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- magicjava, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1SHORT ATTENTION SPAN VERSION: DO NOT BUY COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS
I feel it's very important to warn people these "green" bulbs contain mercury which will end up in landfills throughout the country if we make the switch to them. In addition to filling our landfills with mercury, if the bulbs break you will be exposed to the mercury they contain.
HEALTH EFFECTS OF MERCURY
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Here is a quote from a report by the National Institute of Health on the effects of Mercury:
Quote - "Exposures to very small amounts of these compounds can result in devastating neurological damage and death. For fetuses, infants and children, the primary health effects of mercury are on neurological development. Even low levels of mercury exposure such as result from mother's consumption methylmercury in dietary sources can adversely affect the brain and nervous system. Impacts on memory, attention, language and other skills have been found in children exposed to moderate levels in the womb."
Source : - http://orf.od.nih.gov/Environmental+Protection/Mercury+Free/MercuryHealthHazards.htm
Here are some of the problems we're having with mercury now. Switching to CFLs will only make it worse.
* 32% of lakes and 20% of rivers do not meet water quality standards
* 48 states have fish health advisories
* 1 in 6 women of childbearing age have unsafe levels
* 300,000 – 600,000 children born each year with neurological problems
Source: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/mpaenvironment/pages/projects/sum2005/MercuryPresentation8-15.pdf
Also, putting mercury into landfills actually makes the mercury even worse and compounds the problem even more. For info on this see: http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20010707/fob1.asp
MERCURY AND POWER GENERATION
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Some folks will make the claim that using normal bulbs produces more mercury than these bulbs containing mercury. This claim is based on the assumption that all power comes from coal, which is not true, as shown in this quote from the EPA:
Quote - "Please note that a major limitation of EPA’s estimate of mercury emissions
savings is that we assume a direct relationship between energy saved from using T8 lamps and a reduction
in coal-fired electricity for all types of utility boilers; that is, the Agency assumes that, as the demand for
energy decreases, there would be a corresponding decrease in coal-fired electricity for all utilities and
regions of the country. Yet, lamp manufacturers and utilities have indicated that, for many parts of the
country, the marginal demand for electricity during business hours would be satisfied by gas and oil units,
not necessarily coal-fired units. For such regions, a decrease in energy demand would not necessarily result
in a decrease in coal-fired electricity. This issue has not been resolved in the analysis."
Source: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/id/merc-emi/merc-pgs/emmrpt.pdf
Also note that the EPA's Clean Air Mercury Rule will reduce mercury emissions from coal power plants by 70% by the year 2018. This is a much better solution than the "green" idea of dumping mercury into landfills all over the country.
http://www.epa.gov/mercury/control_emissions/index.htm
http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/pollutioncontrols/overview_mercurycontrols.html
Summing it up, here are the numbers on mercury for CFLs and normal bulbs:
Based on 100% Coal (used by the EPA)
CFLs: 6.4 milligrams of mercury
Incandescent: 10 milligrams of mercury
Based on 50% Coal (what America actually has)
CFLs: 5.2 milligrams of mercury
Incandescent: 5 milligrams of mercury
Based on 50% Coal w/mercury scrubbers (scrubbers being added this year)
CFLs: 4.8 milligrams of mercury
Incandescent: 1.5 milligrams of mercury
ALTERNATIVES
------------------------
If you want to reduce the amount of energy you consume from light bulbs then please follow these steps:
1) Use natural light to its fullest effect, including scheduling your tasks to take advantage of natural light.
2) Buy smaller wattage bulbs.
3) Use candles.
4) Buy LED bulbs. They do not contain mercury.
Please do not buy these mercury bulbs. We are just now reaching the point where we've cleaned up the mercury in landfills. We don't need to turn around and put it back now.
IF I CAN'T CONVINCE YOU
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Compact fluorescent bulbs are listed by the government as hazardous items. For those folks who I cannot convince to not use these bulbs, here are the procedures for properly disposing of them, taken from the GE website:
• Like paint, batteries, thermostats, and other hazardous household items, CFLs should be disposed of properly. Do not throw CFLs away in your household garbage if better disposal options exist. To find out what to do first check www.earth911.org (where you can find disposal options by using your zip code) or call 1-877-EARTH911 for local disposal options. Another option is to check directly with your local waste management agency for recycling options and disposal guidelines in your community. Additional information is available at www.lamprecycle.org. Finally, IKEA stores take back used CFLs, and other retailers are currently exploring take back programs.
• If your local waste management agency offers no other disposal options except your household garbage, place the CFL in a plastic bag and seal it before putting it in the trash. If your waste agency incinerates its garbage, you should search a wider geographic area for proper disposal options. Never send a CFL or other mercury containing product to an incinerator.
Source: http://www.gelighting.com/na/home_lighting/ask_us/faq_compact.htm#disposal
If you break one of these bulbs _do not vacuum up the mess_. Follow these steps:
• Get people out of the spill area immediately. Keep uninvolved people and pets away until the spill is completely cleaned up. Blow fresh air into the area to dilute the mercury’s invisible, odorless, harmful vapors.
• Try to determine how much mercury was spilled. Contact one or all of the following:
• Poison Control Center
• local fire department HAZMAT team
• Department of Health and Family Services’ 24-hour answering service
Small spills are those involving less than a dime-sized puddle of mercury metal. These small spills can be
scooped up using a small, disposable dustpan or sucked up using a syringe or an eye dropper, but this method
doesn’t deal with the vapor problem. Safety equipment, if available, should include disposable liquid-proof
gloves and eye protection.
The most effective way to clean up mercury spills is to first spread sand, clay or sawdust in a circle around the
spill to stop the mercury from spreading. Then add an “amalgamating” powder to the spill to make the
mercury solid and reduce evaporation. Mercury clean up kits containing amalgamating powders are available
through safety supply companies and from some local health departments. Once the mercury spill turns into a
solid amalgam (a few minutes), the vapor hazard is reduced and the material can be easily picked up and put
in a sealed plastic bag.
Source: http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/EHSRM/HAZEXCEPTIONS/merclean.pdf
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