Firecrackers and its Hazards

Ever wondered what a firecracker is made up of ? Its main constituents are Potassium nitrate(75%), Carbon or Charcoal or Sugar(15%) and Sulphur(10%). These substances create a powerful chemical reaction when they come in contact with fire and the result of this chemical reaction is what you see in most firecrackers. The reaction produces nitrogen and carbon dioxide which are very harmful to the human body.

Health Hazards: Respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis are the main threats apart from others like hearing loss, high blood pressure and sleeping disturbances. Sudden exposure to noise could also cause temporary or permanent deafness and also a possible heart attack.

Awareness: With kids and youth being the major consumers of fireworks, schools and colleges should be the first source of education which will make them aware of the possible hazards. Media, government and individuals should bring the awareness amongst the public so that the effect of burning crackers is controlled to whatever extent is possible.

We are actually seeing people getting more Eco-friendly and also there is a change in their attitude towards giving back something to the nature. This is well illustrated by the drastic downturn in the sales of fireworks and the general opinion from people about lesser intensity of fireworks getting burnt.