Russell McMahon wrote:
> I don't recall ever having heard anyone suggest that CFL bulbs should 
> be treated as hazardous or disposed of in ways appropriate for toxic 
> materials.
> 
> The latest standards for CFLs require not more than 5 mg of Mercury 
> content. How much current ones (typically of Indian and Chinese 
> origin) contain is unknown to me.
> 
> I'm also unaware of how significant 5 mg of Mercury is liable to be, 
> how much is released by a bulb shattering when cold, how much when hot 
> etc. When hot I'd imagine there'd be a substantial release.
> 

5 mg of mercury is totally insignificant as long as it stays outside of 
living creatures.  But that's not the problem.


In the US, there are, in round numbers, 100,000,000 house-holds.  If 
said house-holds dump 10 bulbs per year, then the total amount of 
mercury going into the environment each year is 5,000 kg.  If it can be 
effectively collected, then we will end up eating less of it.

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