Energy Efficient Fluorescent Light Bulbs Have a Dark Secret

Does this mean that we should throw out the spiral wonders and go back to incandescent bulbs? Not at all, say the pundits -- the energy savings CFLs provide far outweigh the risks. According to the Department of Energy, if every US household replaced just one light bulb with a compact fluorescent, we'd prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to the emissions of 800,000 cars. Plus, experts point out that incandescent bulbs actually add more mercury to the environment than do the CFLs, because the coal-fired plants that manufacture incandescent bulbs are the biggest mercury polluters on the planet. In fact, the Maryland Sierra Club did an analysis and found that a 100-watt CFL bulb emits only about one-fifth the amount of mercury vapor as it takes to produce one 100-watt incandescent bulb. And so, the report says keep using the energy efficient bulbs, but know how to properly clean up in case of breakage.

The most worrisome concern, though, isn't the possibility that you'll smash 65 bulbs in the baby's room, or even that you'll break one. It's that that energy-efficient bulbs have to go somewhere when they die, and as they enter landfills, they release vast amounts of toxic mercury vapor into the air -- ultimately carrying it back to you. As CFLs become ever more prevalent and then get tossed, we're talking about billions and billions of them ultimately entering the environment. Last year alone, almost 300 million CFL bulbs were sold in the US. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Current legislation requires all bulbs to be energy efficient by 2012.

Unfortunately, there's not much being done to insure that the bulbs get disposed of in a safe manner when they burn out. In most states, nothing prevents consumers from simply tossing their used bulbs into the garbage, virtually ensuring mercury release. A few states do mandate CFL recycling, but in those cases, consumers have to bring their CFLs to a hazardous waste disposal center rather than putting them in the recycle bin -- making compliance rather unlikely.

As Pete Keller, a spokesman for Eco Lights Northwest, says in an NPR commentary, "I think most people do want to recycle, but if it's not made easy, it doesn't happen.  And [compact fluorescent bulbs] are small enough to fit in a trash can. By nature, I think most people are not recyclers. So if it's small enough to fit in a trash can, that's where it ends up."  That means that even if you opt for non-mercury LED bulbs (a good option, albeit a whole lot more expensive), you won't escape exposure -- courtesy of your neighbors.

That's all the more reason to do regular heavy metal detoxing. And in the meantime, if you happen to break compact florescent bulb, here's what the Mercury Policy Project says to do:

• Get children and pets out of the room.
• Open windows.
• Do not vacuum. Rather, get stiff cardboard or paper and tape to pick up mercury.
• Wipe the area with a damp towel.
• Put shards and debris in a glass with a screw top and remove from the house.

Comment:

I posted this article because my daughter broke one of these bulbs recently in the bathroom. I was really in a panic, having already had mercury poisoning due to a bad dentist. Plus it broke in the sink, slowly oozing down into the pipes. We have an aerobic system that sprays the treated sewage back in our yard. I really didn't want mercury going through there. I didn't know what to do and the internet had very little to say. I did notice something helpful. The mercury has in granulated form contained in a gel. I turned on the vent fan and put on gloves and removed all the gel with paper towels into a ziplock bag. Than cleaned the area with wipes and put everything in a ziplock bag. We all did a week a Metal X to be sure. We had no effects and I presume that there was not much of a worry in the first place.

After this situation, I called the manufacturer and checked everywhere for recycling. There is no serious effort or resources to create US-wide recycling and I was told just to throw them away. My best advice is to stick with the major name brands, and don't get cheap bulbs.

Here is the best way to recycle anywhere where facilities don't exist. Visit earth911.org, which is a great resource for all local recycling options. 1000bulbs sells prepaid boxes that holds up to 12 various size intact bubs to recycle.

Here's what GE and The EPA have to say:

Is it true that CFLs contain mercury? Why and how much?
CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing - an average of 5 milligrams (roughly equivalent to the tip of a ball-point pen). Mercury is an essential, irreplaceable element in CFLs and is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. By comparison, older home thermometers contain 500 milligrams of mercury and many manual thermostats contain up to 3000 milligrams. It would take between 100 and 600 CFLs to equal those amounts.

There is currently no substitute for mercury in CFLs; however, manufacturers have taken significant steps to reduce mercury used in their fluorescent lighting products over the past decade.

Download the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fact sheet on Mercury in CFLs. (PDF, 17 KB)