Energy saving light bulbs and mercury

Justin Fleming

Low-energy light bulbs, as the name would suggest, are great for energy saving but it has recently been noticed that they contain small amounts of mercury which has people worried.

Low-energy light bulbs, as the name would suggest, are great for energy saving but it has recently been noticed that they contain small amounts of mercury which has people worried.

Mercury is a toxic metal traditionally used in thermometers. Up to 5 milligrams can be found in energy saving bulbs compared to the 3 grams you would find in the thermometer.

"No amount of mercury is good for you, but the very small amount contained in a single modern CFL is unlikely to cause any harm, even if the lamp should be broken,' says the UK Department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra)."

Mercury is present in every compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL), and always has been - strip lighting typically found in kitchens and garages are prime examples, but on the plus side, the amounts of the liquid metal they do contain are now a fraction of the 100 milligrams that could be found in first generation bulbs.

Louise Molloy from the environmental group Greenpeace said that "Rather than being worried about the mercury these light bulbs contain, the general public should be reassured that using them will actually reduce the amount of mercury overall in our atmosphere."

"More mercury is emitted by fossil-fuel fired power plants when producing electricity for the incandescent lights, than for the energy-saving CFLs."

What does need to be addressed however is the lack of information on energy-saving packaging about how to safely dispose of these trace elements of mercury. The lighting industry and the government say the risk of mercury pollution posed by low-energy bulbs is minimal, but:

"Official advice from the Department of the Environment states that if a low-energy bulb is smashed, the room needs to be vacated for at least 15 minutes.

A vacuum cleaner should not be used to clear up the debris, and care should be taken not to inhale the dust.

Instead, rubber gloves should be used, and the broken bulb put into a sealed plastic bag - which should be taken to the local council for disposal."

When a bulb blows in the house, are we expected to walk to the local town hall and give it to the receptionist?

Kevin Verdun of the Lighting Association said: