Learn More About Balloons as Litter
Balloon Debris: A Rising Concern - fact sheet on the types of balloon litter and the impacts of balloon litter. (fact sheet, 2-sided)
Uplifting, Litter-Free Alternatives to Releasing Balloons - (fact sheet, 2-sided)
Balloons Cause Power Outages - (fact sheet, 2-sided)
Balloon Litter on Virginia’s Remote Beaches: Results of Monitoring from 2013 through 2017. Trapani, C., O’Hara, K., & Register K. (2018). Clean Virginia Waterways, Longwood University.
2021 - 2025 Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan. Register, K. (2015). Report to Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program.
Balloon Release Research in Virginia & Reducing Balloon Debris through Community-Based Social Marketing. Witmer, V., Register, K., & McKay, L. (2017). Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program (Virginia DEQ).
Monitoring Marine Debris in Virginia's Coastal Zone. Project Report: April 2014 through June 2018. Register, K., Trapani, C., Swingle, M. (2019). Report to Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program.
Monitoring Marine Debris in Virginia’s Coastal Zone Project Report. Register, K., Trapani, C., & Swingle, M. (2016). Report to Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program.
Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan: Summary and Look Forward.
(2016). This is a summary of the key goals of the 2014 Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan. 20 pages.
Scientific Publications
A Quantitative analysis linking seabird mortality and marine debris ingestion. Roman, L., Hardesty, B.D., Hindell, M.A. et al. (2019)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-36585-9#citeas
Andrew D. Walde, Meagan L. Harless, David K. Delaney, and Larry L. Pater "ANTHROPOGENIC THREAT TO THE DESERT TORTOISE (GOPHERUS AGASSIZII): LITTER IN THE MOJAVE DESERT," Western North American Naturalist 67(1), 147-149, (1 January 2007). https://doi.org/10.3398/1527-0904(2007)67[147:ATTTDT]2.0.CO;2
To Eat or Not to Eat? Debris Selectivity by Marine Turtles.
Schuyler, Q., Hardesty, B. D., Wilcox, C., & Townsend, K. (2012). PLoS ONE, 7(7), e40884. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040884.
Using expert elicitation to estimate the impacts of plastic pollution on marine wildlife.
Wilcox, C., Mallos, N. J., Leonard, G. H., Rodriguez, A., & Hardesty, B. D. (2016). Marine Policy, 65, 107-114.
Articles
Impacts on Livestock
Woman blames balloon for spooking colt injured at a Kentucky horse farm. May 16, 2018 wdrb.com
https://www.wdrb.com/news/woman-blames-balloon-for-spooking-colt-injured-at-a-kentucky/article_c8b880c7-4a78-5c7b-a281-f8bf4146b358.html
A colt at a farm in Bourbon County, Kentucky, was injured, after being spooked by a balloon that got caught in its mane.
Swallowed balloon kills cow. May 31, 2019, Mountain Democrat
https://www.mtdemocrat.com/news/swallowed-balloon-kills-cow/
A nursing Black Angus cow died last month as a result of chewing and then swallowing a mylar balloon. “Novelo said this happens all the time although it’s the first time it’s happened to her. “Other ranchers and I talk about it all the time,” she said.”
Calf dies in Langley after swallowing helium balloon. Hexham Courant, July 9, 2019
https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/features/17758338.calf-dies-langley-swallowing-helium-balloon/
A LANGLEY farmer is warning the public about the dangers of releasing balloons into the atmosphere following the death of one of his calves.
Wild Horse Nearly Chokes On Balloon Ribbon. The Animal Rescue Site, 2019
https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/wild-horse-balloon-choke/
A troubling incident occurred on Assateague Island, home to the famed wild horses, where one of the horses had a balloon string stuck in her throat – proving just how dangerous balloons are.
Marks and Spencer Ban Ad Balloons After One Strangles Lamb. Daily Mail Reporter, 2008. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1011521/Marks-Spencer-ban-ad-balloons-strangles-lamb.html. A newborn lamb in the UK was found with a balloon and ribbon entangled around its neck and foot. The balloon had traveled more than 40 miles from a Marks & Spencer store. The lamb survived its encounter and the store chain made a commitment to stop the use of promotional balloons.
Impacts on Wildlife
Floating Menace, Outdoor California, 2010. http://cawsf.org/Floating_Menace.pdf An article in Outdoor California describes the issue of balloon ingestion by southern California’s bighorn sheep. Bighorn sheep, designated as a fully protected species in California, are often found deceased with latex balloon fragments in their digestive tracts. “We have found everything from small latex fragments to entire balloon bouquets completely impacting the animals’ digestive tracts,” says Jeff Villepique, a Department of Fish and Game associate wildlife biologist.
Power Outages
Mylar balloons can cause power outages. Entergy Newsroom, 2019. https://www.entergynewsroom.com/news/mylar-balloons-can-cause-power-outages/. “If a metallic balloon touches a power line or floats into a substation, it can cause a surge of electricity, leading to power outages, fires and even injuries.”
New Law Aims to Deflate Metallic Balloon Outages, Hazards. Edison Energy, 2019. https://energized.edison.com/stories/new-law-aims-to-deflate-metallic-balloon-outages-hazards. A new California law requires that metallic balloons made by in-state manufacturers have a printed warning about the risk of releasing them in a conspicuous location and in a readable font that says: “CAUTION: NOT INTENDED FOR RELEASE. USE WITH COUNTERWEIGHT; DISPOSE OF PROPERLY. NEVER USE METALLIC RIBBON WITH BALLOONS.”
Your heart-shaped metallic balloon could cause a mass power outage, energy companies warn. USA Today, 2020. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/14/valentines-day-pge-firstenergy-detail-dangers-metallic-balloons/4758933002/. Energy companies across the nation are warning their customers about the dangers of metallic balloons on Valentine’s Day.
Mylar Balloons Cause Power Outage in Illinois. Fox2Now, 2019. https://fox2now.com/news/mylar-balloons-cause-power-outage-in-illinois/. Ameren has confirmed that Mylar balloons hit an Ameren power line Friday night causing a power outage.
Saddle Butte Fire was Caused By… Balloons. Buckrail, 2019. https://buckrail.com/saddle-butte-fire-caused-by-balloons/. Investigators have confirmed the cause of the Saddle Butte fire in Wyoming as a bundle of rogue balloons.
https://rvanews.com/news/balloons-dangers-to-wildlife-not-inflated/122207
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n67CBkmWFSY&feature=emb_rel_pause