Scientists target eco-friendly chemicals for fireworks

02 July 2009 23:31  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--Scientists are working on more eco-friendly pyrotechnic formulations in missiles and fireworks that eliminate the use of perchlorate, a chemical the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified as a groundwater contaminate, a scientist said on Thursday.

"For the past 10 years there have been discussions by the EPA about perchlorate and its effect on the thyroid,” David Chavez, a scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) said. “Most of the research has been government sponsored, looking to replace perchlorate in missiles.”

In a 2007 report, the EPA said studies suggested that perchlorate inhibits the thyroid's ability to function properly.

“Perchlorate ingestion may pose an adverse human health risk because perchlorate interferes with the production of thyroid hormones required for normal metabolism and the development of mental function,” the EPA report said.

Perchlorate, used as an oxidizer, is present in many forms of pyrotechnics including fireworks and missile weaponry.

In the 2007 study, a US EPA team studied the concentration of perchlorate in a small lake in Oklahoma, where there is an annual Fourth of July fireworks show.

According to the report, within hours of the fireworks display, the perchlorate level in the lake spiked as high as 1,000 times its baseline value. The researchers found that it took anywhere from 20 to 80 days for the perchlorate level to come down to its background level.

The formulation of oxidizers, propellants, fuels and colouring agents in fireworks leaves behind smoky combustion products that fall from the air into nearby soil and water.

In recent years, researchers have developed new pyrotechnic formulations that replace perchlorate with nitrogen-rich materials or nitrocellulose that burn cleaner and produce less smoke.

One indoor fireworks company continues research and development in perchlorate-free fireworks, Chavez explained, but noted most of the current research is in the federal sector.

"There is pressure on the government side to eliminate perchlorate in missiles because a large build-up could occur at firing sites or bases, Chavez said. “If it is good enough for a missile, then it is good enough for a firecracker.”

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By: Leela Landress
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