Your new mercury filled CFL compact florescent light bulb is not sustainable as some claim. These CFL’s can hurt and damage your body. In a few years, it may hurt your wallet. These light bulbs are support to save you $6 per year per light bulb, reduce global warming, and last much longer than the old incondesant light bulbs. If one of these new CFL’s breaks, you can be exposed to mercury 8 times the OSHA safety standard. If little toddler Joey breaks one of these CFL’s, he will be exposed to mercury 800-8000 times the OSHA limit. Mercury poisoning does not sound very good. Some studies show that these Compact Florescent light bulbs emit strong or high levels of ultraviolet radiation that potentially can burn your skin or even cause skin cancer. Some German scientists found that these bulbs have the chemical toxin Naphthalene which is linked to cancer in laboratory animals and Styrene which is a human carcinogen. There is some good news, when one of these CFL light bulbs break, roughly 70% of the mercury stays on the light bulb glass fragments. So now, the left over mercury in the broken glass can SAFELY leach into the soil and into the ground water at the dump.
What to do when one of these breaks:
Everybody must evacuate the home.
You must open all house windows.
You need to shut down the HVAC, furnace, and AC units.
Collect some sticky tape, cardboard, damp paper towel and a glass jar with a lid
Do not use a broom. This will further spread the mercury thoroughly the home.
Do not use a vacuum cleaner. This will also further spread the mercury throughout the home.
Clean up the broken glass with sticky tape or paper and place into a glass jar.
When complete, seal the glass jar and tape up the lid.
After cleaning, stay out of home for several hours with windows open.
Contact your local authorities for proper disposal.
For now, it may be free to dispose broken or burnt-out CFL light bulbs at some city halls, certain post office branches, or at one of this box store.
In addition, if you think you will be able to get away with throwing them in your garbage, you are wrong. Those new electric smart meters will know exactly how many light bulbs your home has. After five years or so, your city light bulb inspector may be knocking at your door to ask to see all your CFL light bulb disposal receipts. If you don’t have them, they may give you citation ticket.
REMEMBER
If a bulb breaks, it will release mercury vapor of 800 mcg/m3. This is 8X the occupational exposure adult limit (100mcg/m3). Allowed by OSHA. The children (.2 mcg/m3) line is 8000 times that. After a bulb breaks, 70% of the mercury is still trapped in the bulb. These light bulbs emit high levels of ultraviolet radiation know as UVC and UVA rays. Some of the UV rays are so strong they can actually burn your skin. Some experts say the radiation could initiate cell death and cause skin caner in its deadliest form. Melanoma Researchers found that when a bulb breaks, the protective phosphor coating allow dangerous UV rays to escape. GE claims the CFL’s don’t produce a health hazard of UV radiation. CFL also contains cancer causing chemicals as well. German scientists found the chemical and toxins are released when CFL’s are turned on including Naphthalene which is linked to cancer in laboratory animals. Styrene which is a human carcinogen. Roughly, 98% of these end up in landfills creating mercury build-up that can escape into to our soil and water ways. Some the incandescent light bulbs will no longer be available because it is banned in Section 321 EISA standards. You can buy Light-emitting diodes LEDS which are mercury free.
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