Health hazards posed by CFLs

Topic

New Reply

I have come up with this article which may result of your interest (it’s in Spanish, but with a little effort you can probably make your way through most of it – BTW, Google’s Language Tools have been greatly enhanced over the last years!):

LAS LLAMADAS “BOMBILLAS DE BAJO CONSUMO” SON PELIGROSAS PARA LA SALUD

It quotes several sources to support its statements. One such source that refers to only one of the concerns raised in the article can be found here (English readers rejoice! ) :

Shedding Light on Mercury Risks from CFL Breakage (PDF)

This is the first time I find an alarming view on CFLs. All the analyses I had read neglected the perils of the “low concentration” of mercury, not to mention others such as radiation, which were directly omitted. It’s amazing that the recommendations regarding CFL breakage/cleanup are completely ignored by people in my country.

What about you? Do you use CFLs? What precautions do you take, if any?

Reply | Quote

Replies

English Translation care of Babel Fish

Reply | Quote

English Translation care of Babel Fish

After a quick glance I would stick to Google’s: http://translate.google.com.ar/translate?h…numero116_2.htm

I realize both translations can be a pain in the rear after all. Here’s another article in English, which does not address all the issues the Spanish one mentions, but it is informative enough to discuss some points anyway: Shining a light on hazards of fluorescent bulbs

Manufacturers and the EPA say broken CFLs should be handled carefully and recycled to limit dangerous vapors and the spread of mercury dust. But guidelines for how to do that can be difficult to find, as Brandy Bridges of Ellsworth, Maine, discovered.

“It was just a wiggly bulb that I reached up to change,” Bridges said. “When the bulb hit the floor, it shattered.”

When Bridges began calling around to local government agencies to find out what to do, “I was shocked to see how uninformed literally everyone I spoke to was,” she said. “Even our own poison control operator didn’t know what to tell me.”

The state eventually referred her to a private cleanup firm, which quoted a $2,000 estimate to contain the mercury. After Bridges complained publicly about her predicament, state officials changed their recommendation: Simply throw it in the trash, they said.

Break a bulb? Five steps for cleanup
That was the wrong answer, according to the EPA. It offers a detailed, 11-step procedure you should follow: Air out the room for a quarter of an hour. Wear gloves. Double-bag the refuse. Use duct tape to lift the residue from a carpet. Don’t use a vacuum cleaner, as that will only spread the problem. The next time you vacuum the area, immediately dispose of the vacuum bag.

In general, however, the EPA endorses the use of fluorescent bulbs, citing their energy savings. Silbergeld also does not discourage their use because of their energy savings, but she said the EPA could be sending mixed signals to confused consumers.

“It’s kind of ironic that on the one hand, the agency is saying, ‘Don’t worry, it’s a very small amount of mercury.’ Then they have a whole page of [instructions] how to handle the situation if you break one,” she said.

Reply | Quote

Thanks, that translation is much, much better

I’ll use it to “test” my daughter tomorrow who has become quite fluent in European Spanish

Reply | Quote