There is a growing frenzy about the safety of energy saving light bulbs, which have grown increasingly popular.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has even released an emergency advisory for the product. This is mainly because they are full of poisonous gas, which is released when they break.
Mercury Is Just The Beginning
Scientists at the Fraunhofer Wilhelm Klauditz Institute found that if these energy saving light bulbs break indoors, they could fill the air with 20 times the upper safety limit of mercury in the environment.
This could lead to the following medical conditions:
- Migraines
- Dizziness
- Seizure
- Cluster headaches
- Anxiety
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue
What Are The Other Risks?
Mercury is a neurotoxin. It’s specifically dangerous for the brain, kidneys, liver and the nervous system, but can also damage the reproductive, immune and cardiovascular systems.
Additionally, according the The Daily Mail, “German scientists claimed that several carcinogenic chemicals and toxins were released when the environmentally-friendly compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) were switched on, including phenol, naphthalene and styrene.”
Here’s a Breakdown of Each of These Chemicals:
Phenol – A mild carcinogen which is known to be highly irritating to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes in humans after short term inhalation.
It can cause irregular breathing, muscle weakness and tremors, loss of coordination, convulsions, coma, and respiratory arrest at high doses. via Environmental Protection Agency
Naphthalene – According to the National Pesticide Information Center, Naphthalene is made from crude oil or coal tar. It can be found in things like cigarette smoke and car exhaust.
The World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that naphthalene is possibly carcinogenic to humans.
...[ Continue to next page ]
Tag: Blog , Health , Light Bulbs