'Green' fireworks may brighten eco-friendly 4th of July displays in future
June 22, 2009
This picture shows a spectacular fireworks display on July 4, 2008, over New York City's East Village. Credit: Wikipedia Commons, David Shankbone
With millions of people in the United States eagerly awaiting those July 4 fireworks displays — and our Canadian neighbors doing likewise for their July 1 Canada Day celebrations — here's a prospect for those light shows of the future likely to ignite a smile on Mother Nature's face: A new generation of "green" fireworks is quietly making its way toward the sky.
That's "green" as in environmentally friendly.
Fireworks, flares and other so-called "pyrotechnics" traditionally have included potassium perchlorate as the oxidizer, a material that provides the oxygen that fireworks need to burn. Perchlorate, however, is an environmental pollutant with potential adverse effects on people and wildlife. Pyrotechnics contain other ingredients, such color-producing heavy metals, with a similar potential.
Studies have shown that perchlorate from community fireworks displays conducted over lakes, for instance, can lead to perchlorate contamination of the water. For full details about how perchlorate contaminates lakes after fireworks displays, Click here for a study published in the American Chemical Society's peer-reviewed journal, Environmental Science & Technology.
Researchers, however, have developed new pyrotechnic formulas that replace perchlorate with nitrogen-rich materials or nitrocellulose that burn cleaner and produce less smoke, according to an article in ACS's weekly newsmagazine, Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN). To read it, click here.
In the article, C&EN Associate Editor Bethany Halford says these nitrogen-rich formulas also use fewer color-producing chemicals, dramatically cutting down on the amount of heavy metals used and lowering their potentially toxic effects.
Some of these fireworks have already been used at circuses, rock concerts and other events, but none have been used at large outdoor displays. The problem: cost. The big challenge in launching these "eco-friendly" pyrotechnics into the sky is making them cost-competitive with conventional fireworks while maintaining their dazzle and glow, the article explains.
The article notes that fireworks manufacturers have little incentive to further develop the new green fireworks because no federal regulations currently limit releases of perchlorate from pyrotechnics.
-
A healthier July Fourth: Eco-friendly fireworks and flares poised to light up the sky
Jun 30, 2008 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Fireworks cause environmental pollution
May 29, 2007 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Eco-Friendly Pyrotechnics
Mar 17, 2008 |
not rated yet |
0
-
New catalyst removes harmful perchlorate from groundwater
Sep 11, 2006 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Carbon nanotubes offer 'green' technology for perchlorate removal
Jul 25, 2006 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Engineers build first sub-10-nm carbon nanotube transistor
Feb 01, 2012 |
4.9 / 5 (29) |
30
-
Something old, something new: Evolution and the structural divergence of duplicate genes
Jan 31, 2012 |
4.6 / 5 (7) |
1
-
The hidden nanoworld of ice crystals: Revealing the dynamic behavior of quasi-liquid layers
Jan 30, 2012 |
5 / 5 (3) |
1
-
Stock market network reveals investor clustering
Jan 27, 2012 |
3.9 / 5 (23) |
8
-
Of microchemistry and molecules: Electronic microfluidic device synthesizes biocompatible probes
Jan 26, 2012 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
-
Wind Waves in Reservoir ~ Wind run-up and Wind set-up
Feb 08, 2012
-
Balance of oxygen in the atmosphere
Feb 01, 2012
-
The case for a methanol-based economy
Jan 30, 2012
-
Weather in a rotating cylinder
Jan 25, 2012
-
Importance of difference between SVP over ice and water?
Jan 19, 2012
-
Ozone and atmosphere sampling
Jan 16, 2012
- More from Physics Forums - Earth
More news stories
Tidal forces could squeeze out planetary water
Alien planets might experience tidal forces powerful enough to remove all their water, leaving behind hot, dry worlds like Venus, researchers said.
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
26 minutes ago |
not rated yet |
0
|
Young stars at home in ancient cluster
(PhysOrg.com) -- Looking like a hoard of gems fit for an emperor's collection, this deep sky object called NGC 6752 is in fact far more worthy of admiration. It is a globular cluster, and at over 10 billion ...
1 hour ago |
not rated yet |
0
NASA small explorer mission celebrates ten years and forty thousand X-ray flares
(PhysOrg.com) -- On February 5, 2002, NASA launched what was then called the High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (HESSI) into orbit. Renamed within months as the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
1 hour ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
Antarctic lake could reveal evolution, new life: scientists
Russian scientists said Thursday a probe to a pristine lake deep under the ice of Antarctica could bring revelations on the planet's evolution and possibly even new life forms.
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
49 minutes ago |
not rated yet |
0
NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Jasmine over Vanuatu and New Caledonia
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone Jasmine on Feb. 8, 2012 as it was passing between Vanuatu and New Caledonia. NASA imagery showed Jasmine had a 20 nautical mile-wide eye.
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
10 minutes ago |
not rated yet |
0
Researchers develop gene therapy to boost brain repair for demyelinating diseases
(Medical Xpress) -- Our bodies are full of tiny superheroesantibodies that fight foreign invaders, cells that regenerate, and structures that ensure our systems run smoothly. One such structure is myelina ...
Google launches Chrome browser for Android smartphones
With more and more people connecting to the Internet through a phone or a tablet instead of a PC, Google Inc. is bringing its fast-growing browser, Chrome, to the newest Android-powered mobile devices.
Study suggests use of managed care plan for uninsured may significantly reduce costs, ED visits
(Medical Xpress) -- The cost of caring for the uninsured population who will gain coverage through the Affordable Care Act of 2014 can be reduced by almost half once the act is implemented, according to a new study from Virginia ...
'Do your best' not a good enough goal to improve diabetes diet
(Medical Xpress) -- A specific goal to eat a set number of daily servings of low-glycemic-index foods can improve dietary habits of people with Type 2 diabetes, according to new research.
Some formerly cohabiting couples with children keep romantic relationship
(PhysOrg.com) -- When low-income cohabiting couples with children decide to no longer live together, that doesnt necessarily mean the end of their romantic relationship.
Kodak to stop making cameras, digital frames
Kodak says it will stop making digital cameras, pocket video cameras and digital picture frames in order to focus on its more profitable businesses.
Jun 22, 2009
Rank: 3 / 5 (2)