Many environmentally conscious people think they are doing a great thing by using compact fluorescent light bulbs %u2013 CFLs. We see them advertised everywhere, even our most trusted environmental news sources tells us we should be using them. In the United States, production of traditional incandescent light bulbs will be phased out completely by the year 2012.
Unfortunately most people are unaware of and not many are talking about the fact that although CFL bulbs reduce energy and greenhouse gases, they put our health at an even greater risk than incandescent bulbs. They are energy efficient but not environmentally friendly.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury. Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin that can cause serious damage to the all the tissues and organs in the body as well as the central nervous system and endocrine system and it disrupts functioning of crucial neurotransmitters in the brain. It is one of the most toxic substances on the planet and has been linked to a variety of serious health conditions like autism, memory problems, infertility, depression, thyroid disorders, alzheimers, adrenal disorders, anxiety, Parkinson%u2019s and MS to name a few. It is especially toxic to children, pregnant women and small pets.
While the mercury is contained in the light bulb there is no risk, however if you drop the bulb on the floor of your home, then you are exposed to dangerous mercury vapors. Many are reporting that it is quite easy to break CFL light bulbs as you are screwing it in the socket. Additionally, when we toss them in the garbage and they are picked up by the garbage company, they are getting broken all over the city and in the landfills. This means that our air and soil is being contaminated with mercury across our cities.
