Anions in pre- and post-blast consumer fireworks by capillary electrophoresis.

Abstract

Consumer fireworks are a heterogeneous group of pyrotechnic items widely used by citizens around the world. There are a wide number of forensic cases related to consumer fireworks that require knowing their chemical composition and variety of designs to conduct accurate and comprehensive analyses. In this research paper, a selection of six consumer firework types (firecracker, rocket, pyrotechnic fountain, pyrotechnic battery, sparkler, and smoke bomb) is physically described and their anionic compositions are determined. Preblast (fuses and charges) samples and postblast residues of the different consumer fireworks were analyzed by CE in order to determine their anionic composition. Different types of chemical compositions in fuses and pyrotechnic charges were determined, although they were not related to any type of item. Additionally, several discrepancies were found between the analytical results and the declared item compositions. Regarding postblast residues, a huge variety of anions were identified and attributed to some unconsumed starting materials and different chemical reactions occurring during combustion.