Most of us have moved on from our old light bulbs to the new energy saving bulbs. Almost all of us have been inspired by the energy efficiency and money saving offered by these new generation light bulbs, ignoring the fact that our old light bulbs were our true environment friendly companions. The fact is that these new generation of energy efficient bulbs are toxic to the level that there is an emergency protocol created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to deal with a broken bulb. These bulbs release poisonous gas when broken.
If you break these light bulbs indoors, they will emit 20 times the peak allowed mercury concentration in the air. This was reported in a study performed by scientists at the Fraunhofer Wilhelm Klauditz Institute. The study was conducted for Germany’s Federal Environment Agency.
The health hazards of these energy efficient light bulbs are as following:
– Cluster headaches
– Seizures
– Anxiety
– Migraines
– Dizziness
– Inability to concentrate
– Fatigue
These energy bulbs can also cause migraines, anxiety and cancer.
Why you should be Using Old Incandescent Bulbs?
– There is mercury in the new energy saving bulbs. This compound is a powerful neurotoxin that is specifically hazardous for kids and pregnant ladies. Mercury is very toxic for our brains, liver, kidneys and nervous system. It could also cause damages to our immune system, reproductive system and cardiovascular system. Mercury can lead to development of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, headaches, tremors, memory loss and insomnia.
– These new bulbs can also lead to cancer. According to a research work conducted at Alab Laboratory (Berlin) by Peter Braun, there are poisonous carcinogens in these bulbs:
1. Phenol – This is a mild acidic poisonous white crystalline solid sourced from coal tar and used for chemical manufacturing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenol).
2. Styrene – This is unsaturated liquid hydrocarbon, which is sourced as a byproduct of petroleum production (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styrene).
3. Naphthalene – This is a highly volatile, white crystalline chemical obtained through distillation of coal tar. It is used both as raw material in chemical manufacturing and as mothballs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naphthalene).
– New energy saving light bulbs also release ultraviolet radiations. They release UV-B and small amounts of UV-C rays. It is well known that UV rays cause harm to our skin and eyes, and could also cause skin cancer. These rays from the bulbs will directly impact our immune system. They also damage our skin tissues, preventing the production of vitamin D3.
The new energy efficient bulbs are considered so toxic that you should not be throwing them away in the garbage. They fall in the hazardous waste category. If one is broken accidently, make sure to leave all the doors and windows open for minimum 15 minutes and ask everyone to go out. This is essential to prevent being exposed to the toxic gas.
But the sad thing is that old incandescent light bulbs will not be available after some time. According to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), it is required to phase out the old incandescent light bulbs and use only energy efficient CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs.
Source: Living Traditionally
References:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bulbs-552477-ogunseitan-lights.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/031276_fluorescent_light_bulbs_mercury.html