A few years back, our government recommended that we replace all our incandescent light bulbs with energy saving CFL bulbs. WOW!!!....that sounded great! While people “followed the leader”, and went out to replace their incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs, I did not. I like to do my own research and right off the bat, I discovered that these miraculous new CFL bulbs, that were going to save us a ton of money, contained Mercury. Mercury is a poisonous neuro-toxin and accumulates in the body. It’s especially a danger to children and harmful to the brains of developing fetuses. It disrupts the digestive system and is extremely hard on the kidneys. Mercury in any form is poisonous whether it is inhaled, ingested, injected, or absorbed through the skin. So why would anyone want these bulbs in their house?.....what if they break?
If you drop or break your mercury bulb, the DEP suggests that you…..do not touch it with your bare hands, put on gloves. QUICKLY, open all the windows…..do not breathe it in. Get all people and pets out of the room. Shut off central heat or air systems, whichever is on, as you do not want the toxic vapors sucked into the ventilation system and circulated through out the house, further contaminating the air. DO NOT VACCUM whatever you do!!! Try to find the mercury solids…do not touch. Get sticky tape and pick up mercury solids and pieces of glass and dust. Scrap up broken glass with hard cardboard and put in plastic bags. DO NOT THROW PLASTIC BAGS IN TRASH!!!.....bring to a hazardous waste recycling center. Wipe down all surfaces with disposable paper towels and place towels in container to be disposed of also. In my research it is best to use a glass container with a tight fitting lid to dispose of the CFL contamination. What you are not told by the DEP or EPA is that mercury spillage on rugs will emit vapors for about 4 years and create mercury contaminated dust. Just make sure your pets and children do not come in contact with contaminated rug/dust…as the toxic vapors accumulate in the body and will adversely affect their health. BUT, the DEP and EPA claims these bulbs are perfectly safe.
To prevent problems and extend the life of the bulbs, the EPA recommends that CFL bulbs not be used in bathrooms or rooms where the lights are constantly being turned on and off all day. Frequent powering on and off can reduce the life of the bulb. And do not use CFL bulbs on a dimmer switch as low voltage will reduce their life. So let’s review. The government wants you to replace your incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs because of the convenience and low cost, as long as you do not break them, use them on dimmer switches or in rooms where you are constantly turning lights on and off. I am sorry ladies and gentlemen, but these bulbs do not sound like a bargain to me.
Recently, people are reporting another danger of CFL bulbs. They are heating up and exploding in the socket, emitting flames and a foul smell and a lot of smoke. There is conflicting information regarding the exploding CFL bulbs….but nothing can be more accurate than what people are actually reporting from their own personal experiences. Also there is a consensus that CFL bulbs do not perform safely in bathrooms because of the moisture in the air and CFL bulbs do not operate safely in ceiling fans as the vibrations cause the bulbs to flicker, causing people to suffer headaches and eye problems.
So many people are reporting problems with their CFL bulbs that Tennessee Congresswoman, Marsha Blackburn, has introduced legislation to keep incandescent bulbs. One person reported her CFL bulb in the hood light over her stove exploded and caught fire. She believes the steam from cooking damaged the bulb and thinks using the CFL bulbs in the hood above the stove should be included in the warnings as a potential hazard. Another couple reported their CFL bulb blew up in their basement light fixture. “I went down to the basement to find my floor covered in fine glass shards melting into the carpet. The bulb itself was burned and melted and it had scorched the ceiling right above the fixture.”
Wendy Turner reports….“It is very frightening when the bulbs explode in your home. No information regarding the hazards of low energy bulbs is ever publicized. We are all being forced to use these bulbs in place of tried and tested technology. Mercury vapors must have filled my room and I sat in it breathing in this harmful substance. Are governments really this unconcerned about public health! Let’s have more research into this and less ostrich behavior because it is politically correct.”
The complaints go on and on and each person reports that their bulbs were made in China and most of them sold at Wal Mart. We are definitely NOT using CFL bulbs in our home. Instead, we are confident with the LED bulbs made by Cree. They are energy efficient, lasts a long time, do NOT contain poisonous mercury and 100% recyclable and they have no UV emissions. They can be used safely in all weather conditions, can safely be switched on and off all day without blowing up and can safely be used on a dimmer switch.
So if CFL bulbs are so hazardous and inconvenient, why is the government forcing them on us? Doesn’t make any sense. As always, here at the Ziccardi residence…..we choose to Live Healthy Chemical Free……….
