HOW GREEN ARE DEEPAVALI CRACKERS

CONTEXT :

For the last 5 years , major cities across India have recorded high PM10 levels on Deepavali day compared to those measured a week before the festival.

What is PM10 ?

# It is called the RSPM ( Respiratory Suspended Particulate Matter ).
# It is having a diameter of less than 10 micron. 1 micron is one millionth of a meter.
# It causes respiratory problems, skin diseases, asthma , fatigue, COPD, heart stroke.
# In India , the mean limit of PM10 is 100 microgram/meter cube.

Toxic Nature :

Conventional crackers contain chemicals which produce effects like bright lighting and colours. These chemicals have adverse effect on human health and environment

1. Charcoal, potassium nitrate and sulphur:
# These are the primary fuel to crackers
# Can be Carcinogenic

2. Strontium and Lithium
# Red colouring agent
# strontium replaces calcium in our body
# lithium releases harmful fumes

3. Barium
# Orange colouring agent
# Respiratory and other health issues

4. Nitrates , chlorate
# oxidizing agent
# stunting in children
# can be poisonous.

Supreme court steps:

Banned use of Barium nitrate.
Mandated to use green crackers

What is a green cracker ?

# Traditional crackers have been made with Barium Nitrate, antimony and many other metals. These cause respiratory diseases and also cancer.
# CSIR and NEERI develops green crackers.
# Green Crackers are those fireworks without barium nitrate.
# Barium nitrate is substituted with Potassium nitrate and zeolite.
# the green versions of flower pot has a mixture of water and lime that is chemically stored in the crackers.
# NEERI has said that lab tests have proved 30%decrease in the PM emissions and also reductions in Sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxides.
# Green sparklers use potassium nitrate , aluminum nitrate, aluminum chips and proprietary additives to reduce PM10.
# SWAS( safe water releaser) is a new formulation for bomb.
# These crackers have the same sound level of the traditional crackers (100db)

Source: THE HINDU

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