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Posted by Keli Rabon

Toxic Truth About Energy Saving Bulbs

Fast Facts

* Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) contain a small amount of mercury, a very toxic chemical.
* These bulbs cannot be thrown into the trash can, and if you break one, it could be hazardous to your health.
* Experts worry that billions of bulbs could soon collect in our landfills, and eventually create toxic mercury levels in our environment.

keli.rabon@wreg.com

(Memphis - 2/2/2009) Compact fluorescent light bulbs appear to be the quick switch to going green. They promise big savings on your electric bill, but could be hazardous to your health.

"Once it's broken, don't want them to handle it anymore than they have to," Shelby County Environmental Services Director Lisa Williams said.

Risks to your family, your health, and your environment. Risks that simply aren't explained on the label -- these bulbs contain mercury.

"It causes memory problems, confusion," Dr. Steve Winbery, a toxicologist, said.

When a CFL bulb breaks, the glass shatters and a toxic cloud of mercury is released, sending vapors into the air and mercury levels skyrocketing throughout the room -- up to 300 times more than what the Environmental Protection Agency considers safe.

The levels dramatically decrease when you open a window and let the room air out, but the EPA says, traces of mercury don't completely disappear.

"Maybe that explains why my dog is acting so funny lately!" Shelby County resident Bobby Williams said.

Williams didn't know about the dangers. He says, he bought the bulbs because they're "Energy Star approved".

Our News Channel 3 Investigation uncovers, Energy Star is a program created by the EPA to promote energy-efficient products, like CFLs. Thus, the agency that approves and endorses the bulbs, is the same agency warning you about their dangers.

"We're not 100 percent one way or another. We say, yes, these are environmentally superior products, but that said, like other things in the home like drain cleaner, you need to be a little bit careful," Energy Star Director of Marketing Peter Banwell said.

"All those broken bulbs going to a single place like a landfill, it will eventually produce a problem," Winbery said.

Dr. Winbery says the mercury inside one bulb won't hurt you, it's only about 5 mL.

He's worried about the billions of broken and burn-out bulbs that could be headed to our landfills in the next few years.

"If we let these things build up in the environment, we will realize a consequence. the consequence will be acutely ill people with neurological issues, but even more so, cancers and other types of long-term illnesses that could result from the buildup of this product in the environment," Winbery said.

Shelby County Environmental Services Director Lisa Williams hopes you'll bring your CFL bulbs to the Shelby County Household Hazardous Waste Center. It's a holding place for caustic chemicals and toxic trash, but they also accept those innocent looking light bulbs are collected to ship off for processing.

The glass, plastic, and aluminum are separated at a different facility; even the mercury is extracted from the bulb.

But even savvy recyclers we talked to, said they had no clue. WREG Investigator Keli Rabon asked several Shelby County residents how they get rid of their CFL bulbs.

"Put em in the trash, just like I used to do the old bulbs," Shelby County resident Bobby Williams said.

"My trash can is about two feet away," Memphis resident Mike Gephardt said.

"Right now, it's extremely inconvenient to dispose these bulbs any other way than putting them in the garbage," Dr. Winbery said.

An inconvenient step that Winbery worries is being overlooked by the government and consumers.

"We all share water one way or another, and water leaches through landfills, and whatever is in the landfill, gets in the water supply. It will expose all of us," Winbery said.

Meaning the instant solution to going green, could spark long-term consequences, destroying the environment these bulbs were designed to save.

"If I look at what I do, and you amplify that by the number of people that use it. You've got a lot of mercury floating around that people don't understand or know about," Bobby Williams said.

Shelby County Household Hazardous Waste Center appears to be the one of the only county-run facilities in our area that accepts CFL bulbs. DeSoto County does not accept them, nor does Tipton County. Contact your local Household Hazard Waste Center for more information.

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I didn't know this. Thought I would post the article here, share the information. We use these bulbs and have broken them. It's a bit upsetting to know that we have exposed our kids like that. Now, we need to find out just where we should dispose of the old bulbs.

Brenda/Rowan