Let there be (eco-friendly) light!

Edgar Yu of Bagong Pilipino, a concerned consumer, sent us an e-mail hoping to enlighten readers on the “much-hyped and pushed CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) that are very dangerous to health but they are not saying.”

For those in the dark or seeking enlightenment on this all-consuming issue, Yu sends this engrossing item written by David Gutierrez of NaturalNews. The article’s disturbing headline reads: CF light bulbs a serious health hazard to women and children due to mercury content.

How hazardous? According to a study by Fraunhofer Wilhelm Klauditz Institute for Germany’s Federal Environment Agency, CF light bulbs, when broken indoors, “release 20 times the maximum acceptable mercury concentration into the air.”

Because they use only 20 percent as much energy as the traditional incandescent bulbs (which the European Union is starting to phase out), CF bulbs are very popular among consumers who want to cut down on their energy expenditure as well as reduce their carbon footprint. That’s the bright side of using CF bulbs.

The downside, however, is that vis-à-vis incandescent bulbs, halogen bulbs or LED bulbs, CF bulbs are made with mercury — yes, that dreaded neurotoxin that’s particularly harmful to children and pregnant women. Note that there’s no safe level of exposure to mercury. Exposure to even small amounts of mercury over a long period may cause damage to the brain, kidneys, lungs, and the developing fetus. Once it enters the body, it can take months before it is eliminated, either through urine or the stool.

According to the NaturalNews item: “For the new study, researchers tested a worst case scenario for two different CF bulbs that lacked a protective casing. Both bulbs were broken indoors when hot. One bulb contained 2 milligrams of mercury, while the other contained 5 milligrams. When broken, the bulbs released roughly 7 micrograms of mercury into the air, 20 times the British government’s recommended maximum exposure of 0.35 micrograms. Mercury levels remained elevated at floor levels for up to five hours after breakage.”

A friendly reminder: “In case a compact fluorescent lamp breaks in your home, immediately open nearby windows to disperse any mercury vapor that may escape, then carefully sweep up the glass fragments, and wipe the area with a disposable paper towel to remove any remaining fragments. Do not try to pick up glass fragments with your hands, and do not use a vacuum. Place all glass fragments in a sealed plastic bag. All CF bulbs should be disposed of as hazardous waste, never to be included in household trash.”

Are we finally seeing the light as far as this controversy is concerned?

Here’s the other side of the picture, from about.com: “Before ruling out CFLs because of the mercury they contain and the extra effort involved in their disposal, keep in mind that compact fluorescent lamps also prevent mercury from entering the air, which is the greatest public health risk. Mercury in the air comes primarily from burning fossil fuels such as coal, the most common fuel used to produce electricity in the United States. Because a compact fluorescent lamp uses up to 75 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb and lasts up to 10 times longer, a power plant will emit 10 mg of mercury to produce the electricity to run an incandescent bulb compared to 2.4 mg of mercury or less to run a compact fluorescent lamp for the same length of time.”

To conclude, here are enlightening words from the Federal Environment Agency president Jochen Flasbarth: “The presence of mercury is the downside to energy-saving lamps. We need a lamp technology that can prevent mercury pollution soon. The positive and necessary energy savings of up to 80 per cent as compared with light bulbs must go hand in hand with a safe product that poses no risks to health.” Amen to that. -Ching M. Alano (The Philippine Star)

— Manny C. Calonzo, EcoWaste Coalition

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