Why in news?
- CSIR has developed green crackers.
What are these crackers?
- They are firecrackers which have a chemical formulation that produces water molecules, which substantially reduces emission levels and absorbs dust.
- As the air pollution level went up 29 times above the WHO standards in November 2016, the Supreme Court suspended the sale of fireworks in the National Capital Region (NCR).
- Hence now, the green crackers can replace the conventional crackers.
Benefits:
- They have reduced emissions and decibel levels.
- This helps in the reduction of particulate matter and harmful gases, like nitrous oxide and sulphur oxide, by 30- 35 per cent.
- The green crackers will be 25-30 per cent cheaper to manufacture.
- They are less harmful and less dangerous than the conventional ones.
- The manufacturers would not have to make any changes in their facilities.
Chemicals that give color to the firecrackers:
- White: The burning of metals like magnesium, aluminum and titanium).
- Yellow: Sodium salts (Nitrates and oxalates of sodium).
- Red: Strontium salts (Nitrates, carbonates and sulphates of strontium).
- Blue: Copper salts (Carbonates and oxides of copper).
- Orange: Calcium salts (Carbonates, chlorides and sulphates of calcium).
- Green: Barium salts (Nitrates, carbonates, chlorides and chlorates of barium).
- Purple: A combination of copper and strontium compounds.
