, soil, or food crops, long-term exposure may reduce thyroid hormone production, potentially leading to conditions such as hypothyroidism, fatigue, and developmental issues in vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and children.

The academic research by Pace and Vella (2019) investigates the presence and movement of perchlorate contamination in Malta, identifying fireworks as the sole significant source of the chemical on the island. Researchers confirm that perchlorate, previously detected in airborne and deposited dust, is mobilised from ground surfaces through storm runoff and subsequently enters the aquifer system, contributing to contamination of groundwater and tap water. Analysis showed that 44% of groundwater samples contained detectable levels of perchlorate, while 62% of stormwater runoff samples recorded significantly elevated concentrations, far exceeding those expected from rainfall alone. Additionally, between 42% and 89% of tap water samples contained measurable perchlorate, indicating widespread distribution within public water supplies. The findings suggest that Malta's water contamination by perchlorate is sustained by fireworks activity.

Fireworks in Malta remain a powerful cultural practice, defined by the familiar crashes, booms and bangs that shape the festa experience. Yet behind the spectacle lies a reminder of what this is all costing us. It is high time to create more noise, and focus on the crash, boom bang effects on environment sustainability and our health.