Toxic Lamp Bulbs ( thanks EU)

[bernardgreen]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/15/nbook15.xml

Poisonous light bulbs

A foretaste of the delights we can expect in 2009, when the EU makes it compulsory for us to use planet-saving, low-energy light bulbs (CFLs, or Compact Fluorescent Lamps), comes from the website of Bar Harbour, a small town in Maine. Last month Brandy Bridges was inserting a CFL in her seven-year-old daughter's bedroom, to save on energy bills, when the bulb fell onto the carpet and broke.

She rang the shop it came from, asking how to dispose of it, She was told that, because it contained mercury, she should ring the Poison Control hotline. They directed her to the Department of Environmental Protection, which immediately sent an official to take mercury readings. Around the carpet they were so high that they instructed her not to clean it up herself but to contact a local contractor, Clean Harbour Environmental Services.

The firm inspected the bedroom and quoted her a minimum of $2,000 dollars to clean it up and remove the carpet. A month later the child's bedroom is still sealed off, while Mrs Bridges scrapes together the $2,000 and money to replace the carpet.

Since this became a local cause célèbre, the DEP has changed its tune, saying that it is perfectly okay to clean up spilt mercury with sticky tape. Mrs Bridges, having first been told how dangerous that mercury was, is not convinced.

And Brussels still has to work out how to dispose of all those billions of CFLs it wants to make compulsory in the EU from 2009, since its Restriction on Hazardous Substances directive last year banned the disposal of mercury into landfill.

Another version on
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55213

Now as mercury fillings in teeth and mercury thermometers in hospitals are being phased out for reasons of health why should it be re-introduced into every home.

When supplying radio paging systems to nuclear power stations in the 1980's the use of mecury batteries was prohibited as mercury would if released affect stainless steel among other listed dangers.

And the expression "mad as a hatter" is from the mental and neurological illnesses suffere by hat makers when mercury was used in the processing of the materials used to make hats.

 

[Steve]

Mercury is present in CFLs, but only a tiny amount. In fact, last week i bought a UV tube for the filter in the fish pond, and I could see the little ball of mercury rolling around in the tube!

One route of disposal could be via the household recycling schemes that have been rolled out across the country, so long as they are wrapped in cardboard or bubble wrap etc so they dont break while they are being transported. Then the little blob of mercury can be extracted and used again.

 

[2scoops0406]

Well what would you do what a compound that has the following properties :-

* Death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities.
* Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage.
* Excessive ingestion produces a number of unpleasant though not typically life-threatening side-effects.
* DHMO is a major component of acid rain.
* Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns.
* Contributes to soil erosion.
* Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals.
* Contamination of electrical systems often causes short-circuits.
* Exposure decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes.
* Found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumors and lesions.
* Given to vicious dogs involved in recent deadly attacks.
* Often associated with killer cyclones in the U.S. Midwest and elsewhere, and in hurricanes including deadly storms in Florida, New Orleans and other areas of the southeastern U.S.
* Thermal variations in DHMO are a suspected contributor to the El Nino weather effect.


Stuff of mightmares eh?

 

[bernardgreen]

Dihydrogen Monoxide.....as you say can be dangerous.

But mercury is also dangerous.

Dispoal of dead tubes is already required to be via a hazardous waste proceedure in commercial premises due to the toxicity of the materials used in the construction

 

[wanabechippie]

I remember seeng a documentary on C4 a few years back about these kids who re-create WWE wrestling shows in their back gardens. Part of the act would be to smash loads of these light tubes over each others heads!

At the end of the doc, it was pointed out that nearly all of these kids suffered from some form of mental illness (depression, ADD etc). Narrator suggested that the wresting served as an escape from their symptoms when really, it could have been the cause!!

 

[BoxBasher]

Well what would you do what a compound that has the following properties :-

* Death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities.
* Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage.
* Excessive ingestion produces a number of unpleasant though not typically life-threatening side-effects.
* DHMO is a major component of acid rain.
* Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns.
* Contributes to soil erosion.
* Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals.
* Contamination of electrical systems often causes short-circuits.
* Exposure decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes.
* Found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumors and lesions.
* Given to vicious dogs involved in recent deadly attacks.
* Often associated with killer cyclones in the U.S. Midwest and elsewhere, and in hurricanes including deadly storms in Florida, New Orleans and other areas of the southeastern U.S.
* Thermal variations in DHMO are a suspected contributor to the El Nino weather effect.


Stuff of mightmares eh?

Nightmares indeed - I found out that they use this in the manufacture of beer!

It's also added to baby food, meat - it's use is even allowed in the growing of organic produce!!

It's presence can also accelerate susceptibility to sunburn - increasing the risk of melanoma.

 

[Steve]

I was watching 40yr old virgin last night, on sky movies, and the guys on there who worked at a home electronics store seemed to enjoy smashing fluorescent tubes about at the back of the store on their lunch break etc. Why would they have old (or new for that matter) fluorescent tubes at a home electronics store?

 

[empip]

Should we blame Latka Gravas? Or, what is in a name?

 

[BoxBasher]

I was watching 40yr old virgin last night, on sky movies, and the guys on there who worked at a home electronics store seemed to enjoy smashing fluorescent tubes about at the back of the store on their lunch break etc. Why would they have old (or new for that matter) fluorescent tubes at a home electronics store?

Don't they have lights in shops?

Maybe they change the tubes when they go out?