Zeitschrift für forensische Forschung

Fireworks: Requisite for Forensics Evolution from Conventional to Green Crackers in India â?? A Perspective

Abstract

Sweta Sinha and Kavita Goyal

Social life in India is enriched with festivals, traditions and cultural events, often, associated with bursting crackers during celebration. Firework exhibition and bursting crackers are a symbol of jubilation. The hazardous effects of fireworks are often obscured by the cloud of smoke and amusement ultimately breeding root cause to severe accidental injuries. Fire accidents occur due to surpassing supervisory measures while handling fireworks [1-3]. The illicit production, sale, illegal trade of crackers is another major direct challenge for criminal judiciary system and regulatory authorities [4-6]. Television, print and social media are crammed with evidences apart from actual incident data where crackers played a major role in crime. The chemistry of conventional fireworks has not much transmuted since archaic times. Common constituents in fireworks are carbon centered fuel, a reducing agent and an amalgamation of metal salts functioning as oxidant and colourants. The lightening of fireworks commences with an exothermic process engendering smoke as a by-product holding gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, as well as suspended particulate matter between PM2.5-PM10. Conventional fireworks also integrate hazardous chemicals like nitrates of strontium, sodium and barium, carbonates of strontium, calcium, barium and copper, sulphates of strontium and calcium, chlorides of calcium and barium, aluminium and magnesium salts, sodium oxalate, copper oxide, iron dust powder and potassium perchlorate, which act as stabilizers, oxidizers and colorants [7]. Both metals and radicals determine the presence of explosive material. All these residues are hazardous in nature