http://www.newsdaily.com/Science/UPI-1-20080105-15205600-bc-britain-ecobulbs.xml>
Report: Low-energy bulbs harmful to some
LONDON, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- British researchers warn
environmentally friendly, energy-saving, light bulbs could
cause skin cancer and trigger migraines.
The bulbs' light, which is more intense than traditional
incandescent bulbs, also can exacerbate eczema and other skin
problems, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.
An estimated 340,000 people could be harmed if the British
government phases out incandescent bulbs by 2011, as planned,
without allowances for light-sensitive medical conditions,
warned the British Association of Dermatologists and the
Migraine Action Association.
"The government simply must allow incandescent light bulbs to
be available to these people, their families, friends and
employers, and at a fair price," said Dr. Colin Holden,
president of the dermatologists' association.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
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By MARTIN DELGADO
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?in_article_id=506347&in_page_id=1965&in_page_id=1965
Energy-saving light bulbs are so dangerous that everyone must leave
the room for at least 15 minutes if one falls to the floor and breaks,
a Government department warned yesterday.
The startling alert came as health experts also warned that toxic
mercury inside the bulbs can aggravate a range of problems including
migraines and dizziness.
And a leading dermatologist said tens of thousands of people with skin
complaints will find it hard to tolerate being near the bulbs as they
cause conditions such as eczema to flare up.
The Department for Environment warned shards of glass from broken
bulbs should not be vacuumed up but instead swept away by someone
wearing rubber gloves to protect them from the bulb's mercury content.
In addition, it said care should be taken not to inhale any dust and
the broken pieces should be put in a sealed plastic bag for disposal
at a council dump - not a normal household bin.
None of this advice, however, is printed on the packaging the
new-style bulbs are sold in. There are also worries over how the bulbs
will be disposed of.
Under new regulations for hazardous waste, councils are obliged to
recycle them.
At present, they should be placed in special bins also used for
batteries at a council dump. But in future, councils will have to
provide a collection service or install special recycling banks for
the bulbs.
There are fears that without a proper disposal system, the mercury
content could contaminate water supplies.
But disposing of one municipal recycling bin full of bulbs costs about
£650 each time, adding to fears of higher council tax bills.
The warnings cast a shadow over Government plans to begin phasing out
traditional tungsten lights this month.
Ministers hope that using the more environmentally friendly bulbs will
save at least five million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every
year.
The bulbs are due to become compulsory in homes in four years.
Campaigners are calling for an opt-out so that people with health
problems can still use old-style bulbs.
Others are thinking of hoarding the familiar pear-shaped bulbs so that
they can keep on using them even after they have disappeared from the
shops.
Independent environmental scientist Dr David Spurgeon warned
yesterday: "Because these light bulbs contain small amounts of
mercury, they could cause a problem if disposed of in a normal bin.
"It is possible that the mercury could be released into the air or
from land-fill when they are released into the wider environment. That
is a concern, because mercury is a well-known toxic substance."
And dermatologist Dr John Hawk, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme
that some people already find it difficult to tolerate the
fluorescent-strip lighting that is widely used in schools and offices,
which works in the same way as the eco-friendly bulbs.
He said: "Fluorescent lights seem to have some sort of ionising
characteristic where they affect the air around them.
"This does affect a certain number of people, probably tens of
thousands, in Britain, whose ailments flare up just by being close to
them.
"Certain forms of eczema - some of which are very common - do flare up
badly anywhere near fluorescent lights, so these people have to just
be around incandescent (old-style) lighting."