Happy Independence Day, America! Hopefully many of you are out BBQing, basking in the sun (with sunscreen), catching fireflies, swimming in pools, and watching explosively beautiful fireworks. Though invented in China, Fourth of July fireworks have become a cornerstone of American culture... they're free, they're captivating, they're magical... but did you know they can also be harmful to the environment and your health?
Scientists are hoping to create a new kind of fireworks that will be a little less polluting and a little more eco-friendly. This new generation of fireworks will be just as exciting, but they'll make the show even more fun to watch because they'll produce less smoke and use fewer toxic metals that wind up in ground soil and water hours after you've ended your celebration.
As with many eco-friendly alternatives, they are more expensive... so it may be a while before your town begins using them (plus, clean fireworks aren't available just yet), but it's never too early to start rallying your townspeople for a change.
- "Everyone at or downwind of a pyrotechnic display is getting subjected to levels of these metals that aren't natural levels," said David E. Chavez, a chemist at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. "Whether that really is going to cause health effects is up for debate."
Disneyland, famous for its nightly fireworks extravaganza, was the catalyst for Chavez's research for cleaner burning fireworks. Residents in the surrounding areas began complaining about the smoke that was drifting over every night and irritating their lungs. Additionally, there have been multiple studies that prove an increase in asthma attacks during fireworks-filled festivals.
Interesting! It seems like nothing is safe these days. If a safer, cleaner version of one of America's favorite traditions is possible, we say go for it. Fireworks 2.0 FTW!
via Discovery
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