Green eco-friendly lightbulbs a health risk?

[claig]

Eco bulbs a health hazard for babies and pregnant women due to mercury

Is there anything to this? What about health and safety?

Yup, they've got mercury in them, always have.

More discussion here

But it's nice to see the mail
recycling
its scare stories,
very green of them.

Health and Safety? Well, I wouldn't go eating any light bulbs if I were you, but I'm assuming that's not generally an issue?

But will everyone in the country evacuate a room for 15 minutes, use rubber gloves and not put a broken bulb in the bin, but take it to a site to be disposed of as hazardous waste? What happens if irresponsible people don't do this and it ends up in landfill?

I suppose the health and safety people who approved these bulbs feel the possible health risks are necessary if we are going to be able to save the planet.

"Independent environmental scientist Dr David Spurgeon warned yesterday: "Because these light bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, they could cause a problem if disposed of in a normal bin.
"It is possible that the mercury could be released into the air or from land-fill when they are released into the wider environment. That is a concern, because mercury is a well-known toxic substance."

I think I might be doomed as I remember playing with mercury when I was a kid. Fascinating stuff.

I don't use low energy lightbulbs for this very reason. I think it is utterly crazy to produce something containing mercury as "environmentally friendly". I use proper old incandescent lightbulbs and take them to be recycled at the tip. Much better.

In the same article - "A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: 'Guidance from the Health Protection Agency makes it clear that the mercury contained in low energy bulbs does not pose a health risk to anyone immediately exposed, should one be broken.'" The "safe guideline limit" they mention is probably a limit on longterm exposure, not from an occasional one-off exposure.

I think there is a valid point about disposing of them properly, not just throwing them in the bin, but that is surely about education rather than scaremongering.

'makes it clear that the mercury contained in low energy bulbs does not pose a health risk to anyone immediately exposed, should one be broken.'

Why do you have to evacuate the room for 15 minutes? What happens in a busy restaurant kitchen on New Year's Eve if a bulb breaks? Would they evacuate the kitchen for 15 minutes?

HPA Factsheet on mercury and compact fluorescent lamps

According to the Daily Mail the following gives you cancer so I wouldn't sweat it:

Link

You can buy these bulbs without liquid mercury in them. I bought mine from B&Q. Made by Megaman.
Mind you, they are not bright enough. I won't buy anymore.
I think there are more LED bulbs available now. Might be worth a look?

OYSSK,I wouldn't worry.My dad reckons that seed corn used to be coated in a form of mercury as a fungicide.He spent years handling it with bare hands and claimed it would dye your skin red up to your elbows.He is 72 and still fighting fit.

Well, the RSC link I gave above has an intersting chart towards the bottom of the page:

Incinerating a fluorescent light produces 7.2mg mercury, but running it off coal-fired power will emit 56mg mercury.

Your old-fashioned bulb releases no mercury on disposal, but because it uses more power, puts 400mg mercury into the atmosphere while it's 'alive'.

(I say 'interesting'... )

Yes but isn't there no direct health risk from a normal bulb, since it contains no mercury? Whereas the eco-friendly bulbs contain toxic mercury which could possibly pose a health hazard if the bulb breaks?

I do wonder about the reports that some of the bulbs give off harmful levels of UV light. I have no idea if the reports are accurate or not.

Did you read the Daily Mail article that TheHeathenofSuburbia linked to where it said

"The researchers say some energy-saving fluorescent bulbs, which will be compulsory in British homes by 2011, can cause reddening of the skin if used for long periods of time close to the body.
Harmful: UV radiation from unencapsulated energy-saving bulbs can damage the skin if used closer than 30cm to the body, experts warn
The Health Protection Agency said the UV threat could affect those who use reading lamps on their bedside tables.
Thousands of workers such as jewellery makers who work with their hands and use lamps at close quarters could also be affected. There is, however, no risk of skin cancer from the bulbs, the agency added.
Chief executive Justin McCracken said: 'At the exposure levels we are talking about, the worst effect that we believe there is as result of our investigation is that people could have some short-time reddening of their skin.
'We do not believe that these lights pose any significant risk in terms of skin cancer."

I wasn't aware of that. It sounds a bit worrying.

Those type of bulbs are the ones that don't look so great. Lots have been given away as freebies. I can't remember what they are called. Stick bulbs?