Trade Resources Industry Views Incandescent, or 'Regular' Light Bulbs, Were Planned to Be Illegal

Incandescent, or 'Regular' Light Bulbs, Were Planned to Be Illegal

Incandescent, or 'regular' light bulbs, were planned to be illegal by next year but their replacements, compact fluorescents, bring new risks along with them and new rules handling them requires more time to learn.

Also known as CFLs, these bulbs are more energy efficient because they contain a mercury vapour inside them that requires a lot less electricity to emit light.

As a result, most first world governments are pushing for the increased usage of CFL bulbs by outlawing regular incandescents.

Health Canada says that the CFLs pose absolutely no health risk if the bulbs are handled properly and remain intact.

Extensive mercury exposure, including the mercury vapour inside CFLs, can damage the brain and cause intellectual and physical impairment.

Exposure can be particularly dangerous to children because their nervous systems are still developing.

Dr. Sami Qutob, with Health Canada, says mercury needs to be handled with care. "You want to limit your exposure. Any exposure is unwanted exposure and mercury, similar to other heavy metals, does accumulate in your body over time."

Health Canada says that even when a bulb breaks, the risk still remains low, but only if the broken bulbed is mishandled.

Tyler Trilsbeck, who uses fluorescent bulbs at home says that when he broke one, he just put it in the garbage.

Health Canada feels that a little more needs to be done to protect yourself from the mercury vapour inside the bulbs.

They say you should:

Get all people and pets out of the room

Turn off your heating and air conditioning system

Open windows and doors to air out the room for at least 15 minutes.

Get some rubber gloves to protect your skin

Pick up the pieces with two piece of stiff cardboard; don't use your vacuum

Seal the broken pieces in a glass container with a lid

Sticky tape will pick up any mercury powder

Contact local authorities for proper disposal areas for the bulb.

And if you were unlucky enough to break a bulb on a carpeted floor, even more complex rules are required for safe disposal.

With the new risks, the Canadian government has pushed back the requirement for consumers to switch to CFL bulbs until 2014, to give people enough time to learn proper procedures.
 

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Topics: Lighting