Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Pose a Threat to Humans and the Environment

The compact fluorescent light bulb that has become all the rage in environmental friendliness may actually pose a risk to the people that use them, the people that dispose of trash and ultimately everyone in the world.

The fluorescent light bulbs, known as CFLs, are the little coiled light bulbs that have been proven to use 50% less energy than their incandencent counterparts.

Even though these lightbulbs are environmentally friendly when it comes to energy consumption, it’s the disposal that is the concern. According to MSNBC, all CFLs contain mercury, a neurotoxin that can cause kidney and brain damage. The amount of mercury contained in a single CFL is miniscule. But, according to Stanford University research on mercury, the 5 miligram amount can contaminate up to 6,000 gallons of water and make it undrinkable.

The problem isn’t when the CFL is burning properly in its socket or is packed away in it’s original packing. It is when you drop the bulb breaking it or when the bulb finally does burn out and you are ready to dispose of it.

Brandy Bridges of Ellsworth, Maine shared her story with MSNBC’s Alex Johnson.

“It was just a wiggly bulb that I reached up to change,” Bridges said. “When the bulb hit the floor, it shattered.”

When Bridges began calling around to local government agencies to find out what to do, “I was shocked to see how uninformed literally everyone I spoke to was,” she said. “Even our own poison control operator didn’t know what to tell me.”

The state eventually referred her to a private cleanup firm, which quoted a $2,000 estimate to contain the mercury. After Bridges complained publicly about her predicament, state officials changed their recommendation: Simply throw it in the trash, they said.

 But the Environmental Protection Agency disagrees and has released a Frequently Asked Questions pamphlet, in cooperation with Energy Star. The EPA says if a CFL should break in your home you should take steps to preserve your safety as well as your community and environment:

Before Clean-up: Ventilate the Room

1. Have people and pets leave the room, and don’t let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
2. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
3. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces4. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.

5. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
6. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
7. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug:4. Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.

5. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
6. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
7. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Disposal of Clean-up Materials
8. Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the building in a trash container or outdoor protected area for the next normal trash.
9. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
10. Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Ventilate the Room During and After Vacuuming
11. The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.
12. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.
Source: Frequently Asked Questions
Information on Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) and Mercury

When a bulb has finally burned out the EPA recommends that you contact your local recycling center to dispose of the CFL properly.

EPA recommends that consumers take advantage of available local recycling options for compact fluorescent light bulbs. EPA is working with CFL manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. Consumers can contact their local municipal solid waste agency directly, or go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling or www.earth911.org to identify local recycling options. 

If your state permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put it into the outside trash, or other protected outside location, for the next normal trash collection. CFLs should not be disposed of in an incinerator.

Source: Frequently Asked Questions
Information on Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) and Mercury