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29 Responses to “Energy Efficient Light Bulbs Unscrewed: A Triple Threat to Your Health and Environment (Part 1)”

1. Caroline Says:
   June 29th, 2009 at 6:34 am

   Unreal! I just can’t believe that we have never heard of the dangers before now! Here we are thinking we are doing something good, using CFL’s, Reducing water flow on faucets, cleaning with baking soda, takinf our Vidazorb…when look at this! You go along thinking you are providing your family with a healthy environment, and to realize that something like this could cause this much harm? What to do with this one? Caroline

2. M.O.M. Says:
   June 29th, 2009 at 8:44 am

   Very good post. I have already gone back to the old incandescents. Largly because I had a feeling in my gut that there is something just wrong about them. I also do not like the kind of light they emit. Too cold. The big reason though is that only a year after installing them they all started to fail. That cost seemed to negate the utilty cost side.

3. Helene Says:
   June 29th, 2009 at 12:04 pm

   Thanks for posting this, the problems with CFL’s are too often relegated to some kind of “conspiracy from paranoid crackpots” when there are in fact legitimate concerns.

   People seemed to have jumped on the CFL bandwagon very quickly as did the government (the Ontario government that is) without fully studying potential risks. The mercury alone should have raised a red flag! It’s nice to look for energy efficiency but not when it comes at a cost to our health. Hopefully the LED’s that are on the horizon won’t have this problem

4. Layla Says:
   June 30th, 2009 at 2:02 pm

   VERY interesting!

   I knew about Mercury before, & was really concerned about it, also heard about radiation/electromagnetic fields, though I didn’t know much about this.. Great to read & hear more about it & will be looking forward to your next post!

   Fact is, I *really* HATE CFLs!!
   I wanted to like them, as they’re ‘green’ & save energy, but my eyes just hurt when I’m around them.. & I feel really odd & I very much limit my exposure to them (we only have ‘em in a few rooms).
   Interestingly, my left hand hurts today after being exposed to a CFL a bit longer.. lolz, I also ate too many sweets & meats & such this weekend, it might be an additional factor though, hmm..? (we’re prone to rheumatism & live near a chemical factory:)

   I don’t think it’s CFLs alone causing these problems, it’s probably a combination of factors. Like, food & environmental toxics/indoor pollution & everything..
   Lupus & arthritis/rheumatism & migraines are food-related too, & the other lady who was doing crafts - well, some glues or such have really iffy chemicals in them too.. & she had like 3 CFLs in a small probably unventilated basement..?

   1 in 5 were problematic, as the scientist said? would be really great to read which ones & which ones to stay away from then!!

   I do wonder about the LEDs too, & how safe the chemicals used in them are.. (?) And that other new still-being-developed variant, that sounded really spooky? (something very iffy about electromagnetic or such too?)

   Also, CFLs are problematic to use for short time only, so either LEDs or something new will be needed for eg halls or similar places with only short term lights needed.

   Otherwise, I’ll have to use candles when the ‘old bulbs’ are banned (we’re on a phaseout too!) & this isn’t funny!!

5. Denny Says:
   July 1st, 2009 at 10:11 am

   If your really looking to save energy in any kind of place, led lighting would be the way to go. I would not worry to much about leds, these technology’s have been greatly improved.

6. admin Says:
   July 1st, 2009 at 12:53 pm

   Thanks so much everyone for commenting. Before I say too much here I’ll post my next few parts of this series. We’ll be covering much of what has been brought up so far.

7. martin Says:
   July 1st, 2009 at 2:07 pm

   Bit of an alarmist article without MUCH proof. There are millions of people using CFLs without any ill effects. Which means a heck of a lot of energy saved.
   Worth investigating further, but look at the balance of cases of ill effects to those unaffected (except of course side-effects of saving the planet!)

8. David Leonhardt Says:
   July 1st, 2009 at 3:25 pm

   I don’t believe the light bulbs create these symptoms. We have seen none of them in our household. There are disposal issues, but that is a matter of proper management.

   Certainly when it comes to electromagnetic fields, the TV, computer, ell phones and cordless phones, electronic games, refegerator, clocks, microwave, etc. play the main role; the light bulb at the ceiling plays a pretty minor role, if any.

9. Zelbinian Says:
   July 1st, 2009 at 3:41 pm

   Forgive my skepticism, but you are attempting to refute common wisdom and supply reality, but you supply no sources to support either argument. Right now, it’s your word against “the media” and, to be frank, this post kinda has that “email spam” look and feel about it (you know, the oddly capitalized words, the interjection of capitalized lines).

   Show us some facts, jack.

10. Kristin Says:
    July 1st, 2009 at 3:45 pm

    Thanks for the info! I’ve heard that these are bad too, but didn’t really know why. Do you know anything about LED bulbs? Read that these are the best best best thing to use for light… they’re very expensive, but apparently you’ll never have to replace them (?). And of course, no one carries them around here. Would like your opinion if you have one!

11. Michael Says:
    July 1st, 2009 at 5:48 pm

    Yeah, we’ve all pretty much jumped on the CFL bit as part of our larger ‘buy ourselves green’ effort.

    Of the concerns, mercury remains the most immediate and significant. The content of one bulb can take out a lake from mercury poisoning. Of course, the packages are actually labeled as containing mercury which should set off alarms but, oddly, we seem to think this is some ‘new mercury’ or forgot that the stuff messes with nerves and kills in the end. That or we don’t read much.

    As for the EMF threat, it’s possible but unless you’re either turning off *all* electricity in your home, school, work or sporting a faraday fabric overcoat.

12. Michael Says:
    July 1st, 2009 at 5:54 pm

    As for the EMF threat, it’s possible but unless you’re either turning off *all* electricity in your home, school, work or sporting a faraday fabric overcoat there’s little point in making a chatter. EMF can’t be escaped in our modern world. Sad but true.

    Truth is we’ve been immersing ourselves in EMF for decades & with more and more of our lives mediated through electrical devices we’re making for a nasty thickening stew. We don’t know the effect, and maybe won’t for a generation or two.

    My guess is Health Canada will come back and report ‘no significant threat’ which is standard result. Either that or they’ll have to look at cell towers again, and electrical grids, and baby monitors, and fridges, and and and.

    The first two, cellular and electrical grid, have enough money on the line to delay, postpone, or otherwise render inconclusive any significant report.

13. Gary Says:
    July 1st, 2009 at 7:47 pm

    “Lots of people are reporting serious health problems they are convinced come from compact fluorescent light bulbs.”

    Lot’s of people also convinced that all world leaders are aliens. Everyone of these symptoms have been reported by people who have never been exposed to CFLs as well.

    It’s true that lot’s of hype surrounds the benefits of CFLs. But let’s not immediately switch gears because the hype is now focused on the alleged negative effects.

    Don’t take your medical advice from hypochondriacs and leave the science up to scientists not bloggers.

    If I told you the best way to heat and light your house was to light a giant fire on the floor on your living room floor you wouldn’t even consider it. That would be crazy! But the key to every good con is to keep it believable and surround it with elements of truth.

    Consider the source here. Let’s get some facts based on real tests not hearsay and testimonials before we all hit the panic button.

14. admin Says:
    July 2nd, 2009 at 3:30 am

    I appreciate your thoughts and comments.

    For now I’m not going to say too much. I have several more posts in this series. They’re already written just need a little editing.

    I do have scientific research that’ll be present from reputable University professors.

    To give you a taste of what’s to come…

    LEDs are a good alternative but a little pricey for most at the moment. Prices are coming down though and so is the quality of light they emit. This will be discussed.

    You’ll be surprised at how the EMF ties in. Even the World Health Organization has raised concerns.

    The UV radiation doesn’t concern me much but its discussed.

    Mercury is well documented when it comes to CFLs. And I’ll show you the details.

    After all the facts are presented I’ll leave it to you to judge for yourself if there is a danger here.

    My issue is how the negatives of CFLs is downplayed and hard to find. Only once we know the pros and cons can we make an informed decision.

    I hope you’ll follow my posts and keep commenting. Your opinions and thoughts make this all worthwhile.

    Sincerely,
    Eric Bonnici

15. Layla Says:
    July 2nd, 2009 at 10:16 am

    Will be looking forward to new posts!

    I agree with Gary that scientific backup is important..
    I’ve read of a German study a while ago in local papers, it was said to be a bit controversial though..

    In a healthy household with healthy enviroment good CFLs probably won’t cause anything..
    Someone with an already compromised immune system sitting close to a bad CFL (or a few) for hours every day.. (& perhaps to other sources of iffy stuff) who knows?

    If anything, it’s important that people with compromised immune systems become aware of this & take necessary precautions..

    I too believe saving energy is important..

    Kristin, the LEDs have a very long life span - not ‘forever’ though as far as I know.. Also, the quality is important again (different companies & different models can have different time span)..

16. Adam Says:
    July 2nd, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    Thanks for the alarmist does of hype and pseudoscience. The effects of electromagnetic radiation have been studied for years. I remember people freaking out about power lines and substations back in the 80’s. It has been researched, and while they don’t recommend holding high-energy emitting devices right against your body for extended periods of time, ie: cell phones, normal emf exposure can’t be linked to health problems. You didn’t mention anything about televisions and computer monitors. They operate on the same principles with LCD displays even having fluorescent tubes in them. As for ultra-violet light, unless you spend your days no more than 8″ from them you have nothing to worry about. If you really are worried about EMFs and UV rays ruining your life you better find you a cave somewhere because they are everywhere.

17. Layla Says:
    July 3rd, 2009 at 5:42 am

    Adam, there are actually people who are allergic to EMF & such.

    There was a documentary (british I think) about someone who had to put up a tent in the middle of a field to escape it. So I don’t think this is funny at all.
    There are articles online about people with this allergy too, & I don’t think all of them are lying.. Personally, I have difficulty sleeping if any device is turned on in the bedroom (yes, even cell phone makes me sleep worse & feel yuckier in the morning).

    We have a cell phone antenna & a chemical factory ‘next door’ so imagine my joy about them too!!

    And yes, being in front of the LCD monitor all day makes me dazzled & confused & not able to think clearly and such..
    Even talking on the (normal) phone for extended period of time makes me sweat profusely.
    Online friends tell me they have problems from wireless internet too (headaches etc), so we stick to cables.

    So hmm.. rather then taking this all lightly I AM interested in possible effects of CFL lights too.. Again, I’m all for saving energy etc, for a small percentage of people it’s good to be a bit cautious with this all..

18. admin Says:
    July 3rd, 2009 at 1:12 pm

    Thanks for all your comments everyone.

    I have just added part 2. Hope to hear you comments on there as well.

    Sincerely,
    Eric Bonnici

19. karen Says:
    July 19th, 2009 at 6:41 pm

    I’m from Canada and a news show is doing a story on this. I’m watching it now. It made one woman with Lupus (sensitive to Uv’s and sunlight and exposaure causes a flare) very sick!

    Thank you for the information!

20. Ian Says:
    October 15th, 2009 at 4:30 am

    MIND-ALTERING RADIATION

    I have always been perplexed at the value energy-saving lights offer. Is this value offering for the benefit of the environment or not? If not, then what is the real reason behind the advocacy of energy-saving lights?

    Let’s analyse the energy-saving value. The average person gets bombarded by the media with information on reducing carbon emissions. So, like a good citizen, I go and replace all my incandescent or filament light bulbs with energy-saving lights. But hey, these energy-saving lights only last around a year on average, despite purchasing reputable brands. Now if you factor in the effort to manufacture these light sources, don’t they contribute to our carbon footprint? If I keep on replacing these items at short intervals, where is the carbon inhibiting saving we are all striving for? Incorrect disposal of the old ones produces mercury contamination. Using my car to purchase new ones at three times the cost of incandescent light bulbs also contributes to carbon generation. Not to mention earning that income, which also indirectly generates carbon emissions. It just doesn’t make sense and I am sure that the powers to be are aware of this. Why isn’t anything being said or done?

    Now consider the physical construction and operation of the energy-saver light. The curled white tube is filled with mercury and the inner walls of the glass tube are coated with lumena-fluorescence white powder. On the electrical input a bridge rectifier converts AC into DC and a switching circuit pulses this energy with a square wave of a couple of kilohertz into a high-frequency transformer. The high-voltage energy is fed to the electrodes of the curled glass tube that ionises the mercury gas. The mercury gas radiates ultraviolet and the ultraviolet light frequency gets mostly converted into visible white light by the lumena-fluorescence powder. A square wave according to Fourier analysis is a composition of many ordinary sine waves of different amplitudes and frequency. After dismantling an energy-saving light I found no evidence of EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) shielding in the form of metal enclosures.

    Now what I have discovered is that all of these so-called energy-saving lights radiate a whole mixture of energy types - pretty normal white light (the stuff we want), some ultraviolet waves (not so good) and some x-rays due to the inert gas’s plasma (not good at all, this induces ionisation that causes ’spelling mistakes’ or alterations in DNA replication sequencing during cell divisions). What concerns me more is magnetic, electrical field radiation and not to mention ‘other’ radiation that will become clearer later on. Devices such as unshielded switch mode power supplies for cellphones, laptops and TVs are no exception.

    What triggered my thought process was the fact that my friend’s remote control for his satellite TV decoder did not function when his bed light was switched on. As humans, we also use other means of communication besides the spoken word. An invention in one part of the world all of a sudden gets replicated in another part of the world without any traditional communication mechanisms. Take for example the following: The Khoisan, Europeans, Chinese and Native Americans used bow and arrows for hunting and warfare. The nuclear bomb was independently developed in a couple of different locations simultaneously. I sometimes invent something just to discover that at more or less the same time the same thing was invented elsewhere. We call it the collective unconscious. In quantum physics, if you measure the spin of one proton, the other proton instantly ‘knows’ and adopts the opposite spin, at a speed that is faster than the speed of light. This has been proven over a distance of 10 kilometres and has been confirmed as correct. What is this unseen relation? If such unknown channels exist, an invention or unique idea could be seen as a collective effort of the unconscious channelled world and cannot be attributed to a single person alone.

    The open holistic thought process of an individual is merely an aggregate of the channelled unconscious universe.

    My concern is with the close proximity radiation of the wide spectrum of wave lengths and energy types associated with switch mode power sources. Are we not creating noise? Noise is seen as a combination of different wavelengths. Noise blocks communication. Can we not say then that the introduction of noise is detrimental to the universal unconscious channelling of thoughts? Adverse unexplained physiological conditions may arise.

    Is it on purpose or not? Why would anyone want to block the progression and evolution of the human species? Who is scared of what?

    Think about it!

    Greetings

    Open Mind

21. John Says:
    November 25th, 2009 at 11:45 am

    Good Morning Eric;
    My name is John, I don’t know how this works but I want to build a site at the lowest possible cost of course, and post articles and eventually build a list of readers for the purpose of later getting advertisers. Would you be kind enough to direct to someone, or yourself, to teach me how to achieve my goal. Thank you and kind regards. John

22. sam Says:
    February 28th, 2010 at 8:16 pm

    im still a litttle confused but what i realy wanted to no is if im going to get serious medical condisions .. from acsedently broke one of the light bulbs ???

23. L Silva Says:
    March 4th, 2010 at 2:05 pm

    I would like to see part no 3. When will we have that? I’m distributing flyers informing people about the hazards of CFLs, people don’t know about them. This is a big scam, just like mr Gore and Global Warming, just like WMD, just like 911 just like swine -flu and it goes on and on. Unfortunately the capacity of people to be fooled seems to be never ending. Seems to me obvious that mercury is bad for you so what the doubt? It’s obvious mobile phones are bad for you (hundreds of scientific articles) , electromagnetic fiels (hundreds of scientific articles), gmos, chemtrails, etc etc etc. Like Shakespeare says: “to be or not to be” (should we fight for our health or should we just let the Big Money do their job of selling us all their dangerous products’). Regards L
    Portugal

24. lorraine lewis Says:
    April 7th, 2010 at 3:03 pm

    I have had so much pain in my body and I know that it is from these light bullbs. I have had so many tests with specialists, diagnosed as bony pain, and when I saw the program 16/9 it was about these light bulbs and the side effects, I knew right away that was my problem. I had 6 light bulbs in my kitchen and I was spending a lot of time cooking. I took them out and don’t have to live on pain pills. There are other people that found the same side effects, one wrote in the 100 mile newspaper a while back.

25. lee fry Says:
    May 29th, 2010 at 11:41 pm

    i use 8 42-watt cfls for a small medicinal garden in my bedroom. after using these bulbs for their daily light cycle, i sleep in the room when the lights are off. for the past eight days i have been awakened at 3-4 a.m. with an extreme pounding headache and the need to vomit uncontrollably. i have to soak in a hot bath to get any relief. for the next 12 hours i go through various stages of chills and sweats and hot baths and massive headaches. after this 12 hour period i am fine and is as if almost as nothing has happened, other than i am weak and dehydrated! i have not been able to eat or drink much at all. for the past two nights i have not slept in the room and my symptoms are fading. i did go to the e.r. today to be sure i wasn’t infected or had some other explainable condition. the best they could come up with is i might have an ulcer!! this does not explain my symptoms, nor my lack of ulcer causing factors in my lifestyle. i have been reading these posts and they seem to explain the issues i am having. i just can’t figure out what part is causing this. is it the mercury vapor offgassing as the lights are off? are maybe building up during the day and i am breathing the fumes at night? i thought my ventilation was fine, but maybe i need to make it better. i can’t see it being electromagnetic fields or rf radiation, but maybe it is or a combination of these things. all i know is i am tired of being sick!! my garden is necessary, i just will have to relocate it. i was just wondering if anyone else has experienced any similar issues or has ideas so i don’t have to move my garden and/or will this stuff kill me or lead to serious permanent damage? thanks, lee

26. iqbal hussain Says:
    June 7th, 2010 at 6:37 am

    : ) now Pakistan`s government distribute free 30 millions energy saver bulbs in people of Pakistan… interesting ???

27. Paul Constantineau Says:
    June 12th, 2010 at 1:33 pm

    I have been an electrician for 34 years.Over the years I have worked on many different types of lighting projects. I worked with cfl’s products back some 20 years ago when they were only available through limited distributership. I personally know of the many problems with cfls for years and have tried to educate people about them but in many cases to very little concern.I am in the process of creating a website for my business which will address issues about energy saving lighting.

28. Rebecca Says:
    July 17th, 2010 at 10:09 pm

    I can’t believe what some people will buy into without a second thought. One person says CFLs are seriously dangerous and suddenly everyone starts quoting “facts” from a BLOG!?! Seriously people?!? Does anyone think for themselves anymore or do we all just rely on others to do our thinking for us? I am just glad to see there are some free thinkers voicing their opinions.
    CFLs packaging has kept it no secret that they contain mercury. They also clearly state to dispose of them “properly”. There are umpteen places to responsibly dispose of these bulbs. It’s the people who don’t read labels or pay attention to warnings and just dispose of these bulbs in their household garbage that are the problem.
    As far as all the hypochondriacs out there who will do anything in their power to find something wrong with themselves…if you need a target, look at the food you’re eating, the electronics you surround yourselves with on a daily basis. CFLs may have their evils, but stop pointing the finger at everything else and evaluate your surroundings. I’m guessing there’s a very good chance your problems don’t stem from your light bulbs.

29. Layla Says:
    July 19th, 2010 at 7:14 am

    Rebecca, why does it have to be ‘either - or’?

    I am fully aware of a number of factors that influence our health: nutrition, lifestyle, fresh air, exercise, environmental polution, indoor and outdoor air quality, etc. And yes, EMF from electronics too. I stated that in my first post already. I admit I may be too much in front of the computer, well, many people are these days, often due to nature of jobs too..
    My rheumatism has mostly improved, yes, nutrition and stress and ergonomics have been big factors there, I still try to minimize time spent with CFLs around. Am a bit concerned about some materials used in LED production too, and are there any big plans for recycling those?

    I was allergic to food additives as a child and don’t eat any if I can help it. So that means no Coca Cola, no margarine, no pates or pre-prepared food… Later on I found out food additives can cause rheumatism or cancer or other diseases… and was HAPPY to be allergic!

    Even ‘harmless’ things can be not-so-harmless, so why oppose critical thinking and questioning of products they are trying to ’sell’ to us? (Or do you work for a factory making them?)
    Energy saving is a great thing, still, why believe everything others say on non-blogs?? Using critical thinking and common sense is a good thing, no?

    Just because there are umpteen places to dispose of the CFLs properly where you live doesn’t mean it is so worldwide. Or that people actually dispose of them responsibly. (My Grandma used to throw thermometers with mercury into ordinary garbage when they broke, she had no idea you’re not supposed to. Even after we’ve told her, repeatedly.) Are there plans for eg older people where you live to help them with these things?

    And I am yet to come across good and reliable info on what to do with broken CFLs and how they get disposed of by professionals - do they get recycled too? Can you point to good and reliable links? (Even the agency that officially collects them where I live doesn’t have unambiguous info on their website, info scattered online differs quite a bit.)

    Lee Fry, it is better to not have a garden in your bedroom anyway (the plants can ‘eat up’ too much oxygen) maybe just a plant or two… Also the plants could give off any smells or such, depending on the sorts.. Headache can be from a lack of magnesium or from stress too.. Hope things went better, do tell how you went about it?

    Paul Constantineau, I would love to hear more about what you have to tell!

    Sam, I think if you broke just one bulb you’ll probably survive There are tips online on how to handle it, try to minimize contact with materials if you can.. There’s some mercury in most of us already, due to amalgams or tuna or whatever.. So the question is how much there is - just stay away from other new sources, take precautions where you can… There is info about mercury online, maybe just observe yourself a bit.. Live healthy in other ways…

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