EPA WARNS PUBLIC ABOUT MERCURY HAZARDS IN CFL LIGHT BULBS

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EPA WARNS PUBLIC ABOUT MERCURY HAZARDS IN CFL LIGHT BULBS











By Rosalind Peterson

January 29, 2011

NewsWithViews.com



First EPA News Brief Summary: "WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today updated its guidance on how to properly clean up a broken compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). [1] Included with the guidance is a new consumer brochure with CFL recycling and cleanup tips...CFLs contain a small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. When a CFL breaks, some of the mercury is released as vapor and may pose potential health risks. The guidance and brochure will provide simple, user friendly directions to help prevent and reduce exposure to people from mercury pollution..." [2]



In switching from incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent light bulbs and CFLs our elected officials opened the door to a massive mercury pollution problem across the United States threatening landfills and drinking water supplies. Our elected officials have been derelict in making this information available to the public and providing the necessary hazardous waste sites available for their recycling and disposal in every local community [9]. And there should have been a massive public education campaign to inform the public about these hazards. It is too late for the fluorescent and CFL bulbs that have already been tossed into dumpsters and landfills. We now can change this process through education and laws regarding the hazardous material disposal of these bulbs [10].



According to the EPA the following list of light bulbs contain mercury: [7]