CFL-Mercury Filled Bulbs Hazardous for Babies and Pregnant Women

12-23-2010 • dailymail.co.uk/health

Energy-saving light bulbs were at the centre of a fresh health scare last night after researchers claimed they can release potentially harmful amounts of mercury if broken. Levels of toxic vapour around smashed eco-bulbs were up to 20 times higher than the safe guideline limit for an indoor area, the study said. It added that broken bulbs posed a potential health risk to pregnant women, babies and small children. The concerns surround ‘compact fluorescent lamps’ (CFLs), the most common type of eco-bulb in Britain, which are mini-versions of the strip lights found in offices. The European Union is phasing out the traditional ‘incandescent bulbs’ used for more than 120 years and is forcing people to switch to low-energy alternatives to meet its climate change targets. A CFL uses a fifth of the energy of a conventional bulb and can save £7 a year in bills. However, critics complain that CFLs’ light is harsh and flickery. Medical charities say they can trigger epileptic fits, migraines and skin rashes and have called for an ‘opt out’ for vulnerable people.

1 Comments in Response to CFL-Mercury Filled Bulbs Hazardous for Babies and Pregnant Women

Comment by GrandPoobah

Entered on: 12/24/2010 12:52:40 PM

People who believe this are most likely to die from some combination of stupid and laziness. Any Hg inside a CFL is mostly harmless since it is in its elemental form and in your lifetime is not going to be inhaled or eaten. The stuff from Power plants is a different matter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_lamp

So, you just continue to believe and be stupid. (unwilling or unable to learn new material)

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