Energy saving lamps 'contain cancer causing chemicals'

[RWJ]

Don't know if anyone else read this today...

Fears have been reignited about the safety of energy saving light bulbs after a group of scientists warned that they contain cancer causing chemicals.

Their report advises that the bulbs should not be left on for extended periods, particularly near someone’s head, as they emit poisonous materials when switched on.
Peter Braun, who carried out the tests at the Berlin's Alab Laboratory, said: “For such carcinogenic substances it is important they are kept as far away as possible from the human environment.”


Andreas Kirchner, of the Federation of German Engineers, said: “Electrical smog develops around these lamps.
“I, therefore, use them only very economically. They should not be used in unventilated areas and definitely not in the proximity of the head.”




SOURCE: The Telegraph


Energy saving light bulbs 'contain cancer causing chemicals' - Telegraph

 

[Adam W]

WTF!? I've got one of these in a desk lamp about 20cm from my head!

As if I needed another reason to hate these awful things.

 

[morph]

oh ! and BC now want 75 % of these ****ers in new builds

 

[alarm man]

Don't know if anyone else read this today...

Fears have been reignited about the safety of energy saving light bulbs after a group of scientists warned that they contain cancer causing chemicals.

Their report advises that the bulbs should not be left on for extended periods, particularly near someone’s head, as they emit poisonous materials when switched on.
Peter Braun, who carried out the tests at the Berlin's Alab Laboratory, said: “For such carcinogenic substances it is important they are kept as far away as possible from the human environment.”


Andreas Kirchner, of the Federation of German Engineers, said: “Electrical smog develops around these lamps.
“I, therefore, use them only very economically.]

if he was that bothered he wouldn't use them at all..says andreas who's shares in german power stations plummet...load of untruth.

 

[Robinson]

Check it out guys
it was in mail too!

Energy saving bulbs 'release cancer causing chemicals', say scientists | Mail Online


and this was interesting

Brain Damage

An broken CFL bulb releases mercury.
Mercury is a neurotoxin and classified as toxic waste that causes permanent brain damage.

---
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS, 2008) and supported by Fabiano (2008) indicated that studies at Brown University in the USA revealed that mercury vapour from broken CFLs is a major hazard.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/science-...#ixzz161MK4z38
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

---

Studies Warn Of Mercury Risk In Energy-Saving Bulbs
Homeowners Cautioned On Use Of Fluorescent Spirals
Consumers were cautioned to avoid using the energy-saving bulbs on tables or in other places where they can be easily broken.

Studies Warn Of Mercury Risk In Energy-Saving Bulbs - Boston News Story - WCVB Boston


personally i think it a hype.... i mean what about the air we breath. never tell us about the strange plumes of vapours pouring out of air planes or the water we drink, or the food we eat. Its all having an effect on us. lamps well they seem pretty air tight to me.

 

[Adam W]

They're air tight until you break them. They should be disposed of responsibly, in accordance with WEEE, however that's an inconvenience most people can do without, so the average householder will wrap them up and throw them out with the household waste where they end up in landfill sites.
One lightbulb's worth of mercury might not do much harm, but smash a million of them in a heap outdoors and all the mercury will find it's way down to water level where it'll end up being used as drinking water.

Look at what's happened with smoke detectors - a tiny amount of radiation in each one, but strap a million together with some explosives and you've got yourself a dirty bomb.

 

[Robinson]

Yeah this very true actually Novus. We have a huge task of actually recycling this stuff landfills are hardcore toxic waste grounds these days.
Remember watching a prog on these poor African kids living on what they call Edumps. basically unbelievably huge waste sites just for electronics and tech waste. these kids actually lived on it, desperately ripping all the equip up to get metals etc for $$$...thing was the mercury on the place was through the roof. these poor kids had serious serious lung disorders and health issues..an you know what. most of these computers and old mobiles they had all had UK stickers on like from Oxford Uni, Gov depts of various councils etc...shocking. we are led to believe this stuff goes over there for them to use. what a joke...

 

[Knobhead]

Hold on!

They may contain carcinogenic materials, but how can they emit them through a glass envelope?

Disposal of used lamps is the big issue. Breakage is a side issue due to the very small amounts contained in a single lamp.

The bl**dy greens will have us using candles soon. Eeerr hang on though, there’s the carbon emissions from the candles…………… Oh sh*t what have I started?

 

[Adam W]

Hold on!

I've just explained all of this:

They may contain carcinogenic materials, but how can they emit them through a glass envelope?

It's a glass bulb, not an impenetrable glass forcefield; glass is well known for breaking. The tubes used in sunbeds are made of glass and they still seem to be able to cause cancer.

Disposal of used lamps is the big issue. Breakage is a side issue due to the very small amounts contained in a single lamp.

Yes there is a very small amount in a single lamp, but there are a massive amount of single lamps in circulation.
Put together a massive amount of very small amounts and you've got a massive amount.
That massive amount has to come from somewhere (Chinese mercury mines where workers are dying from mercury poisoning left right and centre) and it has to go somewhere, which should be a WEEE recycling scheme but is more likely to be landfill sites because it is easier for domestic consumers.

The bl**dy greens will have us using candles soon. Eeerr hang on though, there’s the carbon emissions from the candles…………… Oh sh*t what have I started?

Wasn't it the enviro-mentalists who wanted us to use these things in the first place?
I don't see what was wrong with using tungsten filament lamps, but powering them with the 'green energy' that's used in environmentally friendly electric cars.

 

[RWJ]

Wasn't it the enviro-mentalists who wanted us to use these things in the first place?
I don't see what was wrong with using tungsten filament lamps, but powering them with the 'green energy' that's used in environmentally friendly electric cars.

Yep.... It seems the "greenies" prefer us to use environmental UNfriendly chemicals!! Least it saves energy..... That would be the wind energy (backed up by Nuclear) where I live.. So mother nature doesn't have to "puff" so hard!!!

 

[Penance]

It's a glass bulb, not an impenetrable glass forcefield; glass is well known for breaking. The tubes used in sunbeds are made of glass and they still seem to be able to cause cancer.


.

Sorry but that is irrelvant.
The cancer threat with sunbeds is caused by UV light on the skin the same as over exposure to sunlight, it has nothing to do with what is inside the tube.

 

[Adam W]

Sorry but that is irrelvant.
The cancer threat with sunbeds is caused by UV light on the skin the same as over exposure to sunlight, it has nothing to do with what is inside the tube.

Really!? You're trying to tell me that all glass tubes are the same regardless of what's inside them? Where do you think the UV light comes from if not from the tube?

 

[Penance]

Really!? You're trying to tell me that all glass tubes are the same regardless of what's inside them? Where do you think the UV light comes from if not from the tube?

You miss the point, the original post was about reports of potentially carconogenic material in the glass envelope. This can not be harmful unless it escapes the envelope.

Your previous post seemed to imply that sunbeds cause cancer due to something in the tube, that is not the case. It is the UV light on the skin that can cause skin cancer and not any chemical in the tube.

 

[Knobhead]

Lamps used in sun beds do NOT emit carcinogenic materials they emit radiation at levels that are carcinogenic.

A single lamp accidentally broken in the home isn’t going to pollute the universe, industrial sites now use licensed disposal methods.

I’m against interfering greens dictating policies they know nothing about!

Just don’t get me started on the nuclear debate, I’m all for it with proper legislation.

 

[Adam W]

Lamps used in sun beds do NOT emit carcinogenic materials they emit radiation at levels that are carcinogenic.

Well I'm sure that will be a massive comfort to anyone who's developed cancer after using a sunbed.

A single lamp accidentally broken in the home isn’t going to pollute the universe, industrial sites now use licensed disposal methods.

Maybe not, but a million lamps broken accidentally or otherwise is going to cause problems. Industrial sites, licenced disposal methods and whatever are irrelevant if they're not used and people just chuck them out with landfill waste.

I’m against interfering greens dictating policies they know nothing about!

It was "interfering greens" who made us all use the silly things in the first place!

Just don’t get me started on the nuclear debate, I’m all for it with proper legislation.

I'm sure nobody would dream of it.

 

[Penance]

Well I'm sure that will be a massive comfort to anyone who's developed cancer after using a sunbed.

I doubt it will but it doesn't change the fact that it is not a carcinogenic from the tube causing the cancer.

 

[Adam W]

Well if it doesn't come from the tube then where does it come from? It doesn't matter if it's light, low/high frequency radiation or magic pixie dust, the idea is that what is coming out of the tube THROUGH THE GLASS gives you cancer.

 

[DurhamSparky]

i dont care!!

i worked with a nuc reactor so cant get any more cancer causing than that!!

 

[Penance]

Well if it doesn't come from the tube then where does it come from? It doesn't matter if it's light, low/high frequency radiation or magic pixie dust, the idea is that what is coming out of the tube THROUGH THE GLASS gives you cancer.

Sorry mate but I don't get which bit of this you don't understand.
There is a fundamental difference between carcinogenic chemicals in the tube and uv radiation.
If the inner coating of the uv tube is changed it emits a different light spectrum that not only looks different but is not dangerous.

Edit to add- no hard feelings mate, just read what I typed and it comes across a bit arrogant, sorry.
Let's leave it there as going off topic. Agree to disagree eh!

 

[Adam W]

I suppose the bottom line is that I don't like CFL lamps - i don't like the light they produce, the size, shape, warm up time, price, they're difficult and expensive to dispose of properly, they're bad for the environment in that they contain poisonous mercury and they're made over the other side of the world so have a higher carbon footprint during production and shipping than tungsten filament lamps.
If a bunch of scientists whose job it is to know about these things tell me they cause cancer as well, then that's just the icing on the cake.

I really don't understand why CFL lamps are being foisted onto the general public; the only reason I can think of is that the guy whose idea it was is set to benefit financially.