April 20, 2012

Earth Day Tip

Dangers of Curly Fluorescent Light Bulbs 

Fluorescent light bulbs, with their distinctive curly shape, save energy and reduce pollution. 

However, each fluorescent light bulb contains about 5 milligrams of mercury. Though the amount is tiny, 5 milligrams of mercury is enough to contaminate 6,000 gallons of drinking water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As long as the mercury is contained in the bulbs, it does not cause a problem, but these bulbs present several dangers if they are not cleaned up and disposed of properly.

1 comment:

  1. All stores that sell these kinds of bulbs must take them back for proper recycling. Check out Home Depot's recycling bins in the front of the store.

    ReplyDelete

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