Editing Explosive (section)

===Toxicity===
Many explosives are [[toxicity|toxic]] to some extent. Manufacturing inputs can also be organic compounds or hazardous materials that require special handling due to risks (such as [[carcinogen]]s). The decomposition products, residual solids, or gases of some explosives can be toxic, whereas others are harmless, such as carbon dioxide and water.

Examples of harmful by-products are:
* Heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and barium from primers (observed in high-volume firing ranges)
* Nitric oxides from TNT
* Perchlorates when used in large quantities

"Green explosives" seek to reduce environment and health impacts. An example of such is the lead-free primary explosive copper(I) 5-nitrotetrazolate, an alternative to [[lead azide]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8903-green-explosive-is-a-friend-of-the-earth.html |title=Green explosive is a friend of the Earth |magazine=New Scientist |date=27 March 2006 |access-date=12 November 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112220348/http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8903-green-explosive-is-a-friend-of-the-earth.html |archive-date=12 November 2014 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>