LESS MERCURY IS GOOD MERCURY?
In looking at the energy consumed using incandescent light bulbs it can be seen that if coal is used to generate the electricity, a significant amount of mercury will be released into the environment which is harmful.
The concept currently being promoted by government is to replace incandescent light bulbs with more energy efficient mercury containing compact fluorescent light bulbs which reduce energy consumption hence less coal is burned to generate electricity and the environmental harm from mercury is reduced. It is further argued that even if the mercury in the compact fluorescent bulbs were released to the environment, the total amount of mercury released by the disposal of the bulb plus the amount emitted to power the more efficient bulb is less than would have been emitted to the environment if an incandescent bulb were powered.
Let us assume that this argument is sound.
The second argument made is that the small amount of mercury in the light bulbs is “safe” because it reduces harm to the environment. This argument is illogical because the concentrated release of 1 to 4 mg of mercury by the breakage of a single compact fluorescent bulb can pose an immediate health risk to persons exposed to this mercury,
A coal plant emits small amounts of mercury over time to power a single light bulbs therefore the mercury release is profound for the environment where mercury accumulates in fish, shellfish etc but it does not pose an “immediate danger” to the user of an incandescent or LED light bulb. LED Light bulbs can reduce power use in lighting thereby reducing mercury emissions without the risks associated with the mercury in compact fluorescent bulbs.
Perhaps we should not burn coal without means to trap mercury.
If a compact fluorescent light bulb breaks, a person can be exposed to 1 to 4mg of mercury which is a significant amount in terms of health risk. The breakage of a package of 6 bulbs could release 6-24mg of mercury. In the workplace, a spill of 6-24mg of mercury would be a serious issue, and spills of 25mg or more must be cleaned up by hazardous materials specialist teams in many jurisdictions. That is how serious a mercury spill is in terms of health risk yet we allow ourselves the possibility of such an exposure when handling compact fluorescent light bulbs!
Mercury is very toxic and is known to damage the central nervous system, the endocrine system, the kidneys, and other organs as well as harming the mouth, gums, and teeth. Exposure over long periods of time or heavy exposure to mercury vapor can result in brain damage or death. Mercury and its compounds are particularly toxic to fetuses and infants. Women who have been exposed to mercury in pregnancy have sometimes given birth to children with serious birth defects (Minamata disease).
Mercury exposure in young children can have severe neurological consequences, preventing nerve sheaths from forming properly. Mercury is thought to inhibit the formation of myelin, the building block protein that forms these sheaths.
Some studies propose that mercury poisoning may predispose Young’s syndrome (men with bronchiectasis and low sperm count).
Mercury poisoning’s effects partially depend on the exposure conditions and breaking a single light bulbs may be a small risk …
But why take a chance?
Wayne Conrad
