Russ Steele
I wrote about the danger of these environmental bombs in an Off the Top of My Head Column for the CABPRO Report here. Mercury vapor released from broken compact fluorescent light bulbs can exceed safe exposure levels, according to a study published in Environmental Engineering Science. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc covers the report in Genetic Engineering News, the details are at Watts Up With That.
New Rochelle, NY, July, 6, 2011—Once broken, a compact fluorescent light bulb continuously releases mercury vapor into the air for weeks to months, and the total amount can exceed safe human exposure levels in a poorly ventilated room, according to study results reported in Environmental Engineering Science, a peer-reviewed online only journal published monthly by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com).
The amount of liquid mercury (Hg) that leaches from a broken compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) is lower than the level allowed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), so CFLs are not considered hazardous waste. However, Yadong Li and Li Jin, Jackson State University (Jackson, MS) report that the total amount of Hg vapor released from a broken CFL over time can be higher than the amount considered safe for human exposure.
My emphasis added. We have removed all the CFLs from our house, and are now hoarding regular bulbs, enough for our use until 2016, when we can be assured of a Republican victory in the House, Senate and White House and we can put an end to this lunacy of poisoning our children and grand children with government mandated CFLs to save the planet from global warming.
Exit Questions: Are you still using CFLs? Why?
