Enviro

A more disturbing finding was how long a broken CFL can continue to release toxic vapors: a minimum of 43 days (which is how long Li and Jin ran their tests with bulbs from three different manufacturers). The engineers computed how much of each bulb’s starting mercury had been lost during that time (which wasn’t easy, since starting values and release rates both varied broadly between bulbs). Their calculations indicate that each CFL still contained enough residual elemental mercury at the end of their testing to continue releasing the toxic substance into the air for at least 10 more days, and in one instance, for 85 more days

If not cleaned up, the bulb with the largest initial store of mercury could have spewed 1 milligram of the toxic metal into a room's air within 25 days; another could have reached that level within about 40 days. Li and Jin cited data by others indicating that the release of 1 milligram of mercury vapor into a 500 cubic meter room can yield air concentrations 10 times the current recommended limit for a child. Breaking a CFL can thus cause

develop, Li and Jin conclude.

The Environmental Protection Agency offers consumers guidance on how to deal with cleaning up a broken CFL. It also recommends something that we should have thought about: Don’t use these lights where they will be unprotected. Like the ceiling fixture in my daughter’s closet. What EPA failed to add: Consumers should ignore any pest that flies within swatting distance of a CFL

exceed the mercury-reduction goal set by the National Electric Manufacturers Association of 5 milligrams per CFL for lamps 25 watts or lower. In fact, most bulbs had less than 2.5 milligrams. — For the most popular, 13-watt CFLs, mercury concentrations varied dramatically between brands, from 0.17 to 3.6 milligrams

bigger pollution risk than is one near the end of its life. — Bulbs produced by the major manufacturers since 2008 meet

it into a solid that will not volatilize. Therefore, an unused bulb poses a significantly

used, rendering it less toxic. Explains Li, the mercury oxidizes, t

The mercury in a bulb undergoes chemical changes over time as

Other interesting factoids from their paper:

cracke

So what does that mean if a CFL is cracked or breaks in our homes, releasing mercury vapors in an enclosed area?

miniscule amount – 4 to 5 milligrams – there is enough mercury in just one fluorescent light bulb to contaminate 6,000 gallons of water

broken or not disposed of properly. Although it sounds like a

problems. CFLs are marketed as “safe” and don’t pose any health risks as long as the glass remains intact. The

bulbs

danger comes if the bulbs

The EPA suggests the following:o People and pets should immediately leave the room. o Open a window and/or door and Air out the room for 5 to 10 minutes. o Turn off the central forced air heating/air-conditioning system. o Thoroughly collect broken glass and visible powder using wet cloths. Never use vacuum cleaners or brooms.

Consumers – especially those with young children –need to know what to do when a CFL breaks and the proper way to dispose of used bulbs. It’s no longer as easy as changing a light bulb

If practical, continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the heating/air conditioning system shut off for several hours.http://www.epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup.html

All of this needs to be done to protect people from the tiny amount of mercury in one fluorescent light bulb. Which begs the question, are these lights really safe and are the risks worth it? Another equally important concern is what happens to the environment – the air, soil and water – when tons of discarded bulbs, along with the mercury, are dumped into local landfills?

The threat posed by billions of broken CFLs lying in landfills has resulted in some communities requiring their citizens to discard used and broken CFLs in designated recycling centers or in a hazardous-waste collection facility.

Given the known deleterious effects caused by mercury, it would seem logical to assume there will be some unintended consequences resulting from the switch to compact fluorescent lights. Only time will tell how significant those consequences will be.

If you are concerned about the possible health risks associated with CFLs, LED or halogen lights are good alternatives. Both cost a little more but are as efficient as CFLs and can be recycled easily. For more information about mercury and compact fluorescent light bulbs go tohttp://www.epa.gov/cfl/

with Cancer. Deirdre is the author of four books, including three national bestsellers.

Hackensack University Medical Center and Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Imus Cattle Ranch for

Deirdre Imus is the Founder and President of The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health CenterTM at

Mercury

If you inhale mercury, contact your local poison control center. You might need to have mercury removed from your body by suction or through medication, according to the National Institutes of Health.

up all the pieces and then place them into a sealed plastic bag. After you are finished, wash your hands thoroughly and ventilate the room

Prevention

Solution

To avoid injury to your skin, if a fluorescent light bulb breaks, sweep

When Bridges began calling around to local government agencies to find out what to do, “I was shocked to see how uninformed literally everyone I spoke to was,” she said. “Even our own poison control operator didn’t know what to tell me

It was just a wiggly bulb that I reached up to change,” Bridges said. “When the bulb hit the floor, it shattered.”

Manufacturers and the EPA say broken CFLs should be handled carefully and recycled to limit dangerous vapors and the spread of mercury dust. But guidelines for how to do that can be difficult to find, as Brandy Bridges

of Ellsworth, Maine, discovered

The state eventually referred her to a private cleanup firm, which quoted a $2,000 estimate to contain the mercury. After Bridges complained publicly about her predicament, state officials changed their recommendation: Simply throw it in the trash, they said

Break a bulb? Five steps for cleanup That was the wrong answer, according to the EPA. It offers a detailed, 11-step procedure you should follow: Air out the room for a quarter of an hour. Wear gloves. Double-bag the refuse. Use duct tape to lift the residue from a carpet. Don’t use a vacuum cleaner, as that will only spread the problem. The next time you vacuum the area, immediately dispose of the vacuum bag.

In general, however, the EPA endorses the use of fluorescent bulbs, citing their energy savings. Silbergeld also does not discourage their use because of their energy savings, but she said the EPA could be sending mixed signals to confused consumers.

“It’s kind of ironic that on the one hand, the agency is saying, ‘Don’t worry, it’s a very small amount of mercury.’ Then they have a whole page of [instructions] how to handle the situation if you break one,” she

“I think there’s going to be hundreds of millions of [CFLs] in landfills all over the country,” said Leonard Worth, head of Fluorecycle Inc. of Ingleside, Ill., a certified facility. Once in a landfill, bulbs are likely to shatter even if they’re packaged properly, said the Solid Waste Association of North America. From there, mercury can leach into soil and groundwater and its vapors can spread through the air, potentially exposing workers to toxic levels of the poison.

Solution: I've never had a problem with a bulb from a major manu­facturer. Now, I spend the extra few bucks for

name-brand product.

Problem: The bulb failed because it was installed in an inappropriate lighting fixture, one that it wasn't rated for.* Solution: Read the bulb package's fine print. Some bulbs are meant to be used only in downward-facing fixtures, others in enclosed and recessed, three-way or outdoor fixtures. Additionally, there are CFLs rated to be oper­ated by a device such as a dimmer, timer or photoelectric eye.

Problem: The bulb wears out prematurely because it was turned on and off frequently, or because it experienced excessive vibration or impact--for instance, a lamp in a foyer might get a jolt with each slam of the front door. * Solution: Although manufacturers are developing tougher CFLs, this is one area where the century-old incandescent bulb has them beat. Check out Heavy Duty Rough Service bulbs from Feit Electric Company. Each bulb has a reinforced filament rated for 3000 to 5000 hours

It seems that while new compact fluorescents save a lot of power, they're a lot more fickle when it comes to installation than their incandescent brothers. Here are three common problems with CFLs and how to avoid them.