I am a staunch advocate of CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs). While they initially cost a bit more, they last much longer than incandescent bulbs, and are so easy on your electric bill that they have been paid for in short order. As an added bonus, they produces less heat, reduce eye strain, pollute less, and don't waste energy as fast. So what is the downside of all this?
This bulb is composed of a metal and ceramic base, glass, phosphor, and a tiny bit of mercury. And that is what all the panic is about. Someone out there is attempting to terrify CFL users by scaring them to death with the mercury, which, of course, is hazardous to your health. My guess is that this is being perpetrated by either the manufacturers of incandescent bulbs, or their investors!
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To get this into perspective, let's look at how much mercury is in this bulb. There are 5 mg., or 2 ten thousandths of an ounce of mercury in a bulb. It will either be a tiny bead (the size of a period ) or a vapor that cannot be seen.
The fever thermometers that we have been using all our life contain over one hundred times more than that. To provide the electricity for your incandescent light bulb, a coal powered power plant will emit as much as four times that amount of mercury!
If a bulb breaks, the amount of mercury that escapes into the air over an 8 hour period (of which only a fraction would be inhaled) is just about equal to the exposure you would get from eating two cans of tuna fish. It is not enough to make you sick.
However, no mercury is always best, so you need to dispose of these bulbs and clean up any breaks carefully. All Home Depot and Lowes stores accept old fluorescent bulbs of all sizes. Just bring them in and they will handle the recycling of them. However, should one break there are some precautions you should take:
o Immediately turn off the heat or a/c, open a window, and turn on an exhaust fan, a ceiling fan, or some other fan if you have one, leave the room and close the door. In fifteen minutes or so, the mercury will have exited the room...if you have no fan, stay away a little longer.
o Obviously, kids and animals need to be kept away from there.
o Don't use your broom or vacuum cleaner to pick up the shards. Use cardboard to sweep it together, into a sealable plastic bag. Put the cardboard in there as well. Masking tape is great for picking up the tiny pieces. Wipe down the area with a damp paper towel when you are done...all refuse goes in the sealed plastic bag.
o It's not a bad idea to wear plastic gloves when doing this...or wash them thoroughly when you are done. Bring the bag to your recycle center.
Now get this into perspective, please! If you broke twelve or more bulbs in the house every day for fourteen days, you might start to have some symptoms...like tiredness, clumsiness, trouble remembering things, and lack of concentration. Breaking one CFL is not going to hurt you!
The Truth About CFLs - Are They Dangerous If They Break?LOWES PATIO DOORS
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