Compact Fluorescent Bulbs have Mercury?!?

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

To those here who use CFLs: Have you ever had them interfere with radios, cordless phones, or remote controls? And how long do they take to switch on?

 

[Ariadne]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

^^ I don't find either of those issues to be problems.

My CFL definitely switches on faster then the regular florescent light right beside it.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Alpha_Geek said:
The one drawback to mercury is that exposure is cumulative. Once it's in you, it pretty much dosen't leave.

And it probably doesn't spring for the cab fare home or even call the next day...

 

[Marc]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Mallory said:

JustAFriend said:
You kiddies haven't learned yet what wussies you are.... in the 60's we had HANDFULLS of mercury in every science class and regularly got to play with it.

You know, I was just about to post the same thing. I can't believe that people freak out over simple exposure to it (i.e. being in the same room). It's not radioactive or something for God's sake.

And it is a lot of fun to play with.

I guess the Doctor's must all use the electronic stick-em-in -the-ear thermometers otherwise some people would be disappearing out the consult room pretty dam quick.

I can remember breaking a thermometer in high school (dropped the thing). It was one of the big long ones used in Chemistry labs. No panic, no evacuation of the chem lab, just stand back and let the lab assistant clean it up.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Big surprise (and by 'big', I mean 'not big'): Barack Obama is pushing for a ban on incandescent bulbs.... Linky

Actually, I'm glad I read that link. It reminded me that I need to go to the hardware store tomorrow and buy incandescents in bulk.

 

[Meredith]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Hmmmm, I played with a big drop of mercury when I was a kid......


It must've screwed me up good!!!

 

[Marc]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Babaganoosh said:
Big surprise (and by 'big', I mean 'not big'): Barack Obama is pushing for a ban on incandescent bulbs.... Linky

Actually, I'm glad I read that link. It reminded me that I need to go to the hardware store tomorrow and buy incandescents in bulk.

The conservative government here is trying to mandate the same thing.

But if you want to overact it's fine by me. They CFL are no more dangerous than fluro tubes or incadnescents, are cheaper to run and last at lot long.

but who am I to worry about an irrational fear - becasue if you're that worried about a fractional amount of mercury you really should stay in a empty sealed room becuase there's plenty more toxic stuff in hour let along going outside

 

[Tim]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

^ Indeed. If one refuses to use CFLs because of trace amounts of mercury within, than one should also dispose of any CRT computer monitors or TVs in the house too (for starters).

 

[Colonel Green]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Tim M said:
^ Indeed. If one refuses to use CFLs because of trace amounts of mercury within, than one should also dispose of any CRT computer monitors or TVs in the house too (for starters).

Indeed. I guess we won't be seeing much of Babaganoosh anymore, since keeping his computer would make him a complete hypocrite.

While you're at it, get rid of your almonds and apples, wouldn't want to risk exposure to cyanide. Oh, and tomato leaves are poisonous so don't take any chances with spaghetti sauce, alfredo only from now on!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Tim M said: If one refuses to use CFLs because of trace amounts of mercury within, than one should also dispose of any CRT computer monitors or TVs in the house too (for starters).

Did that a long time ago.

(My computer is a flat panel iMac; TV is a plasma)

 

[Ariadne]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

^^ Is the air quality perfect where you live? You wouldn't want to breathe in any smog...

 

[TerriO]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Babaganoosh said:
Big surprise (and by 'big', I mean 'not big'): Barack Obama is pushing for a ban on incandescent bulbs.... Linky

Actually, I'm glad I read that link. It reminded me that I need to go to the hardware store tomorrow and buy incandescents in bulk.

Folks, can we please check our political agendas at the door? Thanks.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Toresica said:
^^ Is the air quality perfect where you live?

Probably not *perfect*, then again the air is not a product I can choose to buy or not buy. If I'm not satisfied with current CFL technology, I *can* keep them out of my house; the air, in general, is out of my personal control.

I mean, I do care about the air of course. But I don't see any reason to disregard my feelings about CFLs just because the air might not be 100% pure either.

You wouldn't want to breathe in any smog...

Exactly, which is why I'm glad we don't have any . The air seems fine to me.

Most of the pollution around here is noisy neighbors.

 

[Christopher]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

I really, really doubt that the trace amounts of mercury in one broken light bulb would pose any significant health hazard. I mean, the people in the past who suffered serious brain damage from mercury were people who worked with it and breathed in its fumes on a daily basis for decades (such as hatmakers, which is where the expression "mad as a hatter" comes from).

I think I once bit through a mercury thermometer when I was a kid. I'm still alive and healthy decades later.

Really, there's a lot more risk to your health just going out in direct sunlight than there is from using a compact fluorescent bulb in your home.

In any case, incandescents and CFLs are not the only options, or at least they won't be in a few years. We now have LEDs capable of producing white light and there are "bulbs" available that are arrays of dozens of such LEDs. They use even less power than CFLs and last pretty much indefinitely, although they're still pretty expensive.

And there are some other breakthrough lighting technologies that should be on the market in a few years. A quantum dot-based technology could allow the development of, essentially, light-emitting wallpaper or even paint.

 

[Lindley]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Light emitting wallpaper would make sleeping pretty difficult.....

 

[TerriO]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Lindley said:
Light emitting wallpaper would make sleeping pretty difficult.....

Then we either have a setting that would simulate a starry night, or develop good tech for eye masks for sleeping.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

I have heard about LEDs. I think they will make CFLs obsolete eventually.

I would love to have wallpaper that could light up or simulate other things like starry nights though. And why stop there...wallpaper could turn an entire wall into a TV!

Although I would think that any such LEDs could be simply turned off if the user wants. A light that can't be turned off wouldn't be of much use.

 

[Christopher]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Babaganoosh said:
And why stop there...wallpaper could turn an entire wall into a TV!

Indeed. There are already prototypes being developed for flexible video screens that could be incorporated into clothing, for example. Within a decade we'll probably have animated t-shirts, posters, magazine covers, package labels, etc. -- and the world will be an even more annoying place.

 

[TerriO]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

That ought to make Times Square even more...interesting.

We already have LCD panels for adverts on just about every subway entrance. So here we're getting used to that kind of thing already.

 

[Arrqh]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Sony's releasing their first commercial OLED product by the end of the year. The 27" version is a full 1080p (1920x1080), contrast ration of a million to one... and 5mm thick. OLED displays also have a much lower power consumption then LED displays.