January 7, 2009 - By BNP News

The Government has decreed that fluorescent light bulbs which, if broken, must have all shards placed in sealed containers and which cannot be vacuumed up for fear of household mercury poisoning, will replace all incandescent light bulbs within two years.

Shoppers who have recently been looking for traditional 100 watt light bulbs might have noticed that they have disappeared almost overnight. This is no coincidence. They have been almost secretly phased out in terms of a little-known government plan, launched by Gordon Brown in 2007, to push people into buying fluorescent bulbs. This decision followed the government’s signing up to a European Union decision to ban the light bulbs.

Under the ban, retailers have already stopped stocking 150 watt bulbs and agreed to stop replenishing stocks of 100 watt and 75 watt bulbs at the start of 2009.

By 2010 60 watt bulbs will start to be phased out and all incandescent bulbs will be banned by 2012.

The argument for the replacement fluorescent bulbs is that they require far less electrical power than their incandescent counterparts. A 26-watt CFL bulb produces the same lumens as a 100-watt incandescent bulb, and so will reduce demand for electricity.

While no one can question the intention to reduce consumption to preserve the environment, it would appear that little thought has gone into the implications of forcing consumers to switch to compact fluorescent lighting (CFL).

Mercury — the same substance banned from thermometers because it is poisonous — is integral to the design of CFL bulbs. Electricity agitates the mercury molecules, causing them to emit ultraviolet light. That light then spurs a bulb’s phosphor coating to give off visible light.

While the amount of mercury in each light bulb is small, and is not emitted during use, the real problem comes in the all-too-often occurrence of breakage.

If a CFL bulb breaks, a small amount of the mercury vapour is released in the air. Unlike the elemental mercury found in fever thermometers, which are the shiny beads of liquid mercury, the mercury released from a broken CFL bulb will not be visible to the naked eye.

CFL bulbs cannot, therefore, be thrown out with household rubbish for fear of breakage. The disposal of broken CFLs is so complicated and dangerous that the American government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a whole web page devoted to dealing with the steps necessary if a CFL bulb breaks in a domestic setting.

According to the EPA, the following steps are necessary if a CFL bulb breaks:

“Fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal below. Please also read the information on this page about what never to do with a mercury spill.

Before Clean-up: Air out the Room

* Have people and pets leave the room, and don’t let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.

* Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.

* Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

* Carefully scoop up glass pieces 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.

* Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.

* Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.

* Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug

* 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.

* Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.

* If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.

* Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials

* If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.

* You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.

* If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

Disposal of Clean-up Materials

* Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.

* Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.

* Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air out the Room during and after Vacuuming

* The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.

* Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.” – US Environmental Protection Agency guidelines (click here for the EPA web site).

A 1987 medical journal report described a 23-month-old toddler who suffered anorexia, weight loss, irritability, profuse sweating, and peeling and redness of fingers and toes. This case of acrodynia was traced to exposure of mercury from a carton of 8-foot fluorescent light bulbs that had broken in a potting shed adjacent to the main nursery. The glass was cleaned up and discarded, but the child often used the area for play. (Source.)

Medical charities say they have also received complaints that the flicker of CFL can trigger migraines and epilepsy attacks. Some charities are lobbying the Government for an “opt out” policy for those who suffer ill effects from the bulb.

Lee Tomkins, of Migraine Action Association, said: “We’re recommending that people stockpile the old ones for now.”

In the light of these serious problems, consumers might well ask if the government has seriously considered all the pitfalls before rushing ahead with the scheme — or is it just that they do not care and wish to treat the public like children?