[Greenbuilding] CFL Breakage Results Indicate Unacceptable Danger

[Corwyn]

On Mar 25, 2008, at 13:50, Ted Inoue wrote:

> argh.
> Yet another thing to cause fear among the population. We've become so 
> hyper
> sensitized to everything.
>
> How many of you used mercury thermometers when you were young? Or 
> still have
> them around today? We stuck the darned things in our children's mouths 
> and
> up their butts, or had that done to us. On a regular basis, said 
> children
> would spit them out, breaking the thermometer. I know I did on at 
> least a
> couple occasions.
>
> A typical mercury thermometer has .5-3 grams, GRAMS of mercury in 
> them. You
> want to guess how much of that became airborne when those suckers 
> shattered?
> No, I wouldn't recommend it, but you don't see millions of us running 
> around
> with "Mad Hatter's syndrome" even though we were all exposed to huge 
> levels
> of mercury at some point in our upbringing.
>
> How much is in one of these fluorescent bulbs? About 4mg. The new low
> mercury bulbs have as little as 1mg. So you could break 100-1000 bulbs 
> to
> equal one of those thermometers

Everyone seems to categorize all mercury compounds and states together. 
  And assume that since one is harmful that they all are.  Metallic 
mercury is not the same thing as gaseous mercury, is not the same thing 
as Fulminate of Mercury.  Personally I rub every piece of food I 
swallow with a mercury alloy, before I swallow it.

Yes, we should endeavor to keep people from breaking CFLs.  No, we 
shouldn't stop using them.  Yes, we should require more scientific 
reporting rather than the sensationalism we get.

No, I am not competent to talk about mercury toxicity.

Thank You Kindly,

Corwyn

-- 
Corwyn
Kermit didn't know the half of it...
http://www.greenfret.com/
corwyn at greenfret.com