BBC on Safe Disposal of CFLs
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 01. 5.08
The question of mercury in Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) has kicked up a debate on TreeHugger before, but now we hear from the BBC that the UK’s Environment Agency wants to put warnings on CFL packaging about safe disposal, and what to do if a bulb is broken. If anyone is freaking out right now, and yearning for the good ol' days of safe, warm incandescents, please don’t get too concerned. Even though safe disposal is important, leading toxicologist Dr David Ray agreed with the assessment in our post that there is little risk to the individual homeowner from single bulb breakages:
"Mercury accumulates in the body - especially the brain. The biggest danger is repeated exposure - a one off exposure is not as potentially dangerous compared to working in a light bulb factory. If you smash one bulb then that is not too much of a hazard. However, if you broke five bulbs in a small unventilated room then you might be in short term danger."
That’s not to say that care shouldn’t still be taken to minimize risk. If a bulb is broken, it’s wise to open windows and ventilate well, and clean the debris up with dustpan and brush (not a vacuum cleaner), placing the contents in a sealed bag before taking it to your local hazardous household waste site. The BBC also recommends leaving the room for 15 minutes or so before attempting this operation. Equally, when a bulb reaches the end of its useful life, it should be recycled carefully. Earth911 is a good place to find recycling resources, or your local authority.
Even Greenpeace, who are big supporters of CFLs, agree in the BBC article that more needs to be done to arrange safe recycling, but they point out that the benefits of CFLs outweigh the negatives in the long run:
"Rather than being worried about the mercury these light bulbs contain, the general public should be reassured that using them will actually reduce the amount of mercury overall in our atmosphere."
It’s good to see thought and education going into safe handling of CFLs, but we hope people do not get carried away. While we wait for LEDs to become competitive, it would be a shame if we saw CFLs losing ground due to safety concerns when we know that incandescents are wreaking havoc with our world right now. Anyone wanting to know more about sustainable lighting options should check out our guide on How to Green Your Lighting. ::BBC::via site visit::
Does anyone know the effects of a broken CFL on pets, specifically small birds? I know overheating a nonstick pan is enough to kill them and I'm worried about the effects of even tiny amounts of mercury on their tiny brains.
I use CFLs with a light-bulb shaped cover when they are exposed, or e.g. in the children's room. If they are protected by the lamps design I use normal ones. Always use good brands, they last longer. There is no such thing as a bargain anymore.
Also if you need brighter light, the CFL Floods/Spots are enclosed in the reflective housing. I replaced a couple of security lights outside with these and the brightness is as good as or better than the old incandescent floods.
I agree - try to find ones with the plastic cover. I don't usually see those over 60 watt equivalents though.
I can't wait for better and cheaper LEDs!
vsk
Despite the fact that the danger from individual bulb breakage is minimal, would it really hurt to have more information on the packaging (as per the UK's initiative)?
On the round of n:visions that I purchased lately, there was very little on the packaging in regards to breakage and disposal. I'm a more informed consumer, but I worry that without as much education as is feasible, we'll end up landfilling mercury in record quantities with unknown implications on water supplies, etc.
Everyone seems to be very concerned about themselves and what the effect a single bulb's mercury content has on the 'individual'. I never seem to hear about the effect during the manufacturing process (on the operational environment, waste disposal, employees, etc) or after all these millions of bulbs get to a 'hazardous' waste landfill. Who handles all this? Is there more to the recycling process? Do we reuse the mercury? Are there funds available to keep this recycling program going into the foreseeable future?
Everyone seems to be very concerned about themselves and what the effect a single bulb's mercury content has on the 'individual'. I never seem to hear about the effect during the manufacturing process (on the operational environment, waste disposal, employees, etc) or after all these millions of bulbs get to a 'hazardous' waste landfill. Who handles all this? Is there more to the recycling process? Do we reuse the mercury? Are there funds available to keep this recycling program going into the foreseeable future?
Two important things to remember when discussing this issue;
While it is true that CFs do contain a minuscule amount of mercury -- roughly four milligrams, by comparison, a watch battery can contain up to 25 milligrams of mercury. I've yet to hear anyone worried about or attempt to ban watch batteries!
Burning fossil fuels to generate electricity creates mercury pollution. Thus using compact fluorescent bulbs actually reduces mercury pollution, because CFLs use far less electricity than incandescent bulbs.
Environmental Defense also has a good guide on how to choose the right CFL for you as well as how to dispose of them and what to do if one breaks. Check it out at http://www.environmentaldefense.org/page.cfm?tagid=608
What I am concerned about is all the people who don't bother to recycle ANYTHING properly... if millions of these bulbs over time do end up broken in garbage bins or landfills - what problem are we creating? Also - what about natural disasters in areas where lots of homes/apartments use these? It sounds very problematic to me, though I myself had already converted over to these for the energy efficiency/environmental reasons... but this article makes me feel there is a lot still to consider.
If a CFL breaks when it's turned off the risks are minor. If it's turned on and the mercury is all or partially vapourized then it's a bit more problematic. A pets natural survival instinct to get the hell away is probably rather helpful compared to a humans instinct to run over and try and clean up the mess.
Whether or not the benefits outweight the risks seriously depends on where you live. In a hot area chronically being cooled (esspecially by AC) then CFL's are a necessary evil, though hopefully a temporary one. If you're in a cool area where you only have to run AC rarely CFL's are a great deal more harm than their relatively limited worth. Oh no oh no we're heating the house with electric light bulbs which are 95% effecient rather than electric heaters which are 95% effecient!
I don't find this information re-assuring. OK. So breaking one lightbulb carries "little risk".
As the article notes, mercury accumulates. Over a lifetime, a person can be expected to be exposed to many more than one broken bulb. I've had to clean up dozens of them. Especially worrying are bulbs when they get older, and can snap off at the base when they are stuck in an old socket. Often these bulbs are above one's face when they break.
This rush to mercury is idiotic. At the same time, conscientious Dentists are eliminating the use of mercury in fillings because no amount of exposure can be assumed safe.
Here in Canada, it is customary to use the heat as much as the light given off by an incandescent bulb. One 100W lightbulb is often sufficient to dry out any number of worker's raingear, gloves and boots overnight. When the heat from incandescent bulbs isn't wasted energy, they are efficient multi-purpose devices.
When I think about how many times I and other people I know have been cut by lightbulb glass... Now we are introducing a known and devastating toxin into an unavoidable domestic occurance. We're supposed to be going the other way and eliminating or reducing our exposure to harmfull things. Come on people! Fight groupthink!