The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) has joined with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in educating the public about the benefits and proper handling of Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs, or CFLs, to protect people and the environment.
CFLs have become a popular way to provide light, while reducing energy consumption. However, it is important that people are aware that CFLs contain small amounts of mercury and must be handled and disposed of properly to avoid an unnecessary mercury release.
"The proper disposal and clean-up of broken compact fluorescent light bulbs is important due to the mercury vapor that can be released by a broken bulb," stated DPH Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. "While the amount of mercury released by a broken bulb is very
small and may not affect most people, even small exposures can affect the developing brain and central nervous system in fetuses and young children. Pregnant women and young children should be sure to stay out of a room where a compact fluorescent light bulb has been broken until several days after it has been cleaned up."
For the fact sheet on how to clean up a broken bulb, see the fact sheet
9 comments:
I don't think CFL bulbs are going to stand the test of time. I'm betting that they will lose popularity and the old bulbs will rise again.
Yet another stupid idea foisted on the public.
I hate how the bulbs need to "warm up" before they really shine.
I've had quite a few of these bulbs burn out after just a few months. Besides that, I have to wonder about the packaging. Every one I've ever seen comes in a heavy duty plastic package. How environmentally friendly is that?
I've gone back to the old fashioned bulbs.
Great information. Thanks for the info.
I'm sure there will be a 'crisis' so to speak when more and more landfills are full of mercury from these bulbs and we're forced to find a way to recycle them, much like we have to do with cell phones and other electronics.
Most CFLs today on the market contain less than 5mgs of mercury and there are CFL options out there that contain as little as 1.5mgs of mercury- which can hardly be called a “significant amounts of mercury” considering that many item in your home contain 100s of times more of mercury including your computer. Mercury levels in CFLs can never be “nonexistent” since mercury is a necessary component of a CFL and there is no other known element that is capable of replacing it. But CFLs actually prevent more mercury from entering the environment. According to the Union of Concerned Scientist, “a coal-fired power plant will emit about four times more mercury to keep an incandescent bulb glowing, compared with a CFL of the same light output”.
As to CFLs entering landfills, this could be avoided by recycling. The Home Depot announced its CFL recycling program yesterday (6/25). Since 80% of homes are with 10 miles of a local The Home Depot store recycling CFLs should no longer be an issue.
I am surprised at how many people do not see a benefit of a light that last 8-10 times as long as an obsolete 120 year design, uses 80-90% less power for the same given output of light and if disposed of properly will have a minimal impact on the environment compared to the total carbon footprint of those 8-10 incandescent bulbs. I guess they are the same people that have a 3 ton SUV in the driveway and complain about the price of gas and are wondering what happened to Detroit.
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