A Bright, Brilliant Display

With the 4th of July right around the corner, kids of all ages nationwide are eagerly anticipating the biggest (and perhaps only) display of fireworks they'll get to see all year.

The dark side of these amazing displays of light involves the use of a class of chemical that delivers a burst of necessary oxygen at the point of ignition. The compound in question -- perchlorate -- is toxic and poses health risks. Research studies have shown that perchlorate residue from fireworks displays can contaminate nearby surface water bodies.

But there may soon be cause for celebration over and beyond honoring the Declaration of Independence: chemical engineers are hard at work developing a new breed of firework that packs an esthetic punch without the use of perchlorate.

Barriers to present widespread adoption are three-fold. First, these eco-friendly pyrotechnics also incorporate fewer heavy metals that are responsible for the more vibrant color displays that appear in conventional modern fireworks.

Second, a limited economy of scale for these green fireworks means that demand would have to increase significantly for unit costs to drop to render them more competitive.

And lastly, perchlorate releases to the environment from fireworks remain completely unregulated.

But in spite of the current obstacles to widespread adoption, we hold these truths to be self-evident, that not all fireworks are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with the option of certain undeniable environmental improvements.