Monday, March 23, 2015

Study says energy-efficient light bulbs may emit harmful radiation

Study says energy-efficient light bulbs may emit harmful radiation | Human Events:
"As reported by the Washington Examiner, a study from Stony Brook University “has proven that CFLs do emit ultraviolet (UV) light rays that can harm human skin cells.
CFLs are compact fluorescent light bulbs – the expensive spiral light bulbs we have been forced to begin using, after incandescent light bulbs were regulated out of existence.
We already knew CFLs were dangerous if you drop them and break them.  
They contain mercury, so a complex hazardous-materials procedure is recommended by the EPA when they break.  You don’t just sweep the broken glass up with a broom. 
The first three steps of the EPA procedure involve clearing people and pets out of the room where the CFL bulb was broken, airing it out for 5-10 minutes, and shutting down your central heating or air conditioning system to prevent poisonous mercury vapors from contaminating the house. 
Vacuum-cleaning the area where the bulb shattered would be a dangerous mistake, because it could spread mercury vapors. 
Oh, and plastic bags don’t fully contain those vapors, so be sure to get the bagged broken glass out of your house ASAP! 
The rest of the instructions run for a total of three pages.
But now it turns out these bulbs can be dangerous even when they don’t break..."

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