From a
story by Alex Nussbaum in the Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel:
If a light bulb can be hip, compact fluorescents are "it" these days. The corkscrew-shaped bulbs last six times as long as conventional incandescent lights, use 75% less electricity and are a simple way to reduce global-warming pollution.
But each bulb also contains a tiny bead of mercury, a toxic metal blamed for poisoning waters and fish. Here's a primer based on details the Environmental Protection Agency:
Q. How much mercury is in a bulb?
A. The average compact fluorescent bulb contains 5 milligrams of mercury. When the bulb's on, electricity zaps the liquid, starting a chain reaction that eventually lights your home.
Used properly, the bulbs are safe, the EPA says. But with sales climbing, experts worry about the accumulated effect of tossing tens of thousands of bulbs in the trash every year. Mercury can impair neurological development, especially among children, and can also damage the kidneys and liver. Most people are exposed by eating seafood from contaminated waters.
Q. So how do I dispose of a bulb safely?
A. Many municipal recycling programs don't take the bulbs. Compact fluorescents are considered hazardous waste, making them costly for towns to handle. Home Depot collects used bulbs in Canada, but so far the option isn't available in the United States. It's expensive for retailers to handle the bulbs, too. The EPA says it's working with manufacturers and retailers to expand disposal options.
In some jurisdictions, bulbs are collected and recycled. Call your municipality. . . .
Q. So what's so green about the bulbs?
A. They prevent more mercury pollution than they might cause, the EPA says. Most mercury in the air comes from burning coal to produce energy, and fluorescent bulbs use a lot less energy than traditional lighting. A power plant emits 10 milligrams of mercury to operate an incandescent bulb compared with 2.4 milligrams to run a compact fluorescent for the same time, the agency says.
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