Energy Efficient or An Environmental Hazard?

Now, consumers are running out and buying CFL’s and finding out the hard way that as great as the bulbs are in helping the environment and were created to save the planet from global warming, they are a hazard to our health with high levels of toxic mercury and the issue with disposing of them has not been handled properly.

One consumer went out and bought several CFL bulbs, and dropped on in her daughter’s bedroom. This consumer knew about the danger of mercury, so she contacted Home Depot where she purchased the bulbs. From there, she was directed to contact a poison control center in her area, who then, directed her to a local environmental cleanup firm. She has now been forced to seal off her daughters bedroom because the area of the accident was contaminated above the level considered safe. The environmental cleanup firm estimated the cleanup cost, to come to about $2000, and home owners insurance won’t cover the damage.

The problem with incandescent bulbs, are that they use more energy to produce light. The CFL’s are said to save money and energy by producing more light over more time for less money and less energy... but concerns are being minimized about cleanup and disposal issues. More needs to be done in the area of recycling. The EPA’s Energy Star Program is mainly behind the push for consumers to use these “environmentally friendly” CFL light bulbs. The EPA claims that there is a very small amount of mercury, so its unclear how dangerous these could really be to your health.

One thing is for sure though - you as a consumer will be required to find certified waste recycling centers. Fluorescent lights are not new... actually, they’ve been around for a long time. While they may save money, the issues with the insufficient disposal, high levels of mercury and the cost of cleaning one up in your home, seems like a high price to pay to save a few dollars. Right now, there is no plan to address air and water pollution concerns that will likely develop if consumers improperly dispose of these CFL’s when they break or reach end of life.

By: Jelly
Published: 02/10/08

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1 Posted Comments:

There are a lot of health risks with these friendly bulbs

@ 12:12 pm 02/11/08 by Lazey

I try to avoid fluorescent bulbs of all kinds because they bother me, the flickering (even new bulbs have a flicker which most people don't notice) bother my eyes and make me dizzy. It's no secret that they can cause eye strain and migraines.
The light from CFLs can trigger outbreaks of eczema, and some are trying to connect them with skin cancer. I don't know about CFLs causing skin cancer but they seem to be doing as much harm as the 'energy wasting' incandescent bulbs.

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