Fluorescent Lighting Hazards - Why LED Lights Are The Much Better Option3043906

Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) along with more standard fluorescent lamps are now being seriously marketed as environmentally friendly due to their decreased electricity consumption. Indeed, renowned replacement of incandescent bulbs with CFLs will cut down electricity demand; however, there are safety issues that ultimately lead to making LED lighting the excellent choice. Knowing fluorescent lighting risks can help ensure that fluorescent light bulbs are being used and disposed of safely while showing why LED lighting  is the most secure and most eco-friendly lighting choice in the long run.

Mercury

One of the commonly quoted fluorescent lighting danger is mercury. Fluorescent as well as CFL bulbs hold a small amount of mercury and identified with the basic symbol Hg. When these bulbs are cold, some of the mercury inside the lamp is in liquefied form, but while the fixture is operating or when the lamp is very hot, most of the mercury is in a gaseous or vapor form.

Mercury mist is extremely poisonous. Even in liquid form, exposure to mercury is regarded life-threatening or a "severe" danger to health. Even little doses of mercury could cause severe respiratory tract damage, memory damage, kidney damage, central nervous system damage, and many other serious medical conditions.

Disposed off improperly, mercury can pollute infrastructures, landfills, rivers, animals, fish, birds, humans, crops and lakes. In the US, the EPA has required waste handlers to manage fluorescent lamps as hazardous waste. Up to 95 percent of the mercury contained in CFLs can be taken out if the bulbs are recycled properly.

Mercury-containing lamps generated by households and companies are not always determined by legal restrictions, regarding their disposal. State laws     differ and some states, like California, Maine, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Vermont and Massachusetts, prohibit every mercury-containing lamps, including CFLs, from being flushed out in the solid waste river.

Because mercury could be released if a fluorescent lamp is broken, it is important to set up fixtures in areas where the lamps are not likely to be destroyed. Fixtures in areas close to the ground or in places with moving equipment should use metal or plastic shields to guard the lamp from being shattered. If a fluorescent lamp breaks, there are numerous safety and cleanup troubles which we will discuss in a more thorough way in the following section.

Breakage

Fluorescent lamps create several hazards if damaged. Depending on the type, there may be a partial vacuum or the light bulb may be under pressure. Shattering the glass may cause shrapnel injuries, and the release of mercury along with other unhealthy compounds.

The biggest immediate injury danger from a broken 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 and can interfere with curing. Such injuries should be handled seriously and immediate medical assistance should be obtained for individuals or house animals that are cut. Medical personnel ought to be informed that the wounds were due to a shattered fluorescent lamp, and that mercury was present.

To minimize exposure to mercury mist, EPA and other experts advise a few precautions. Children and pets should stay away from the area, and windows must be opened for at least 15 minutes to ensure that vapors may spread. Cleaning can be done manually using limited use materials. Use rubber throw away gloves and scoop up the materials with firm paper or cardboard. Use sticky tape to pick up small bits and powder, clean the area with a wet paper towel, and wipe out the materials in an outside bin. Never use a vacuum since this will only disperse the mercury steam and leave particles buried in the cleaner bag.