How green are energy-saving bulbs?

Well, I admit, the picture to the left is somehow chilling, but how elase can I attract your attention in the cyber hum? :)

I have a good reason, though, so forgive me, my reader, and carry on to find out what I have 'dug out' for you today.

Mercury can be closer than you think. Not some 77 million kilometers away, but a few meters or even less. All thanks to the global movement to save the planet (sic!) by forceful introduction of compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL bulbs), commonly known as energy-saving bulbs. Many enviro-zealots (including myself) embraced this lovely bulb with a sigh of relief. The bad news was that this new friend of us has a very nasty side kept somehow secret from us, consumers.

What are CFL bulbs?

A CFL bulb is a type of fluorescent bulb. A fluorescent lamp is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapour to produce light. Compared to the 'old-fashioned' incandescent lamps, CFLs use less power and have a supposedly longer rated life.

So what is wrong with CFLs?

The M-word. MERCURY.  Most CFLs contain 3–5 mg per bulb, with the eco-friendly bulbs containing as little as 1 mg. Because mercury is poisonous, even these small amounts are a concern for landfills and waste incinerators where the mercury from lamps may be released and contribute to air and water pollution. In response to that concern, the amount of mercury used in CFLs is regulated by the RoHS law in the EU. Supporters of CFL bulbs argue that in areas with coal-fired power stations, the use of CFLs saves on mercury emissions when compared to the use of incandescent bulbs. This is due to the reduced electrical power demand, reducing in turn the amount of mercury released by coal as it is burned.

But that is only part of the story...

While no mercury is emitted when the CFL is intact or in use, according to the National Poisons Information Centre for Ireland, 'a small amount is vapourised when they break'. 'Although CFLs only contain a small amount of mercury, cleaning up breakages properly will prevent chronic (long-term) exposure to mercury.'

Health Effects from Mercury Vapour Exposure

The factors that determine how severe the health effects are from mercury vapour exposure include: the dose, the age of the person exposed (!!!), how long the exposure lasts.

 Short-term inhalation: cough, breathlessness, and chest tightness, within a few hours of exposure, flu-like symptoms with muscle pains and fever. 

Long-term inhalation of mercury vapour may cause damage to the central nervous system, kidney damage and stomach upsets.

Irish Guidelines on Cleaning Up a Broken CFL bulb

• DO NOT use a vacuum cleaner to clean up the breakage.
• Keep people and pets away from the breakage area until the cleanup is complete.
• Ventilate the area by opening windows, and leave the area for 15-30 minutes before returning to begin the cleanup. Mercury vapour levels will be lower by then.
• Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the sharp glass.
• Carefully remove the larger pieces of bulb and place them in a secure closed container e.g. a glass or plastic jar with a screw top or a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. If you don’t have a suitable container use a plastic bag.
• Use two stiff pieces of card such as index cards or playing cards to scoop up the smaller pieces and dust.
• Pat the area with the sticky side of masking tape or sticky tape, then wipe the area with a wet wipe or damp paper towel, to pick up fine particles.
• Put all waste and materials into the glass/plastic container, including all material used in the cleanup.
• Place the container holding the breakage and cleanup materials outdoors, out of reach of children, until you can bring it to your local authority WEEE re-cycling facility. Click here to find your nearest WEEE facility.
• Continue ventilating the room for several hours.
• Wash your hands and face.

Breakages on Carpet

If the break happens on carpeting, follow the instructions above.

• Open the window to the room during the next several times you vacuum the carpet to provide good ventilation. Keep the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming.
• When finished, remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag. Place the bag in your outdoor waste disposal bin.

What is wrong with these guidelines?

The guidelines are a copy and paste duplication of revised guidelines by The Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Except for two important details: the use of plastic bags for safe disposal of mercury and the breakage of CFL bulb on the carpet. Read on to find out how easy it is to manipulate public awareness with deleting a few 'inconvenient' lines.  

A report by The Maine DEP in 2008 found out that, despite following best-practice cleanup guidelines on broken CFLs, researchers were unable to remove mercury from carpet. This  has particular significance for children rolling around on a floor, babies crawling, or non mobile infants placed on the floor. In addition, the study warned that the recommendation of plastic bags was the worst choice, as vapors well above safe levels continued to leach from the bags. The report recommends homeowners to consider removing throw rugs or the area of the carpet where the breakage occured as a precaution, praticularly if the rug is in the area frequented by infants, small children or pregnant women. If it is not possible to remove the carpet, hoovering it while ventilating the room is advised.

Why am I concerned as a consumer?

Special handling instructions for breakage are currently not printed on the packaging of household CFL bulbs in many countries. Most people I have spoken with since were not aware of any danger associated with using CFL bulbs. Finally, it is unclear what the exact health risks are from exposure to low levels of elemental mercury, especially for sensitive populations. I would also like to find out from the author of the Irish Guidelines on CFL Clean-up Procedure, P Casey, what makes her or him to misinform Irish society by arbitrary omission of vital information. (Postriptum. I have contacted Ms Casey and she assured me that she will look into updating the guidelines. A small step in the right direction!)

Teaching through fun is a very efficient method. Mindful of that, I would like to brighten up your day by this hillarious video which shows how easy it is to follow the guidelines for cleaning up a broken CFL bulb. I hope it will make you laugh histerically :)

Is there a better alternative?

The good news is that there IS.

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) present many advantages including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved robustness, smaller size, faster switching, and greater durability and reliability. LEDs are powerful enough for room lighting. The main disadvantage is their relatively higher cost. Unsurprisingly, their availability on the Irish market is limited, but there are excellent retailers in UK who ship the bulbs at much lower cost.

This is the supplier that I used to buy my LED bulbs. I was very happy with their efficient serivce:
The UK Supplier of LED bulbs

Other useful links:

Guidelines by EWG

Guidelines by The Maine Department of Environmental Protection