Household dust found in Malta has twice the level of a chemical used in fireworks as does China, according to a study by expert Alfred Vella.

The concern over perchlorate comes from its known interference with thyroid function and its strong presence in groundwater and food. Perchlorate is one of the more important chemicals used in fireworks and has no regulatory limit. The levels of perchlorate in dust in Malta “increase dramatically during the summer when compared to other months”.

This “is strong evidence” it originates from aerial and ground fireworks during village feasts, said Prof. Vella, who headed an inquiry in September 2010 following a spate of tragic fireworks accidents.

The study, co-authored by Cynthia Chircop, Tamara Micallef and Colette Pace, looked into the levels of perchlorate in dust collected directly as it precipitated from the atmosphere (or ‘dust fall’) and dust collected from households in 43 towns and villages in Malta and Gozo over a span of three years.

It established that low levels of perchlorate are found in dust from December to March. This starts to increase around May and peak in July and August, to fall away “slowly and, most significantly, incompletely, beyond September into the next autumn and winter”.

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