New light bulbs: good for the earth, bad for you?

I had recently received an email from a friend of mine about the Energy Saver light bulbs and how they are toxic if you accidentally break them.

I know many of us use these Energy Saver light bulbs, myself included, because they do save us money by using less electricity as well as not having to buy light bulbs as fast as you do with the regular light bulbs. I am not saying you should or should not stop purchasing these light bulbs, however, I am saying to be extremely careful while changing these light bulbs and the storing of them as well.

Here is the article my friend had emailed to me, I will copy and paste it below.

02:25 PM MST on Tuesday, January 8, 2008

The bulbs are toxic if broken

BOISE — We’ve been hearing both at the state and national level about how we should be switching to those energy efficient light bulbs, which manufacturers say can save you money, in addition to helping the environment.

But being eco-friendly is not always good for your health.

The bulbs may have their energy saving benefits, but if you happen to break a bulb – those efficient fluorescent lights can turn toxic.

“Well, we have a lot of hazardous waste,” said Dave Neal.

As the director of Waste Management for Ada County, Dave Neal knows a thing or two about toxic trash.

“We have a lot of paints, a lot of solvents, a lot of poisons and material of that type,” said Neal.

That’s why he’s very cautious when handling this household item, commonly thought to be nothing more than an attempt to “go green.”

“You really don’t wanna break these,” said Neal.

These lights are energy efficient bulbs.  They use fluorescent lighting and consume far less energy than a standard incandescent bulb.  But they also contain the toxic element – mercury.

If the bulb is broken, mercury is released and can enter your system in a matter of seconds.

“You can get dizzy, you can feel nauseous,” said Kai Elgethun.

State toxicologist, Kai Elguthen, says those minor symptoms are the least of your worries if you’ve been exposed.

“The biggest concern with mercury is potential effects on the nervous system,” said Elgethun.

To avoid life long health effects, toxicology experts say if you break an energy efficient bulb, leave the room and stay out for at least 15 minutes to let the air clear.

Don’t vacuum the mess up, that air could spread toxic mercury droplets all around your home.

Instead using rubber gloves, sweep up the mess, put it in a plastic bag and take it to be disposed as hazardous waste.        

“They’re very toxic and people need to be aware that they give off a kind of a warm glow, but they can be very dangerous to your health if handled improperly,” said Neal.

State officials say eco-friendly bulbs are a catch 22 — good for the environment, but potentially bad for you.

The average compact fluorescent bulb contains around 5 milligrams of mercury, equivalent to the tip of a ballpoint pen, making it a universal waste.

“Mercury, because of its toxicity and mobility in the environment, should be recycled,” said Jill Schoen, waste management specialist with the state Department of Natural Resources. “It’s not the type of material that’s going to break down in the environment. It’s persistent.”

Homeowners are urged to take them to the proper hazardous waste site in their area. Businesses must send the bulbs to the proper recycling facility, according to government regulation.

Mercury is used in compact fluorescent light bulbs to allow the bulb to be an efficient light source. Manufacturers are under pressure to reduce the amount of mercury in them. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., for example, has told its suppliers to reduce the amount of mercury in CFLs by as much as a third this year.

If a bulb breaks, take the following precautions

• Open a window and leave the room for a minimum of 15 minutes.

• Remove all materials by scooping fragments and powder using cardboard or stiff paper. Sticky tape may be used to pick up materials. Do not use a vacuum or your bare hands. Wipe area clean with damp paper towel.

• Place all materials in a plastic bag. Seal and dispose of properly. Wash hands.

So, please be very careful in the handling and disposal of these light bulbs if you have them in your home.

To your health,

Dawn Lidwell

As I was browsing the internet a few nights ago, looking for some great new health topics for my Healthy Living Newsletter, I came across the EPA website. On their site, they have listed MANY different household products that they have deemed TOXIC!

I wanted to share this information with you because I feel it is our RIGHT to know these things, to help us protect ourselves, our family, and our friends from the toxic, and potentially deadly, products that consume our lives.

http://www.epa.gov/msw/hhw-list.htm

Take a look at this list. It is truely horrible what our government allows! And then, they have the nerve to tell us that they are “safe” to use in our homes!

I, for one, have decided not to let those products into my homes anymore. I have taken the first step in keeping my household healthier and safer by purchasing safer, non-toxic, naturally made cleaners, as well as other naturally made household products.

I can not express enough how important it is to remove these harmful toxins from your home and find some safer products to use in their place.

Well, I just thought I would share that with you. Providing all of you with the knowledge that I have now, and sharing with you everything that I find, is my way of helping you. Helping you to make the decision to stand up for yourself, and your family’s right to take action into your own hands and REFUSE to allow those harmful products into your home.

I hope you have learned something today.

Till next time!

Dawn Lidwell

www.wellnessworksforus.go.cc

www.freewebs.com/theteatreeplace

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share with you an article I found on the internet. I believe it was on msn.com news or yahoo.com news.

Anyway, here it is. I will just copy and paste it to you.

Study warns of chemicals in baby items By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer – Mon Feb 4, 7:32 AM PST
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Newly born babies in a file photo. Women who take folic acid supplements for at least a year before becoming pregnant can greatly reduce their risk of delivering a baby prematurely, researchers said on Thursday. REUTERS/File
CHICAGO – Baby shampoos, lotions and powders may expose infants to chemicals that have been linked with possible reproductive problems, a small study suggests.
The chemicals, called phthalates, are found in many ordinary products including cosmetics, toys, vinyl flooring and medical supplies. They are used to stabilize fragrances and make plastics flexible.
In the study, they were found in elevated levels in the urine of babies who’d been recently shampooed, powdered or lotioned with baby products.
Phthalates (pronounced thowl-ates) are under attack by some environmental advocacy groups, but experts are uncertain what dangers, if any, they might pose. The federal government doesn’t limit their use, although California and some countries have restricted their use.
Animal studies have suggested that phthalates can cause reproductive birth defects and some activists believe they may cause reproductive problems in boys and early puberty in girls.
Rigorous scientific evidence in human studies is lacking. The current study offers no direct evidence that products the infants used contained phthalates, and no evidence that the chemicals in the babies’ urine caused any harm. Still, the results worried environmental groups that support restrictions on these chemicals.
“There is an obvious need for laws that force the beauty industry to clean up its act,” said Stacy Malkan of Health Care Without Harm.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a University of Washington pediatrician, said, “The bottom line is that these chemicals likely do exist in products that we’re commonly using on our children and they potentially could cause health effects.”
Babies don’t usually need special lotions and powders, and water alone or shampoo in very small amounts is generally enough to clean infant hair, Sathyanarayana said.
Concerned parents can seek products labeled “phthalate-free,” or check labels for common phthalates, including DEP and DEHP.
But the chemicals often don’t appear on product labels. That’s because retail products aren’t required to list individual ingredients of fragrances, which are a common phthalate source.
The Food and Drug Administration “has no compelling evidence that phthalates pose a safety risk when used in cosmetics,” spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek said. “Should new data emerge, we will inform the public as well as the industry.”
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the health effects in humans are uncertain.
“Although several studies in people have explored possible associations with developmental and reproductive outcomes (semen quality, genital development in boys, shortened pregnancy, and premature breast development in young girls), more research is needed,” a 2005 CDC report said.
The new study, which appears in February’s issue of the journal Pediatrics, involved 163 babies. Most were white, ages 2 to 28 months and living in California, Minnesota and Missouri.
The researchers measured levels of several phthalates in urine from diapers. They also asked the mothers about use in the previous 24 hours of baby products including lotions, powders, diaper creams and baby wipes.
All urine samples had detectable levels of at least one phthalate, and most had levels of several more. The highest levels were linked with shampoos, lotions and powders, and were most prevalent in babies younger than 8 months.
John Bailey, chief scientist at the Personal Care Products Council, questioned the methods and said the phthalates could have come from diapers, lab materials or other sources.
“Unfortunately, the researchers of this study did not test baby care products for the presence of phthalates or control for other possible routes of exposure,” Bailey said.
___
Pediatrics: http://www.pediatrics.org
FDA: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-phth.html
___
An earlier version of this story was linked to photos dealing with Nice Pak Products. That company and its products are not linked to the products mentioned in this story.

If the links above do not work, you may need to either type the links into your browser, or copy and paste them into your browser.

Isnt this pretty scary stuff??

I sure am glad I don’t have any caustic chemicals in the house or using them on my babies! Things like that scare me to death! And whats worse, that isn’t even the worst side effects that the chemicals in our cleaners, as well as baby products, can do to us!

It amazes me how these companies can get away with putting these chemicals in the products so many people use on a daily basis.

Well, here’s to “Knowledge Is Power!” I hope you all take this information seriously, as it is important to take actions to protect our children, and ourselves, from the hazards that surround us.

Talk to you again soon!

Dawn Lidwell

For more information on healthier, safer products, visit my websites:

www.wellnessworksforus.go.cc

www.freewebs.com/theteatreeplace

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