Colours off Chemistry A project on creating herbal colours for holi.
Holi, the festival of colours and joy, can also createcomplications if caution and care are not complied with. Ordinarily, Holi colours are composed of hazardous chemicals and widespread awareness is being attempted to shift the preference amongst peoplefornatural or herbal colours for a safe Holi.
We, too, at our School decided to lend a shoulder to the wheel, as it were and do our bit for greater awareness. A project in chemistry was conceived for class 9, to createnatural coloursin the chemistry lab.The children acceptedthe challenge and successfully engagedinresearch in the library and on the net and then using the resource, set out to compose their owncolours! The colours came out robust and ready. Soon theywere neatly packaged and sealed for a special saleon 3 March, 2012. The students readily offered tips on how they made the colours as also the characteristics of each. No wonder then, visitors to the sale, readily made their choice! They explained that,
Greenis obtained from copper sulphate, which may cause allergies in the eyes or even temporary blindness. Purple is obtained from chromium iodide, which may cause bronchial asthma or other forms of allergy. Silver is obtained from aluminum bromide,a known carcinogenic.
Black is obtained from lead-oxide, which cancause renal failure or learning disability. Red is obtained from mercury sulphite, which cancause skin cancer or Minamata disease ( mental retardation, paralysis, impaired vision etc.) Shimmer iscreated withpowdered glass.
Further,water colours have an alkaline base, capable of causinginjury. Colours inpaste-form have toxic compounds mixed in a base of engine-oil or other inferioroil, carrying the riskof skin allergy andtemporary blindness.When washed, these colours containing toxic chemicals then end up reaching our rivers, enhancingsoil and water pollution.
They further elaborated how ,on other hand, natural colours contain elements thatlendglow to our skins and simultaneously preservethe environment. They described how they hadassembledthe following colours.
Red, by mixing red sandalwood powder with flour; Yellow, withturmeric and besan and Green withhenna powder and flour. No prizes for guessing if the students enjoyed themselves! They stepped into the exercise and ended upsubmerged, in their involvement! And thenmade a splash!
By Dr. Anu Singh,senior teacher, Chemistry.
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