Do you have florescent light bulbs in your home or business? If you do, congratulations, you are now a “hazardous waste handler”. The energy savings of fluorescent bulbs are NOT worth risking your health. If one breaks over carpet, you’d have to replace the entire carpet to remove the mercury contained in the bulb. Some consumers have become so ill they’ve had to seal-off the contaminated room until it can be safely cleared by remediation specialists.....Continue reading...
Yes, we must do our part to conserve energy. However, the media and lawmakers encourage us to purchase compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) instead of incandescent because they use less energy. Granted, they do. However, they aren’t telling us the dangers, particularly when handling them or when they break. ALWAYS use disposable gloves when handling CFLs – the oil from our skin can cause them to break or even explode.
With help from the media, proponents of CFLs convinced Congress to ban incandescent bulbs in the energy bill President Bush signed into law Dec. 19, 2007. The bill increases efficiency standards and bans traditional bulbs by 2014.
Each CFL contains about 5 mgs of mercury – enough for state environmental agencies to recommend complicated and expensive cleanup for accidental bulb breakage in homes! The 5 mg of mercury are enough to contaminate 6,000 gallons of water beyond safe drinking levels, according to research from Stanford University.
Safe-handling guide for CFL bulbs:
1. START with fixtures you use most. Choose CFLs for locations where breakage is rare – ceiling fixtures rather than table lamps in high traffic areas. Do not use CFL in children’s rooms or areas they can reach.
2. BUY a few bulbs of several brands and try them for quality of luminescence. CFLs do last a long time, all the more reason to make sure you are comfortable with their light quality.
3. BUY CFLs with the lowest mercury content, below 1 mg – don’t go by The Energy Star logo; it’s NOT an indicator of low mercury.
4. DON’T use CFLs where mercury exposure cleanup is difficult – children’s rooms, playrooms, recreation/family rooms, workbenches, wall-to-wall carpet, and near irreplaceable rugs and furniture.
5. DON’T use CFLs in closets and other spots lit for short periods – CFLs take 10 to 15 minutes to reach optimum light and efficiency.
6. USE mercury-free bulbs such as LED (light emitting diodes) or halogen energy-savers where CFLs don’t work or pose a high risk. Consider LED or halogen for stairs and hallways where CFLs slow start-up pose a safety risk.
SAFE CLEAN-UP for BROKEN CFL BULBS – If you break a bulb, follow the 10-step clean-up recommended by Environmental Working Group (EWG).
a. Have children, pregnant or nursing women, and pets exit immediately from contaminated area.
b. Immediately reduce room temperature.
c. Close doors to contaminated room and open windows to allow volatile mercury vapors to vent outdoors – mercury is toxic!
d. Wear a dust mask or one with a disposable charcoal filter.
e. Using disposable rubber gloves, scoop-up bulb fragments and use tape to collect tiny particles – DO NOT vacuum or sweep, mercury will become even more airborne.
f. Seal the waste in a GLASS jar with a screw-top lid (always keep at least one jar of this type easily accessible).
g. Dispose of waste properly, IT IS TOXIC – DO NOT place in trash or recycling. Call local Waste Management for specific hazardous waste disposal directions.
h. Once you leave the area, wash your hands and nails several times.
i. Leave the site for 4- 8 hours, use an air purifier when possible.
I do not use or recommend any type of fluorescent bulbs because of other health-related side-effects. I hope, after reading this article, you will use incandescent, LED, or Halogen lighting and conserve energy by only using lights as needed. If you’ve ever lived in a home powered by solar energy, as I have, you’d be acutely aware of how to live comfortable while conserving your health and energy.
Additionally, since my specialty is coaching victims of chemically-induced immune system disorders, including but not limited to, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Chronic Fatigue, Gulf-war Syndrome, Leaky gut, etc.. I see how negatively CFLs affect these invisible illnesses. In a future article, I’ll discuss the specifics of side-effects experienced by these victims.
To consult with Dr. Gloria via telephone worldwide or at the Institute for Wholistic Rejuvenation in Sandpoint, Idaho, USA, complete the new client forms at www.gloriagilbere.com and submit electronically. As soon as our office staff receives your completed forms, we will contact you either by email or telephone to schedule a consultation -- Dr. Gloria evens pays for the call in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Latin America. For more information, visit our website at www.gloriagilbere.com.
Resources:
Stretton, P., UK News; 4.6.09, “Dangers of Low Energy Lightbulbs”
The Heritage Foundation, “How Dangerous is the Light Bulb? http://blog.heritage.org/2008/06/21/how-dangerous-is-the-light-bulb/(Testimony by Congressman Ted Poe, 2nd District, Texas)
Msmbc, “Shining a light on hazards of fluorescent bulbs; Alex Johnson, 4.7.08
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