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Posted Jan 10th 2008 1:33PM by Sandy Maple
Filed under: Making a Difference, Environmental
Making your world a little 'greener' doesn't always have to involve a major lifestyle change. Little changes can add up to a big difference if everybody makes them. Recycling household waste is a good place to start, but depending on where you live, that isn't always as easy as it should be.
Experts sat that one thing we can all do to conserve energy is switch out our old incandescent light bulbs for the more energy-efficient fluorescent ones. They may cost a bit more initially, but over time will save you money. That sounds so easy that you wonder why everyone isn't doing it.
Maybe it is the mercury inside those fluorescent bulbs that give some of us pause. If you were to break one, you've just created some hazardous waste right in the comfort of your own home. A broken fluorescent bulb will immediately release mercury into the air. And the initial discomfort of exposure to that mercury - dizziness and nausea - are the least of your concerns. Breathing in that stuff can cause lifelong damage to the central nervous system and should be avoided.
If you are convinced that fluorescent is the way to go, there are some ways to minimize your risk of exposure to mercury from a broken bulb. Toxicology experts say the first thing you should do if you break one is to leave the room immediately. Take the kids and the pets with you and don't come back for at least fifteen minutes. After the air has cleared, you can begin cleaning up the mess, but don't break out the vacuum cleaner. Instead, wear rubber gloves and sweep it into a plastic bag. Seal the bag and dispose of it as you would any other hazardous waste. In my area, we have a hazardous waste facility that is open daily as well as mobile collection sites around town. I would assume non-broken fluorescent bulbs should be treated as hazardous waste as well. I mean, you drop it in the trash, it is going to break at some point, right?
Having said all that, I have to say that I am not convinced the energy-efficiency is worth the risk. What about you? Have you switched to fluorescent?
Filed under: Making a Difference, Environmental
Making your world a little 'greener' doesn't always have to involve a major lifestyle change. Little changes can add up to a big difference if everybody makes them. Recycling household waste is a good place to start, but depending on where you live, that isn't always as easy as it should be.
Experts sat that one thing we can all do to conserve energy is switch out our old incandescent light bulbs for the more energy-efficient fluorescent ones. They may cost a bit more initially, but over time will save you money. That sounds so easy that you wonder why everyone isn't doing it.
Maybe it is the mercury inside those fluorescent bulbs that give some of us pause. If you were to break one, you've just created some hazardous waste right in the comfort of your own home. A broken fluorescent bulb will immediately release mercury into the air. And the initial discomfort of exposure to that mercury - dizziness and nausea - are the least of your concerns. Breathing in that stuff can cause lifelong damage to the central nervous system and should be avoided.
If you are convinced that fluorescent is the way to go, there are some ways to minimize your risk of exposure to mercury from a broken bulb. Toxicology experts say the first thing you should do if you break one is to leave the room immediately. Take the kids and the pets with you and don't come back for at least fifteen minutes. After the air has cleared, you can begin cleaning up the mess, but don't break out the vacuum cleaner. Instead, wear rubber gloves and sweep it into a plastic bag. Seal the bag and dispose of it as you would any other hazardous waste. In my area, we have a hazardous waste facility that is open daily as well as mobile collection sites around town. I would assume non-broken fluorescent bulbs should be treated as hazardous waste as well. I mean, you drop it in the trash, it is going to break at some point, right?
Having said all that, I have to say that I am not convinced the energy-efficiency is worth the risk. What about you? Have you switched to fluorescent?