The environment still remains at the top of many agendas, and whilst sustainability is vitally important to the planet, other ‘vested interests’, such as global warming, are on extremely dodgy scientific ground. So are light bulbs …
This notion now borders on political incorrectness amongst many environmentalists, but the fact is that the simple incandescent light bulb is, in spite of everything, still the cleanest, most non-toxic form of consumer lighting available. A new study published by the University of California – Irvine (UCI) has found that popular energy-saving light bulbs are overflowing with high levels of lead, arsenic, and an assortment of other toxic chemicals.
Oladele Ogunseitan, professor of public health and social ecology at UCI and lead author of the new study, and his team, crushed a variety of different ‘environmentally friendly’ bulbs to expose their internal chemicals. They then simulated an acid-rain scenario to see how the chemicals in the bulbs would react, and what the resulting liquid would be composed of.
They discovered that the ‘environmentally friendly’ bulbs contained the highest levels of arsenic, a toxic element that damages cells and leads to cardiovascular problems, among other things. And low-intensity red LED bulbs were found to have the highest levels of lead, a toxic heavy metal that damages bones, the heart, intestines, kidneys, and the reproductive and nervous systems. White bulbs had high level of nickel, another potentially damaging metal that can cause skin problems.
In a landfill situation, broken ‘environmentally friendly’ bulbs can contaminate ground water supplies, rivers, streams, and lakes. In individual homes, the breakage of such bulbs is similar to CFLs in that careful cleanup is necessary as the residue is highly toxic. And even when taking precautions, bulb fumes and their corresponding chemicals can get into carpet and other hard-to-clean places, exposing young children to untold levels of such toxins over long periods of time.
Rod Millington
Editor
