Fireworks contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals that can be harmful. Avoid exposure to fireworks displays. The chemicals found in fireworks displays include cadmium, barium, dioxin, lead, strontium, copper, and perchlorate. Fireworks use gunpowder which contains potassium perchlorate. Perchlorates are bad for the thyroid gland and can cause the gland to stop absorbing iodine. Heavy metals are not quickly assimilated and their presence in fireworks can be more long lasting and damaging to soil and water, as well as to human health.
Firework displays shot high into the air do send low doses of perchlorates into the atmosphere, and it has been thought that these toxic chemicals do not land on the ground. But in 2007, levels of perchlorate in Oklahoma were noted as high as 1,000 times above normal the day after a fireworks display. The blue color in fireworks comes from copper. Copper can create dioxins, a known carcinogen, if the perchlorates do not combust completely. Dioxin has been shown to cause cancer as well as hormonal problems and skin lesions. The color green in fireworks is made from barium. Barium can cause heart irregularities, weak muscles, stomach cramps, difficulty breathin and diarrhea. Cadmium is another known carcinogen used in fireworks. Cadmium causes damage to the lungs, kidneys, and stomach and can be inhaled from toxins left in the soil. As a precaution, do not let your children play in parks of waterways after a fireworks display, for at least 24 hours. http://www.backcountryattitude.com/toxic_fireworks.html
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http://www.perchloratenews.com/
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