Jul 02 2008
The Good and Bad of Fireworks
While fireworks are pretty (I enjoy the ones that sparkle) and entertaining for 4th of July celebrations, they are simply a result of a fuel-burning process that creates smoke in the air. Although the smoke might not be good for the environment, fireworks have been improved over the years to be less toxic. For example, the American Chemical Society (ACS) has recently developed ones that cause less smoke. Potassium perchlorate was used in fireworks, which was connected to thyroid damage, but nitrocellulose is now used, which burns cleaner.
Fortunately, improvements have been made to fireworks over the years, and work is still being done to create fireworks that are less harmful to the environment and humans.
When it comes to this 4th of July celebration, enjoy your community’s fireworks show instead of purchasing and setting off additional ones.
Photo Credit: Made available by www.digi-hound.com.
