Consumers Advised on Mercury Risks from CFL Breakage

Soon-to-be released results of tests conducted by the State of Maine confirm earlier states findings suggesting that under certain conditions mercury vapor released from a broken compact fluorescent lamp can pose a health risk. As a precaution, states like Vermont are now suggesting removal of carpeting where breakage has occurred when there are infants and pregnant women present. Other states such as Massachusetts are likely to recommend that CFLs not be placed in fixtures subject to breakage in areas frequented by sensitive populations.

However, in a report released today by the Vermont-based Mercury Policy Project, advocates say that while sensitive populations should take extra precautions to reduce risks associated with breakage, CFLs can and should still be used in everyone's homes until a nontoxic light bulb becomes available.

"Currently, using CFLs is still the brightest idea out there, both for energy cost savings and to mitigate climate change," said Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project. "Yet both government agencies and the manufacturers have a responsibility to inform consumers about what to do -- and what not to do -- when a CFL breaks. Our message is not 'Be afraid,' it's 'Be informed, and be prepared.'"

According to Bender, when a CFL breaks, the most important risk-reducing steps are to ventilate the breakage area by opening a window and then to follow correct, safe clean up procedures, including not using a vacuum cleaner or a broom. Pregnant women and children should leave the room while the breakage is cleaned up. This recommendation is based on strong scientific evidence that the very young and the fetus are much more sensitive than older groups are to the toxic effects of mercury, said Bender.

Experts also caution parents to avoid using CFLs in fixtures that can easily be knocked over, especially in homes with energetic children and pets. "You can reduce the risk of CFL breakage by not putting them in tall lamps, unprotected wall fixtures or lamps that might fall off tables," said Ned Groth, a scientist who wrote the report on behalf of MPP.

The report, "Shedding Light on Mercury Risks from CFL Breakage," also recommends the adoption of more comprehensive environmental and human health guidelines by decision makers that, in addition to energy-efficiency, address other concerns, including:

• Reduced toxicity while maintaining performance;
• Improved breakage resistance and longer lamp life (which can reduce manufacturing, transportation and disposal impacts);
• Sustainable manufacturing processes (such as the use of encapsulated mercury-dosing technologies);
• Responsible end-of-life management (particularly through producer responsibility in funding lamp collection and retailer collection programs);
• Innovative technologies such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that use less- or non-toxic materials, that have significantly longer life, are much more efficient for certain applications, and/or that offer other measurable environmental benefits.

It's generally recognized that CFLs significantly reduce mercury, greenhouse gases and other toxic emissions coming from coal-fired power plants and are three times more efficient than standard incandescent light bulbs.

Yet today, only about 2 percent of the mercury-containing lamps discarded by residents and less than 30 percent of those discarded by government and industry are recycled. Broken mercury-containing lights release an estimated 2 to 4 tons of mercury vapor into the environment each year and that number, as well as the numbers of broken CFLs in homes, is projected to grow as more lamps are used.

"Fluorescent lamps are unnecessarily breaking and releasing mercury in homes across the United States when consumers toss these fragile items into their waste baskets, trash compacters and recycling bins," explained Alicia Culver, executive director of the Green Purchasing Institute, who contributed to the report. "Lamp manufacturers could prevent a significant amount of mercury releases in homes by better labeling their products, offering more mercury-free options, and funding a nationwide lamp recycling program as they have already done in Europe," she added.