Re: Energy saving lightbulbs can have up to 5mg mercury content :-0

[Guest guest]

Yes, we took them all out when we found out about the mercury. My

son-in-law, who hasn't tested yet, but I'm sure will be mercury toxic,

left some laying on the kitchen table at his apartment and the cats

broke one of them for him. I had told all the kids NOT to use these

things, but evidently he missed that lecture. Luckily, I walked in the

early the next day and saw it and told him not to sweep it up, but how

to clean it up safely and protect himself. I'm still not sure how we'll

heat the chicks in the spring since CFs give off no heat. I suspect I'll

be stockpiling incandescents. I ran across a company that says its

bulbs use less mercury, but that no fluorescent, compact or not, will be

mercury free. Saw a great note somewhere about what a help Home Depot

is being by offering recycling. Mom mom is 3 hours from the nearest

Home Depot, as are many people in the US. So, where does that leave

recycling - or the ones broken by the cats playing in the kitchen. I've

also heard that they can just explode in the fixture for no apparent

reason. These things just really tick me off. It seems any letters

I've written have fallen on deaf ears.

We just need to keep reminding people what a health and environmental

hazard they are, and hopefully all the knee jerk legislation which has

been passed will be repealed. Why not just remind people that turning

lights off when not in use will save $$$$ and energy. I see so many

houses lit up all throughout. I know they aren't using all those rooms.

Oh, well.

Thanks for the post and the reminder. We need to keep on this and beat

it until the dog (or CFL legislation) is dead.

P.

JULIE GRIFFITHS wrote:

> Many countries are switching to this new energy saving lightbulb and ALL

> other lightbulbs will be phased out. In other words you will only be

> able to purchase a lightbulb with mercury in it.

>

> The mercury is safe inside the lightbulb but if the bulb breaks and

> mercury is released, it will vaporize at room temperature.

>

> I am off to see my member of parliament about this today. I am tired of

> being taken for a ride specially in light of the fact that there is

> absolutely NO hazard warnings on the packing, inside or outside.

>

>

>

>

>

http://www.lighting.philips.com/in_en/consumer/home_lighting/faq/mercury/issue_m\

ercury_content.php?main=gb_en_consumer_lighting & parent=89083467512 & id=in_en_home\

_lighting & lang=en

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> =======================================================

>

[Guest guest]

I'm with P - I'll be the one whose garage will be stockpiled with

incandescents. I know hubby thinks I've gone off the deep end, but 20 years

later when it comes out that half of the US population is mercury toxic from

these things, he'll thank me. I'm not kidding - starting this month I'm buying

10 incandescents each month. That's 120/yr for the next 6 years or over 700.

Does that sound like enough?

Dana C.

-------------- Original message --------------

From: " P. " <the.great.zambini@...>

> Yes, we took them all out when we found out about the mercury. My

> son-in-law, who hasn't tested yet, but I'm sure will be mercury toxic,

> left some laying on the kitchen table at his apartment and the cats

> broke one of them for him. I had told all the kids NOT to use these

> things, but evidently he missed that lecture. Luckily, I walked in the

> early the next day and saw it and told him not to sweep it up, but how

> to clean it up safely and protect himself. I'm still not sure how we'll

> heat the chicks in the spring since CFs give off no heat. I suspect I'll

> be stockpiling incandescents. I ran across a company that says its

> bulbs use less mercury, but that no fluorescent, compact or not, will be

> mercury free. Saw a great note somewhere about what a help Home Depot

> is being by offering recycling. Mom mom is 3 hours from the nearest

> Home Depot, as are many people in the US. So, where does that leave

> recycling - or the ones broken by the cats playing in the kitchen. I've

> also heard that they can just explode in the fixture for no apparent

> reason. These things just really tick me off. It seems any letters

> I've written have fallen on deaf ears.

>

> We just need to keep reminding people what a health and environmental

> hazard they are, and hopefully all the knee jerk legislation which has

> been passed will be repealed. Why not just remind people that turning

> lights off when not in use will save $$$$ and energy. I see so many

> houses lit up all throughout. I know they aren't using all those rooms.

> Oh, well.

>

> Thanks for the post and the reminder. We need to keep on this and beat

> it until the dog (or CFL legislation) is dead.

> P.

>

> JULIE GRIFFITHS wrote:

> > Many countries are switching to this new energy saving lightbulb and ALL

> > other lightbulbs will be phased out. In other words you will only be

> > able to purchase a lightbulb with mercury in it.

> >

> > The mercury is safe inside the lightbulb but if the bulb breaks and

> > mercury is released, it will vaporize at room temperature.

> >

> > I am off to see my member of parliament about this today. I am tired of

> > being taken for a ride specially in light of the fact that there is

> > absolutely NO hazard warnings on the packing, inside or outside.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

http://www.lighting.philips.com/in_en/consumer/home_lighting/faq/mercury/issue_m

>

ercury_content.php?main=gb_en_consumer_lighting & parent=89083467512 & id=in_en_home

> _lighting & lang=en

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> > =======================================================

> >

[Guest guest]

A tiny consolation, excerpted from today's New York Times...

***

A Cloth to Cut the Mercury Risk From Light Bulbs

Reseachers " report in Environmental Science and Technology that they have

developed a

material that can capture the mercury released from a broken tube.

" ... Selenium, in particular, has a well-known affinity for mercury, and the

researchers

found that particles of it with a size from about 10 to 600 nanometers were

capable of

binding with almost all of the mercury from a lamp.... This 'nanoselenium,'

impregnated in

cloth, could be used in packaging for new lamps (in case of breakage during

shipment) or

for cleaning up a broken lamp in the home. Plastic bags used to hold recycled

compact

fluorescents could also be treated with the material. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/science/08obcfl.html?scp=1 & sq=selenium & st=nyt

****

Hm, can they make *clothing* out of this material?

-Ann

>

> JULIE GRIFFITHS wrote:

>

> The mercury is safe inside the lightbulb but if the bulb breaks and

> mercury is released, it will vaporize at room temperature.