I will try to make this short and sweet, but I need to say something about this. I included pictures in the hopes that people will at least skim this. I think most of us are aware of the state's (Connecticut for you other CTers on here) new decree to switch over to solely flourescent "energy saving" bulbs and forget the incandescent light bulb entirely in a meager attempt to save energy. Few of us are aware that flourescent light bulbs contain mercury.
Fewer of us are aware that even touching these lightbulbs exposes us to mercury. Apparently you are only supposed to touch the metal part of the bulb, not the bulb itself, and if you do you are supposed to wash your hands immediately. How are you supposed to fucking get the bulb in the socket without touching it??
And if you ever break a bulb (who HASN'T broken a bulb?) you are supposed to:
1.Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes;
2.Wear disposable gloves and pick up the broken pieces;
3.Take a damp cloth and wipe and clean the area;
4. Use duct tape to pat the area to remove any other small pieces;
5. Place the broken pieces, cloth, disposable gloves and duct tape in a sealed back and dispose of at your local hazardous waste facility.
......yeah. I know.
PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. Mercury is incredibly damaging to our nervous systems and we should not be made exposed to it on such an every day basis. Women and children are especially susceptable and yet Connecticut is the only state that does not have a law in place banning mercury from our school systems.
A quick list of things containing mercury you may want to stay away from:
-Round thermostats
-High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps
-Thermometers
-Manometers
-Button-cell batteries (the kind in watches and other small things...)
-Switches (light switches and others)
-Elemental mercury
-Flame sensors
-Other products (toys, jewelry, novelties.....really helpful I know
)
-Amalgam dental fillings
Many of these man-made sources of mercury (known as anthropogenic sources) are usually considered safe when used properly and DISPOSED OF PROPERLY. When these items are not handled properly or are carelessly disposed of, they can beome a health hazard, especially if they break and mercury is released into the environment.
So we have a choice: Either we go forward with the compact flourescent lights (CFL's) and produce more mercury and expose more people to it, risk building up ever increasing stores of it in our DNA and nervous systems, risking more damage to us and SAVE ENERGY or we can continue to waste energy with our incandescents but keep ourselves at a safer distance from mercury (unless you like to eat a lot of fish.... that I can't really help you with.)
I think as of right now the best thing to do is boycott the CFL's with the reasoning that we should come up with a replacement for the mercury and then when we have let's go for it. I feel this is best because mercury is bound to be released, and because these bulbs are NOT supposed to be thrown away.
DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR FLOURESCENT BULBS.
Businesses are required to dispose of all their hazardous waste materials through laws and regulations that "prohibit their disposal in the solid waste stream", however residents are exempt from this! Throwing them away will release mercury into the environment. They are meant to be taken to a hazardous waste facility or a place that will recycle them. Unforunately Connecticut is one of the few states who does not have hazardous waste collections more than one time a year. Yes, one day a year you can give your hazardous waste to the state, other than that, save all your mercury-containing light bulbs.
It's ridiculous.
Who here is willing to do this? I'm not even willing to do this! I do not want something as simple as a light bulb to be on my hazardous waste list! Especially if I am forced to furnish my entire house with them. People aren't going to dispose of them properly! The government should know this!
The Canadian environmental website (yes let's say there's just one) advise:
DO NOT
Do Not Put Contaminated Items in the Washing Machine - mercury may contaminate the machine and pollute the sewage system. See Step 5 for disposal instructions.
Do Not Vacuum - vacuuming a mercury spill may increase the mercury vapor in the air and increase the risk of inhalation. If used, vacuums may become contaminated and therefore may need to be discarded.
Do Not Use a Broom or Brush - sweeping or brushing up a spill will scatter mercury droplets, making them harder to find and clean up.
Do Not Pour Mercury Down the Drain - mercury may settle in the S-trap of your drain and may pollute the sewage system or your septic tank.
Do Not Throw Mercury or Contaminated Items in the Garbage - mercury may be emitted as a vapour from landfill sites or from waste incinerators.
For household hazardous waste programs and collection schedules please go here: Department of Environmental Protection
Fewer of us are aware that even touching these lightbulbs exposes us to mercury. Apparently you are only supposed to touch the metal part of the bulb, not the bulb itself, and if you do you are supposed to wash your hands immediately. How are you supposed to fucking get the bulb in the socket without touching it??
And if you ever break a bulb (who HASN'T broken a bulb?) you are supposed to:
1.Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes;
2.Wear disposable gloves and pick up the broken pieces;
3.Take a damp cloth and wipe and clean the area;
4. Use duct tape to pat the area to remove any other small pieces;
5. Place the broken pieces, cloth, disposable gloves and duct tape in a sealed back and dispose of at your local hazardous waste facility.
......yeah. I know.
PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. Mercury is incredibly damaging to our nervous systems and we should not be made exposed to it on such an every day basis. Women and children are especially susceptable and yet Connecticut is the only state that does not have a law in place banning mercury from our school systems.
A quick list of things containing mercury you may want to stay away from:
-Round thermostats
-High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps
-Thermometers
-Manometers
-Button-cell batteries (the kind in watches and other small things...)
-Switches (light switches and others)
-Elemental mercury
-Flame sensors
-Other products (toys, jewelry, novelties.....really helpful I know
)-Amalgam dental fillings
Many of these man-made sources of mercury (known as anthropogenic sources) are usually considered safe when used properly and DISPOSED OF PROPERLY. When these items are not handled properly or are carelessly disposed of, they can beome a health hazard, especially if they break and mercury is released into the environment.
So we have a choice: Either we go forward with the compact flourescent lights (CFL's) and produce more mercury and expose more people to it, risk building up ever increasing stores of it in our DNA and nervous systems, risking more damage to us and SAVE ENERGY or we can continue to waste energy with our incandescents but keep ourselves at a safer distance from mercury (unless you like to eat a lot of fish.... that I can't really help you with.)
I think as of right now the best thing to do is boycott the CFL's with the reasoning that we should come up with a replacement for the mercury and then when we have let's go for it. I feel this is best because mercury is bound to be released, and because these bulbs are NOT supposed to be thrown away.
DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR FLOURESCENT BULBS.
Businesses are required to dispose of all their hazardous waste materials through laws and regulations that "prohibit their disposal in the solid waste stream", however residents are exempt from this! Throwing them away will release mercury into the environment. They are meant to be taken to a hazardous waste facility or a place that will recycle them. Unforunately Connecticut is one of the few states who does not have hazardous waste collections more than one time a year. Yes, one day a year you can give your hazardous waste to the state, other than that, save all your mercury-containing light bulbs.
It's ridiculous.Who here is willing to do this? I'm not even willing to do this! I do not want something as simple as a light bulb to be on my hazardous waste list! Especially if I am forced to furnish my entire house with them. People aren't going to dispose of them properly! The government should know this!
The Canadian environmental website (yes let's say there's just one) advise:
DO NOT
Do Not Put Contaminated Items in the Washing Machine - mercury may contaminate the machine and pollute the sewage system. See Step 5 for disposal instructions.
Do Not Vacuum - vacuuming a mercury spill may increase the mercury vapor in the air and increase the risk of inhalation. If used, vacuums may become contaminated and therefore may need to be discarded.
Do Not Use a Broom or Brush - sweeping or brushing up a spill will scatter mercury droplets, making them harder to find and clean up.
Do Not Pour Mercury Down the Drain - mercury may settle in the S-trap of your drain and may pollute the sewage system or your septic tank.
Do Not Throw Mercury or Contaminated Items in the Garbage - mercury may be emitted as a vapour from landfill sites or from waste incinerators.
For household hazardous waste programs and collection schedules please go here: Department of Environmental Protection
