ΠΥΡΟΤΕΧΝΗΜΑΤΑ, Εφιαλτικά Show ΄Όταν τα πυροτεχνήματα σκάζουν στον ουρανό, πρόσεχε να μην αναπνέεις τον καπνό. ΄Ερευνα στο τμήμα τεχνολογίας του πανεπιστημίου της Βιέννης -με επικεφαλής τον Georg Steinhauser -αποδεικνύει ότι τα πυροτεχνήματα επιδεινώνουν τα αναπνευστικά προβλήματα, όπως το άσθμα γιατί απελευθερώνουν τοξικά αερολύματα. Περιέχουν άλατα μετάλλων που προσδίδουν χρώμα κατά την έκρηξή τους, όπως βάριο για τις πράσινες λάμψεις και στρόντιο για τις κόκκινες.
Σε δείγματα χιονιού που έπεσε στην περιοχή Saalbach,της Αυστρίας, πριν και μετά την ρίψη πυροτεχνημάτων, διαπιστώθηκε ότι η συγκέντρωση των τοξικών ουσιών στο χιόνι από τον καπνό των πυροτεχνημάτων, ήταν 500 φορές μεγαλύτερη μετά από τη «γιορτή» Τα υπερχλωρικά άλατα που σκορπίζονται στο περιβάλλον, επιδρούν στον υδροφόρο ορίζοντα, μολύνουν τις λίμνες, και βλάπτουν έγκυες γυναίκες, νεογνά, παιδιά αλλά και ενήλικες με πρόβλημα του θυρεοειδή τους. Προηγούμενη ανάλογη έρευνα που έγινε στην Ινδία έδειξε ότι ασθματικές καταστάσεις επιδεινώθηκαν κατά 12%, ενώ κάποιοι θεατές Show πυροτεχνημάτων εμφάνισαν βρογχίτιδα.
Φιλοζωικές οργανώσεις σε όλο τον κόσμο κάνουν έκκληση για πολιτισμένη εορταστική ατμόσφαιρα χωρίς τον εφιάλτη των πυροτεχνημάτων. Τα ζωάκια και τα πουλιά δεν καταλαβαίνουν ότι το ανθρώπινο είδος χαίρεται με τις θανατηφόρες ρουκέτες, τα βεγγαλικά και τα πυροτεχνήματα που καταστρέφουν την ακοή, προκαλούν εγκαύματα και θανατηφόρα ατυχήματα. Πολλά κατοικίδια φεύγουν από το σπίτι και χάνονται όταν γίνεται η εκπυρσοκρότηση. Η μεγάλη σπατάλη χρημάτων για τα Show που μας δηλητηριάζουν και προκαλούν πανικό και θάνατο στα υπόλοιπα είδη που κατοικούν στον πλανήτη μας, είναι χαρακτηριστικό της ματαιοδοξίας και της αδιαφορίας μας στον πόνο, στο θάνατο των άλλων πλασμάτων και στη μόλυνση του περιβάλλοντος.
Great fireworks, shame about the toxic fallout
22 December 2008 by Andy Coghlan
Magazine issue 2687. New Scientist
WHEN those fireworks light up the sky on New Year's Eve, be careful not to breathe in too much smoke. A study of the fallout from a New Year display in Austria shows for the first time that the fireworks can aggravate respiratory conditions like asthma because they shoot out harmful aerosols.
Georg Steinhauser and his colleagues at Vienna University of Technology analysed fallen snow before and after a display in the village of Saalbach. Fireworks often contain metal salts to give them colour, such as barium for green flashes and strontium for red. The researchers wanted to find out whether any traces remained, clinging to snowflakes. If they did, it would mean the particles were present in the smoke from the fireworks and could be breathed in by spectators.
"We found huge amounts of barium in the snow," says Steinhauser (Atmospheric Environment, DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.08.023). Concentrations were typically 500 times higher than in snow samples taken from the same sites before the display. Barium poisoning is known to constrict the airways, so inhaling it could aggravate asthma symptoms, says Steinhauser.
Fireworks have been linked to breathing difficulties before. A study during the Indian Diwali festival, of which firecrackers are a key part, showed that asthma cases rose by 12 per cent, and some spectators without asthma even had attacks of bronchitis.
The team are now developing fireworks that are free of both barium and perchlorate oxidant, which supplies the oxygen for the pyrotechnic combustion. Perchlorate can contaminate water supplies, impair thyroid function and harm fetuses.
In the meantime, Steinhauser says people can still watch displays - as long as they try not to inhale.
From issue 2687 of New Scientist magazine, page 12
Georg Steinhauser and his colleagues at Vienna University of Technology analysed fallen snow before and after a display in the village of Saalbach. Fireworks often contain metal salts to give them colour, such as barium for green flashes and strontium for red. The researchers wanted to find out whether any traces remained, clinging to snowflakes. If they did, it would mean the particles were present in the smoke from the fireworks and could be breathed in by spectators.
"We found huge amounts of barium in the snow," says Steinhauser (Atmospheric Environment, DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.08.023). Concentrations were typically 500 times higher than in snow samples taken from the same sites before the display. Barium poisoning is known to constrict the airways, so inhaling it could aggravate asthma symptoms, says Steinhauser.
Fireworks have been linked to breathing difficulties before. A study during the Indian Diwali festival, of which firecrackers are a key part, showed that asthma cases rose by 12 per cent, and some spectators without asthma even had attacks of bronchitis.
The team are now developing fireworks that are free of both barium and perchlorate oxidant, which supplies the oxygen for the pyrotechnic combustion. Perchlorate can contaminate water supplies, impair thyroid function and harm fetuses.
In the meantime, Steinhauser says people can still watch displays - as long as they try not to inhale.
From issue 2687 of New Scientist magazine, page 12
Firework displays and celebrations bring confusion, anxiety and fear into the lives of animals, causing many to run away from their homes in an effort to escape the frightening detonations.
Fireworks are not animal-friendly. Invariably, when communities celebrate with fireworks, local shelters and other animal aid organizations are overwhelmed by the "fallout," which manifests in an increased number of stray animals and reports of injuries and trauma to animals. Those animals who are reunited with their families must consider themselves fortunate. Many injured or terrorized animals run away from their homes to escape the traumatizing detonations of fireworks. Some are hit by cars and injured or killed, some are maimed for life, while others are never recovered alive.
Firework explosions can produce a blind panic in animals that can lead to serious injury, deep-rooted, debilitating fears, or even death. This is, in part, because the events do not last long enough for animals to become accustomed to the explosions. Moreover, the ears of most animals are considerably more sensitive than the human ear. Therefore, the explosion of a firework (which can emit sounds of up to 190 decibels, a full 110 to 115 decibels higher than the 75- to 80-decibel range, where damage to the human ear begins) not only is proportionately more disturbing to an animal, it can also affect an animal's acute sense of hearing. And animals who are too close to firework explosions often suffer significant burns and eye damage. Fireworks generate a noise level higher than the noise from gunshots (140 decibels) and low-level flying jets (100 decibels). Irreversible ear damage, such as tinnitus and loss of hearing in humans starts at the 80-decibel range.
Startling, extremely loud sounds must have a detrimental effect on wildlife as well.
Email: StopFireworks@aol.com
(ευχαριστούμε τη φίλη για το e-mail)
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