Fate of perchlorate in a man-made reflecting pond following a fireworks display in Albany, New York, USA.

Perchlorate is a widespread contaminant in aquatic environments. Despite this, the aquatic environmental fate of perchlorate released from fireworks displays is not well known. In the present study, we examined the fate of perchlorate in man-made reflecting ponds, from 2008 to 2010, following three fireworks displays in Albany, New York, USA. Immediately after the fireworks display, perchlorate in pond waters increased significantly, with concentrations from 30 to 1,480 times higher than the baseline values. Perchlorate concentrations in pond water increased from 0.11 µg/L to up to 519 µg/L, following the fireworks display in 2008. Perchlorate concentrations in pond water decreased at a first-order kinetic degradation rate, with a mean k(obs) value of 0.026 d⁻¹ and an average half-life of 29 d. The rate of perchlorate deposition into water bodies following fireworks displays was estimated to range from 670 to 2,620 g/ha. We also estimated the perchlorate ingestion rate by the inhalation of aerosols of pond water by people frequently near the ponds. The estimated daily intake of perchlorate through the ingestion of aerosols was 32% (226 ng/kg body wt), 13% (92 ng/kg body wt), and 6% (42 ng/kg body wt) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's reference dose for infants, children, and adults, respectively.