Epa Says To Vacate Room If New Energy Efficient Bulb Breaks - Truckers' Trucking Forum | Message Board

Big Duker · **^ Top** #1 01.06.2008

We're d@#med if we do and d@#med if we don't.

Warning: Vacate room when CFL bulb breaks
Energy-saving devices called so dangerous everyone must leave for at least 15 minutes
Posted: January 6, 2008
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2008 WorldNetDaily.com

Thomas Edison, inventor of mercury-free light bulb Thomas Edison must be rolling over in his grave.
Less than a month after the U.S. Congress passed an energy bill banning the incandescent light bulb by 2014, the UK Environment Agency issued guidelines calling for evacuation of any room where an energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulb is broken, releasing toxic mercury.
The warning comes a month before the British government begins its phase-out of tungsten bulbs, scheduled to be completed in 2011. The switchover to CFL bulbs will save at least five million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year, the government said.
Health experts warned this week that people with certain skin ailments will suffer from the new eco-friendly bulbs which cause conditions such as eczema to flare up. Additionally, the bulbs have been linked to migraine headaches in some people.
The Environment Agency's latest advice focuses on the 6 to 8 milligrams of toxic mercury in each bulb.
Users who break a bulb should vacate the room for at least 15 minutes, the new guidelines say. The debris should not be removed with a vacuum cleaner, which could put toxic dust into the air, but with rubber gloves. The broken glass and all residue is to be placed into a sealed plastic bag and taken to a local official recycling site for proper disposal.
(Story continues below)
"Because these light bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, they could cause a problem if disposed of in a normal bin," environmental scientist Dr David Spurgeon told the London Daily Mail.
"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."
The Environmental Agency noted that neither warnings about the bulbs' toxicity nor directions for proper disposal is printed on any packaging.
Such warnings aren't necessary, said one toxicologist who said a number of bulbs would have to be smashed simultaneously before there was a danger.
"Mercury accumulates in the body – especially the brain," Dr. David Ray, from the University of Nottingham, told the BBC. "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."
The most-immediate hazard from the CFL bulbs may be to Brits' pocketbooks. It costs about $1,300 to properly dispose of one municipal recycling bin full of bulbs – a figure that is sure to increase residents' tax bills.

myminpins · **^ Top** #2 01.06.2008

I hate these lights. Always hated flourescent light. It's not "warm" and is "glarey" and aggravating as heck when I have a bad headache. I'm not looking forward to this one but I understand why they're doing it.

There are so many othe rways we can do something, I wonder why they picked this one?

hrdman2luv · **^ Top** #3 01.06.2008

Mercury is very very dangerous.
Does anyone know exactly why they have to put mercury in them? And is there a patent on these types of bulbs?

myminpins · **^ Top** #4 01.06.2008

A few further facts:

[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

[quote] Light Fingered

Claim: When broken, energy-saving light bulbs (CFLs) loose dangerous amounts of mercury into a home.

Status: Multiple:

CFLs contain mercury, a dangerous substance: True.

While mercury stays safely contained in intact CFLs, it escapes from broken CFLs into the immediate surroundings: True.

The amount of mercury contained in one CFL bulb poses a grave danger to a home's inhabitants: False.

An environmental clean-up crew needs be called in to deal with the mercury dispersed by one broken CFL bulb: False.

So, no, it's not a problem or a health hazard. There's a long, detailed article about this at the snopes site if you wish to read the entire thing (link above)

hrdman2luv · **^ Top** #5 01.06.2008

[quote=myminpins;319081]A few further facts:

[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

Quote:

Light Fingered

Claim: When broken, energy-saving light bulbs (CFLs) loose dangerous amounts of mercury into a home.

Status: Multiple:

CFLs contain mercury, a dangerous substance: True.

While mercury stays safely contained in intact CFLs, it escapes from broken CFLs into the immediate surroundings: True.

The amount of mercury contained in one CFL bulb poses a grave danger to a home's inhabitants: False.

An environmental clean-up crew needs be called in to deal with the mercury dispersed by one broken CFL bulb: False.

So, no, it's not a problem or a health hazard. There's a long, detailed article about this at the snopes site if you wish to read the entire thing (link above)

I have kids, who have been known to break things.........I think I will take the advise of the ones that say they "pose grave danger". Than the side that don't. This may turn into a right wing left wing issue, as in Global Waming.

I would hate to have my child endangered because I didn't take their advice.

bullhaulerswife · **^ Top** #6 01.06.2008

I got this off of a manufactures web site:

Quote:

Important Note: Handling and Disposal of CFLs

The mercury in compact fluorescent bulbs poses no threat while in the bulb, but if you break one:
- open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more
- immediately use a wet rag to clean it up and put all of the pieces, and the rag, into a plastic bag
- place all materials in a second sealed plastic bag
- call your local recycling center to see if they accept this material, otherwise put it in your local trash. Wash your hands afterward.

Although household CFL bulbs may legally be disposed of with regular trash (in most US states), they are categorized as household hazardous waste. As long as the waste is sent to a modern municipal landfill, the hazard to the environment is limited. However, CFLs should not be sent to an incinerator, which would disperse the mercury into the atmosphere.

The best solution is to save spent CFLs for a community household hazardous waste collection, which would then send the bulbs to facilities capable of treating, recovering or recycling them. For more information on CFL disposal or recycling, you can contact your local municipality.

hrdman2luv · **^ Top** #7 01.06.2008

Important Note: Handling and Disposal of CFLs

The mercury in compact fluorescent bulbs poses no threat while in the bulb, but if you break one:
- open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more
- immediately use a wet rag to clean it up and put all of the pieces, and the rag, into a plastic bag
And the rag.If you don't dispose of the rag, and you rinse it out, then use it to whip off the counter, or dinner table, what will happen. Not only will the water from rinsing go into your back yard soil if you have a sptic tank, but if you have community sewer system, the mercury water will go into the community waer system.
Alot of people don't read these warnings.
- place all materials in a second sealed plastic bag
- call your local recycling center to see if they accept this material, otherwise put it in your local trash. Wash your hands afterward.

Although household CFL bulbs may legally be disposed of with regular trash (in most US states), they are categorized as household hazardous waste. As long as the waste is sent to a modern municipal landfill, the hazard to the environment is limited. However, CFLs should not be sent to an incinerator, which would disperse the mercury into the atmosphere.

If they just go into a land fill, and the bulb's mercury is

The best solution is to save spent CFLs for a community household hazardous waste collection, which would then send the bulbs to facilities capable of treating, recovering or recycling them. For more information on CFL disposal or recycling, you can contact your local municipality.

I bet you will be charged for disposing these things. Like old tired.

Roadmedic · **^ Top** #8 01.06.2008

Batteries have been on the non disposal list for years. What do you do with them?

They can affect the ground water and create health hazards as well.

myminpins · **^ Top** #9 01.06.2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roadmedic

Batteries have been on the non disposal list for years. What do you do with them?

They can affect the ground water and create health hazards as well.

Good point, Roadmedic. I think people are overreacting a bit but this happens with anything new. It'll be interesting to address this situation again in a couple years' time.

Kalamity Jane · **^ Top** #10 01.06.2008

Good examination of the issue posters. As for batteries there are garages that take them, along with used oil, and they dispose of them...as far as I know it is a service and doesn't cost anyone..in some free papers there are people who will come and take batteries..they are worth money.

Paint is something else that shouldn't be put in the trash..there are places you can take paint and they recycle it..you can buy paint at these places for a lot less than the new cost, and it saves polluting the environment.

We all need to be reading those labels..as drivers who deal with hazardous materials it makes you a little more aware than the average citizen..it did me.

KJ

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