Have you switched to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs & did you know...?

Question

...They contain extremely hazardous levels of Toxins? After reading the state of Maine's Department of Environmental Protection website http://www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/homeowner/fluorescent.htm (See 4th paragraph) reading what must be done if one of these bulbs break. I have since removed them because each one is a potential 'Mercury Bomb' a toxic pollutant especially for children. How do you feel?

Answer 1

I think the manufacturers and the sellers should make it as safe and easy as possible to bring the dead ones in for proper disposal...they should make containment bags available so you can bring it in and dispose of it at the retail store where they were purchased...just like plastic bags....it would be a win win for everyone involved.

Answer 2

Yes and Yes.

As an electrician I have to deal with the disposal of flourescent bulbs as universal waste everywhere I've worked.  I take the few CFLs that have gone out to work and disposed of them there.

If you are that afraid of them that you have replaced all of them then don't go into any public buildings that use flourescent bulbs, even regular non-CFL style.  They all use mercury.  And certainly don't buy a hybrid since the disposal of the storage batteries are going to be causing a problem in the years to come when they start needing to be replaced.  In summary, there is always a trade-off in which part of the environment one is affecting by new technology to save the other part of the environment.

Answer 3

I have switched to CF bulbs in my house.  

Manufacturers haven't hid the fact that the bulbs contain hazardous materials.  I think the benefit of the bulbs out weigh the hazardous costs, so long long as people dispose of CF bulbs properly.   I don't see a problem with it.

Did you also know that smoke detectors contain radioactive material?  And should also be disposed of properly.

Answer 4

The levels of mercury in the CFL bulbs is too little to really harm someone.

But the U.S. plans to sell ONLY CFL bulbs within the next few years.

this causes a problem since your not allowed to through Mercury into a land fill,

i really wonder what the plan is for disposing of a dead CFL bulb.

obviously people who have them now get rid of them somehow, but it isn't as big of a deal since its not EVERYONE in america thats trying to unload a vile of mercury.

Answer 5

No. There are a multitude of 'green' alternatives that do not raise the issues involved here. Nobody should be asking people to gamble their family's health on this issue, Especially, since it is big business & big government that have to make the meaningful decisions. I'd suggest ADVOCACY!

Answer 6

Because there is such a small amount of mercury in CFLs, your greatest risk if a bulb breaks is getting cut from glass shards. Research indicates that there is no immediate health risk to you or your family should a bulb break and it's cleaned up properly. You can minimize any risks by following these proper clean-up and disposal guidelines:

Sweep up—don't vacuum—all of the glass fragments and fine particles.

Place broken pieces in a sealed plastic bag and wipe the area with a damp paper towel to pick up any stray shards of glass or fine particles. Put the used towel in the plastic bag as well.

If weather permits, open windows to allow the room to ventilate.

Don't forget you should recycle your light bulbs because they contain mercury.  You can go to  Veolia Environmental Services, http://veoliaes-ts.com/OnyxPak and buy a box that holds as little as 12 CFL light bulbs. They also have bigger boxes available as well.

It is very easy and for the little money you spend, you can help protect the environment from mercury.

Answer 7

I have a good idea.  Why not try to eliminate all sources of "toxic" items from your home, by that I mean your computer, the TV, the stove, etc etc.  The computer has Cadmium, Arsenic and lots of other baddies, same with most TV"s. Obviously you are not going to do that are you?  The chance of these items adversely effecting your health are greater.  Be careful with the CFL's just like you should be and you'll be doing the greater good for everyone.

Answer 8

From What i have read, The only concern is for the proper disposal. I cannot speak for those having children in the home, But for me they are a very good alternative to the standard incandesent bulbs. Perhaps a balance of useing them in Globe encased fixtures, that are high enough to prevent accidental breakage, Then useing  regular bulbs, in lamps that have the possibility of tipping over  , would be good. I have read that the ones made by philips contain the least amount of mercury vapor.  But again i think simply , proper disposal methods are needed. ie Saving the container they come in and returning them to the stores where purchased for recycling.

Answer 9

Yawn!!!!!  I have been using fluorescent lights for over thirty years.  When the bulbs burn out, I throw them in the trash.  If I drop one and it breaks, I sweep it up and throw it in the trash.  I have advanced degrees in engineering and business, and my children all graduated from prestigious private universities.

Answer 10

im not worried about it.  Do you have flourescent tube lights in your house?  Because they are ALLL over the ceiling at the office, or in class rooms that your kids are in.

I took our package out of the closet to get a new bulb to find that someone had, very roughly, put them in the closet and broke 2 of them.  We didnt do anything about it.

Look at it this way.  The bulb leaks mercury through-out its lifespan.  It has 4mg of mercury in it.  Over a 2 year span, it will leak out.  It will only be dangerous if it is released all at once, into your lungs.  Thats why they suggest you leave the room for 10 minutes or so to let the mercury vapor spread out.  There is enough air in most rooms to fully dilute the mercury down to a minimal level.

And if anyone tells you there is more mercury in a can of tuna and in a bulb, that is dead wrong.  there is 4mg in a bulb, and .1 or less I think in a can of tuna.

Answer 11

I use them, and I'm not at all worried.

If you live in an older home, chances are there's more toxic mercury in your thermostat than you'd ever bring into your home through a lifetime of buying CFLs.