The bottom line on CFLs and mercury

comments from our community

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  Posted by Jerry Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:37pm PDT

  Broken CFL's should mandate a Level 2 HAZMAT response at a minimum as this is the 1st HAZMAT where an evacuation is optional. Why would the govenrment allow such a toxic material into the general public.

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  Posted by Jim Tue Oct 21, 2008 3:01pm PDT

  Long before there were CFLs there have been standard fluorescent tubes which contain much more mercury. People have broken fluorescent tubes many, many times, swept up the glass, threw it in the trash, and lived to tell the tale.

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  Posted by Jeff M Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:28pm PDT

  I wonder if Lori Bongiorno actually read what she typed for this article. "While it's true that the bulbs do contain tiny amounts of mercury, it's also important to remember that problems only arise when bulbs break at home (and elsewhere) or in a landfill." Well now, what does she think will happen when they get dropped or are put in the garbage. yes, you are supposed to take them to an approved recycling center. But how many people who buy these are going to actually recycle them? About 5-10 percent of the population would be a very generous estimate. but lets say you get it all the way to 50 percent. That only leaves a few 100 million or so that are not going to recycle them and just send them to the landfill. not very smart thinking. Oh, and if you read the package the CFL bulb comes in (which I am doing right now) to get the 5 years life out of them you are not supposed to use them for more than 4 hours a day. Try that up here in the northern latitudes of the country during the winter where the sun doesnt come up until almost 9am and set around 4pm. I guess that means lights out at 8pm, or I go around and change all my bulbs at 8 if I wanna stay up later than that. But if God (or any other overseeing power/entity) forbid you do drop one. Look at all the "easy and simple" steps to get rid of the rather toxic substance. Try opening the windows and airing out the house when it is below zero degrees outside in the winter time. yeah, right. Oh, did I fail to mention all the increased environmental damage caused by our increased need for mercury (a nasty little process in its own right to get the stuff in the first place). When will these people wake up and get off our backs with burdensome and unnecessary regulation in every little part of our lives?

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  Posted by sc00ter76 Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:47pm PDT

  If we are trying to save the environment by make a lite bulb that saves energy, yet if we throw that bulb into the garbage it's worse for the environment? Who's wonderful idea was this?:(

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  Posted by jackhole76 Tue Oct 21, 2008 7:07pm PDT

  These bulbs were created by Beelzebub himself!! I will never buy a light bulb again!!.... I will steal them

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  Posted by ugaf Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:02pm PDT

  oh my gosh, a bulb broke! should i call 911? maybe the swat team can send in one of those robots that they use to diffuse bombs. i've already rented a hotel room so i can stay away from the epicenter of the disaster for the next few days. this is horrible, i may have to sell my house now! oh the humanity!!! get a grip people, it's just a light bulb. sweep it up, throw it in the trash, and keep living your life.

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  Posted by Armelle Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:57pm PDT

  Without being cynical as the previous comment, I do not think the measures need to be so drastic as to throwing out your rug and using disposable gloves. Would the washing machine get really contaminated? However, it is necessary to be responsible and to recycle it properly. We have a box dedicated to all electronics and bulbs as well as batteries that need to be recycled and we bring it to our town's chemical recycling day. Easy!

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  Posted by dicairanom Sat Oct 25, 2008 1:44pm PDT

  this is ridiculous! this lights shouldn't be sold to the general public!

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  Posted by Maria Sat Oct 25, 2008 1:57pm PDT

  You forgot to explain how high rises will open their windows, government is mandating these bulbs for all government facilities. I guess they are out of luck. And if it breaks on a carpet in a school will they evacuate the school, maybe like fire drill they'll have bulb drills.

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  Posted by Steve Sat Oct 25, 2008 1:57pm PDT

  Don't know what all the buzz is about. Way back when I was a kid, we used to break open the old glass therometers and play with the Mercury that was inside of them. Neither I nor any of the other kids I ran around with suffered from any ill effects.

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  Posted by Bobby Sat Oct 25, 2008 1:59pm PDT

  FAKE we brake these all the time they make a good pop sound :)

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  Posted by HiTech Redneck Sat Oct 25, 2008 2:02pm PDT

  I'm sorry, but neither mercury nor lead are nearly as big a health concerns as people let on. Overall, they are a concern to the environment where disposal is concerned when you consider the number in use, but the amount you are exposed to from a broken CFL bulb is almost laughable. I admit that mercury is toxic and not good for you, but the effects of low level exposure on a typical adult are basically nil. Almost anyone over the age of 35 has at some point played with the mercury from a broken thermometer -- we used to play with it and roll it around in our hands! This was basically almost pure mercury in beads about half the size of a ball bearing. While I am sure it wasn't healthy, there were no immediate or obvious long term side effects either. As far as the environment goes, the amount already existent around this area makes the addition of this mercury almost a joke. While I was in college, one of the experiments a post-grad was working on was a semi-permeable membrane designed to trap and detect mercury levels in ppm-ppb in water. In tests about 15 yrs ago in a local creek he kept getting readings that were showing full saturation of the membrane -- when he took a stick and stirred up the bottom of the creek there were actually beads of mercury visible in some places. Of course, he wasn't supposed to have been testing there in the first place (Bear Creek in OR) and got ran off by security later when he tried to get some additional samples for testing. I am sure it has been cleaned up since then [the entire area was basically declared a superfund site and has been worked over a lot].

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  Posted by mjb 1 Sat Oct 25, 2008 2:03pm PDT

  now that energy prices are coming you might as well stick with old school light bulbs, there cheaper & much safer.

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  Posted by Maria Sat Oct 25, 2008 2:03pm PDT

  those thermometers do not have mercury anymore. What is not being reported is who make s these bulbs. Lo and behold none other than the chinese. Hmm, can anyone say malamene.

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  Posted by MysteryMan Sat Oct 25, 2008 2:07pm PDT

  Whoops...i think i might have just snorted some of the dust from the bulb...maybe i should call Steve Richards over and we'll have a party...anyone game?

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