Fluorescent Lighting Dangers - Why LED Bulbs Are The Much Better Option6849327

Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) as well as more traditional fluorescent lamps are aggressively marketed as eco-friendly due to their decreased electricity utilization. Indeed, renowned replacement of incandescent bulbs with CFLs will cut down electricity demand; however, there are issues of safety that ultimately lead to making LED lighting the superior choice. Understanding fluorescent lighting risks can help ensure that fluorescent light bulbs are used and discarded safely while showing why LED lighting  is the most secure and most eco-friendly lighting choice in the long run.

Mercury

The most commonly mentioned fluorescent lighting risk is mercury. Fluorescent and also CFL bulbs hold a small amount of mercury and identified with the elemental symbol Hg. When these bulbs are chilled, some of the mercury within the lamp is in liquid form, but while the lamp is operating or when the lamp is very hot, most of the mercury is in a gaseous or vapor form.

Mercury steam is really toxic. Even in fluid form, exposure to mercury is believed life-threatening or a "severe" threat to health. Even small doses of mercury can cause severe respiratory tract damage, brain damage, kidney damage, central nervous system damage, and several other serious health conditions.

Disposed off poorly, mercury can contaminate establishments, landfills, lakes, animals, fish, birds, humans, crops and streams. In the US, the EPA has ordered waste handlers to treat fluorescent lamps as harmful waste. Up to 95 percent of the mercury found in CFLs can be recovered if the bulbs are recycled properly.

Mercury-containing lamps generated by houses and firms are not always subject to legal limitations, regarding their disposal. State laws     vary and some states, like California, Maine, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Vermont and also Massachusetts, prohibit every mercury-containing lights, including CFLs, from being thrown away in the solid waste stream.

Because mercury could be released if a fluorescent lamp is shattered, it is important to deploy fixtures in areas where the lamps are not likely to be shattered. Fittings in areas close to the ground or in locations with moving apparatus should use alloy or plastic shields to protect the lamp from being shattered. If a fluorescent lamp cracks, there are numerous safety and cleanup troubles which we will discuss in a more thorough way in the following portion.

Breakage

Fluorescent lamps develop several hazards if shattered. Based on the type, there may be a partial vacuum or the bulb may be under pressure. Breaking the glass may cause shrapnel injuries, and the release of mercury and other unhealthy compounds.

The greatest immediate injury danger from a shattered lamp is from the phosphor-coated glass. If cut with fluorescent lamp glass, almost any phosphor that gets into the wound is likely to prevent blood clotting but will interfere with healing. Such accidents should be treated seriously and immediate medical help should be obtained for anyone or domestic pets that are cut. Medical personnel must be informed that the accidents were because of a broken fluorescent lamp, and that mercury came to be present.

To minimize exposure to mercury steam, EPA and other industry experts advise a few measures. Children and pets should stay away from the area, and windows must be opened for at least 15 minutes so that vapors may spread. Scrubbing can be done manually using throw-aways materials. Use rubber throw away gloves and scoop up the materials with hard paper or cardboard. Apply sticky tape to pick up small pieces and powder, clean the area with a saturated paper towel, and dispose of the materials in an outside trash bin. Never use a vacuum because this will only disperse the mercury steam and leave particles trapped inside the cleaner bag.