Dear All,
First of all Wish you all a very Safe, Happy and Healthy Diwali..
Please go through this article once.
http://www.cseindia.org/content/already-worsening-pollution-levels-will-spike-during-diwali-due-firecrackers
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/firecrackers-experts-welcome-sc-ban/article19832348.ece
Here is an excerpt from one of above article on pollution caused by Fire crackers.
What is at stake – our health
Crackers are a mix of deadly chemicals. Crackers not only emit more of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide but also spew cancer causing toxins. It’s a myth that silent crackers and sparklers are safer. In fact, their coloured flames include deadly toxic metals -- strontium for red, barium for green, copper for blue, iron for gold, copper and strontium for purple. For glitter they use antimony sulphide that causes lung cancer and skin conditions. Copper compounds for blue trigger cancer, skin conditions and hormonal imbalances. Percholate is responsible for lung cancer and thyroid complications.
Pollutants settle invisibly all around us – on soil, vegetation, crop and water and through our food chain, come back to us.
Doctors are warning against breathlessness, cough, asthma, pulmonary disease, rhinitis, and lower respiratory tract infection. Those suffering from Broncho constriction, wheezing and chronic obstruction pulmonary disease need precaution. High exposures to metal particles are known to be associated with lung cancer, pneumoconiosis, emphysema and high toxic effect on cells in the long run. Though the exposure during Diwali is only short term it intensifies the already high exposure in the city.
Moreover, children are more vulnerable as they have poor defense mechanisms. Their ability to metabolise and detoxify environmental agents is different. Given their hyper level of physical activity, they inhale more volume of air than adults and therefore breathe more pollution. Joint studies of Central Pollution Control Board and Chittaranjan National Cancer Research Institute have already demonstrated that every third child in Delhi has impaired lungs.
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