Will New Light Bulbs End Up Being a Headache?

Have you heard the news about the end of the light bulb?  The incandescent light bulb will be phased off the U.S. market starting in 2012. 

In its place will be a new bulb -a compact fluorescent (CFL) that will reduce electricity costs.  According to Fast Company, if each of the 110 million homes in America replaced one 60-watt bulb with a CFL bulb, enough energy would be saved to power a city of 1.5 million people.

Consumer Reports found that CFLs last 3000 hours before wearing out, compared to only 1000 hours for a standard bulb.

Unfortunately, not everything is perfect with this improvement on Thomas Edison’s invention.  There’s a dark side to the CFLs.

CFLs generate more heat than the standard bulb.  Experts advise that CFLs should not be used with recessed lighting, but rather in a lamp or fixture with a bit of space around them.  With recessed lighting, the heat from the CFL can be trapped and cause pre-mature burn out, according to National Geographic's Green Guide.

CFLs have a shorter life span if not used properly.  Yahoo! Green warns not to flick the switch with the CFLs. Turning the switch on and off quickly shortens the life of the bulb.  The bulbs should be left on a minimum of fifteen minutes for each use. 

CFLs cost six times as much as the old-fashioned bulb.  According to U.S. News and World Report each cone shaped spiral CFL costs about $3.00, compared to $0.50 for a standard bulb.  However, a CFL uses 75 per cent less energy and lasts five years instead of a few months.   

CFLs contain toxic mercury. Yes, the toxic substance mercury is found in CFLs.  CFL manufacturers argue the old fashioned thermometer contained a hundred times more mercury.  That may sound comforting, but several concerns still crop up:

    • You’ll need to recycle your old CFLs. CFL producers warn us not to toss an old CFL into the garbage due to the tiny bits of mercury.  Instead you should be looking for a recycling center in your area.

    • You'll need to pay special attention if a CFL should break. Parade magazine advises if you break a CFL, open the windows and leave the room for a minimum of 15 minutes!  Once you come back, scoop up the fragments into a plastic bag and take it to a recycling center.

Despite the fact the amount of mercury in a CFL is very small - only 4 to 5 milligrams - special caution is needed when discarding a non working CFL.    

CFLs could cause migraine headaches.  Most people are not bothered by the flickering of a fluorescent bulb, but to the migraine sufferer the flickering can cause headaches, nausea and dizziness.  Since the CFLs use the same technology as fluorescents, there is major cause for concern.

In speaking with Kevin A. Kirschner, inventor of the NaturaLux™Filters, we learned his company is developing a special filter to be placed over the CFL to keep harmful UV rays away from migraine prone individuals.

Regardless, experts in this field believe there is no substantial data to suggest CFLs cause migraines.  However, from Kirschner I found out there are different kinds of migraines, and those afflicted with ocular migraines have a higher probability of being affected by the CFLs.

Regardless of the science that questions whether migraine sufferers will be affected by CFLs, the facts remain that some individuals may still experience health problems due to CFL exposure.

John

Email: johnsblog@teshmedia.com

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Comments

[Vivian]

Due to a combination of glaucoma, cataracts and retina abnormaliteis, I am very sensitive to bright light. Bright light causes eye pain for me. CFLs are way to harsh and glarey for me and many other people with similar eye conditions. Incandescent lights are the best option for people in my situation and banning them would be violiation of the Americans with Disabilites Act, (ADA) as far as I am concerned.

[Dana]

Thanks for educating people about important issues like this John. I don't understand why these bulbs are made if they know the side effects. I wonder if the people who made them have them in their house?

[Mike]

John,

I've been using CFL's for the last 4 years. While it is true that they do cost a bit more, they can be found for less than $3 each at some mass discount stores. Many of my bulbs have lasted well over 2 years. I have even gotten some of my family to convert and they reported steep drops in their energy bill.

However, for the reasons that you outline in your post, I think the government should not be forcing a phase-out and just let people decide on their own when to switch.

[Laura]

I am very glad that I read this. I have been thinking of buying one of these new bulbs to see if it does last longer then a regualr bulb, but seeing as how I am a migraine sufferer I may need to rethink this. I guess buying more bulbs is better then having a headache all the time.