What problems were created by the confetti tossers?

 

 What could have been done to prevent those problems?

See answers below.

Step-by-step explanation

What problems were created by the confetti tossers?
- The candy confetti that William Gunter witnessed in 19th-century Italy can be traced back to when sugar became widely available in Europe in the 1400s. Confectioners began glazing dried fruit, nuts, spices, and seeds. In Italy, sugared almonds were a particularly prized form of confetti. Confetti is primarily used for holidays and celebrations. It was created as a way for the wealthy and social elite to celebrate alliances and marriages. Today, confetti can be used for almost anything. For example, every year the NFL Super bowl uses 2.7 tons of confetti to celebrate the winning team. That means millions of pieces of confetti are used to rain down on the winning teams and their spectators. Confetti, however, can also be used for other events too. 

- With these creative options available, there is no need to include harmful plastic, foil, or paper at your wedding. Confetti can be eco-friendly if you select one of the alternatives we've provided above. Biodegradable confetti is a great alternative to regular / standard confetti for any type of outdoor celebration or event. While biodegradable confetti does not need to be exclusively used for indoor/contained celebrations, it is a must for all outdoor celebrations.

- This scientific instrument can be used to determine the chemical composition of a given material. The test sample is illuminated by an intense x-ray beam. Some of the beam's energy is scattered but some is also absorbed by the materials in the sample. This influx of energy causes the atoms in the sample to become 'excited'. If the energy of the radiation is sufficient to dislodge a tightly-held inner electron, the atom becomes unstable and an outer electron replaces the missing inner electron. When an electron jumps into a tighter orbit, energy is released in the form of fluorescent radiation. The color of the radiation is highly dependent on the chemical composition of the materials from which the energy was released. By analyzing the color spectrum of the emitted radiation, scientists can tell what elements a given sample is made of.

Once our confetti samples had been through the XRF spectrometer, we could analyze the results. The confetti did not contain any metals. So what was it made of?  All three samples were made of PVC and other plastics. Perhaps not that surprising but at least we know for certain.

 What could have been done to prevent those problems?

- The dangers posed to the environment from micro plastic pollution is well known, So, what can we do together to prevent these kinds of plastic particles from reaching nature? We have raised awareness of the issue by sharing information with schools and in our municipalities. These campaigns have received good coverage and there is certainly growing awareness of the problems caused by confetti. We don't want to be killjoys though! We try to remind folks that there are plenty of other ways to celebrate such as using soap bubbles, flower petals, rice or seeds.