Last week I wrote about the mercury contained in Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL’s) and received a surprisingly heated response.

“According to ONE study”! Just one! Your basing your opinion on 1 stinking study? Dude, fluorescent lamps have been around for over 50 years and they ALL contain mercury not just the recent compact fluorescents that you are familiar with. Do you see people with mercury sickness all around you like zombies? No. That’s because each lamp has a single drop of mercury that is the size of the ball in a ball point pin. Not very much. What about those millions of mercury switches used in home thermostats? What about the millions of mercury-vapor outdoor lights (the yellow ones) that you see in millions of parking lots around the world? Don’t hang a “mercury scare’ on CFLs as their impact is minimal compared to the millions of other mercury sources that are out there – did I mention thermometers?

Do your research!

I referenced an article I had read about the dangers of mercury contained in these bulbs if they were to break.  Pregnant women and infants are especially at risk if exposed to mercury.  As a result, I felt that anyone using these bulbs should be made aware of the danger.  I also wrote that CFL’s must be disposed of properly but I wasn’t sure exactly what that was.  I was very surprised at the response I received, so I decided to look into it further. 

But first let me say that the mercury contained in CFL’s is minimal.  In fact, the primary source of mercury released into the environment is from coal-fired power generators and accounts for 40% of mercury emissions.  Further, CFL’s are safe to use.  No mercury is released into the air when the bulbs are in use and they pose no danger when used properly.

However, when CFL’s burn out or break it is very important to dispose of them properly.  The best thing to do is recycle a burnt out CFL.  Recycling for them is not offered everywhere so to find a residential recycling program in your area, you can visit earth911.org or lamprecycle.org or you can call 1-800-CLEANUP.  If recycling is not an option, place the CFL in a sealed plastic bag and dispose in the same way you would batteries, oil-based paint and motor oil at a local hazardous waste collection site.  If your local site can not accept CFL’s seal it in a plastic bag and put it with your regular trash.

As I stated in the earlier article, if a CFL breaks, make sure that pregnant women, infants, small children and pets are gotten out of the room immediately.  Then carefully sweep up all the fragments, wipe the area with a wet towel, and dispose of all fragments, including the used towel, in a sealed plastic bag and follow all disposal instructions above.  DO NOT use a vacuum because the mercury can remain in the bag or cup.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs are a great alternative to the incandescent ones.  They save energy and last longer.  However, as with all products, they should be used and disposed of properly.  Anyone using them should be aware of the dangers, however small, if one breaks and most of all, the consumer should be able to make informed decisions regarding any product they use without being accused of creating a “mercury scare.”