Have the government and General Electric lied to us?
Action Alert!
The
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) mandates the
phase-out of incandescent light bulbs, and favors energy-efficient
compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.
Sounds good—until you realize that CFL bulbs contain mercury, and
mercury poses a significant cancer risk.
A new study shows that CFL bulbs also emit high levels of
ultraviolet radiation—specifically, UVC and UVA rays. In fact, the
UV rays are so strong that they can actually burn skin and skin
cells.
Experts say the radiation could initiate cell death and cause
skin cancer in its deadliest form—melanoma.
In every bulb the researchers tested, they found that the protective
phosphor coating of the light bulb was cracked, allowing dangerous
UV rays to escape. Healthy skin cells exposed to CFLs showed a
decrease in their proliferation rate, an increase in the production
of reactive oxygen species, and a decrease in ability to contract
collagen.
On top of that, it’s a sad fact of life that light bulbs break. How
do you clean up the mercury after a bulb breaks? The Institute for
Molecular and Nanoscale Innovation
measured the release of mercury vapor from broken bulbs. They
recorded concentrations near the bulb of up to 800 mcg/m3, which is
eight times the average eight-hour occupational exposure limit
allowed by OSHA (100 mcg/m3).
Even more shocking, the recommended limit for children is a mere 0.2
mcg/m3. A child exposed to a broken CFL bulb will receive eight
thousand times the recommended amount of mercury vapor!
A broken 13-watt CFL bulb will only have released 30% of its mercury
a full four days after it is broken—the remainder is trapped in the
bulb. So picking up shards with your bare hands or leaving them in
poorly ventilated room while you ponder the best disposal method is
a particularly bad idea.
Unfortunately, there is no good solution for cleaning up after a
broken CFL bulb. Researchers at Brown are testing
a cloth made with a nanomaterial (nanoselim) that can capture
mercury emissions for proper disposal. But until this is
commercially available, it is best to avoid CFLs altogether. And how
will we dispose of the clean-up cloth?
General Electric claims that CFLs don’t produce a hazardous
amount of UV radiation, and that UV is far less than the amount
produced by natural daylight. The truth is that all compact
fluorescent lights bulbs contain mercury vapor. Once that vapor is
hit with an electric current, it emits a great number of UV rays. UV
rays are theoretically absorbed by the layer of phosphor that coats
the bulbs—but the signature twisted spiral shape makes these bulbs
more prone to cracks in the phosphor, which dramatically increases
UV/mercury exposure. Researchers found
cracks in almost all bulbs purchased from retail stores,
indicating that it is a standard design flaw of these bulbs.
CFL bulbs contains other cancer-causing chemicals as well.
German scientists found that several different chemicals and
toxins were released when CFLs are turned on, including naphthalene
(which has been
linked to cancer in animals) and styrene (which has been
declared “a
likely human carcinogen”). A sort of electrical smog develops
around these lamps, which could be dangerous.
CFLs are supposedly better for the environment, but according to the
Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers, 98% of CFLs end up in
landfills—creating a
mercury build-up that can escape into our soil and waterways.
We’re happy that the federal government is tackling environmental
problems, but this “solution” is especially short-sighted—and not
unlike the
national smart meter push, is creating serious health risks in
the long-term.
Worse, soon consumers won’t have the option to buy incandescent
lights—they simply won’t be available. The government hasn’t placed
an outright ban on incandescent light bulbs. Section 321 of EISA
mandates higher efficiency standards for general service lamps. But
these standards are high enough that most commonly used incandescent
bulbs just won’t meet the new requirements.
EISA will effectively eliminate 40-, 60-, 75-, and 100-watt
incandescent bulbs. The new efficiency levels will be
in full force by 2014.
Even the United Nations has acknowledged the problem of mercury in
CFL bulbs, and has instated a ban on certain types of CFLs. We won’t
know the full implications of that ban until the treaty is made
publically available.
The good news is that CFLs are not the only energy-efficient bulbs
out there. There are also light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which are
mercury-free—though LEDs emit blue light, which can be disruptive to
sleep,
as we noted in our 2012 article.
Action Alert! Please contact your legislators immediately and call
for a repeal of the ban on incandescent lights. Tell them about the
cancer risks and the lack of proper disposal methods. Please take
action today!
The Alliance for Natural Health USA
1350 Connecticut Ave NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20036
Ph: 800.230.2762
www.anh-usa.org
http://www.anh-usa.org/compact-fluorescent-light-bulbs-a-new-cancer-risk-in-your-home/