Building a better firework

Are 'green' fireworks the answer to unhealthy pyrotechnics?

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NEWSWEEK — This Saturday, Americans all across the country will look to the skies to witness fireworks exploding into ooh-inducing bursts of color, shapes, and sounds. But what goes up must come down, and some researchers think that what drifts back to earth after the spectacle subsides could negatively affect both our bodies and our ecosystem.

There is little argument that the chemicals used in fireworks can be hazardous to humans and the environment in large amounts. But is the once-annual dose distributed by Fourth of July fireworks enough to cause serious health problems? And are the ecofriendly fireworks created as a safer alternative really necessary?

According to Dr. David E. Chavez, a chemist in the High Explosives Science and Technology division of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, both the perchlorate oxidizer and some of the colorizing heavy metals are toxic compounds. Setting off fireworks (and other pyrotechnic devices, such as military rockets and flares) can release these toxins into the environment.

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