Compact Fluorescent (CFL) Bulbs are much better for the earth than standard bulbs, so hopefully your home is full of them. However, there’s a slight danger to having CFL bulbs.
You may have heard that mercury is dangerous, and that’s not false. However, when it comes to CFL bulbs, you’re not dealing with a huge risk. CFLs do contain mercury, but not in large enough amounts to affect your entire household, say, if one breaks. Mercury will escape from your bulb if it breaks, but it’s such a tiny amount, that it’s not going to flow over all the rooms in your home, and it won’t pose a danger to you, your pets, or your kids, so long as you carefully clean up the broken bulb.
- Kids should never clean up broken bulbs.
- You should avoid touching the bulb pieces while cleaning them up.
- Gently sweep pieces into a dustpan, and toss into an outside trash can.
There have been some strange, rumor-like stories about CFLs online, but when you get right down to it, they’re mostly safe, and save energy, so go ahead and use them.
[image via GE - visit the GE Lighting ENERGY STAR Program page to learn all about CFL bulbs.]
