The CFL cartoon in the Victoria News on Jan. 26 is no laughing matter. Rest assured the powers that be (federal minister of health and B.C. Hydro) are well aware of the mercury presence in these light bulbs.
They have been sold on the ridiculous notion that the amount of mercury is so minimal it is hardly worth mentioning. However, when these bulbs break they release toxic mercury vapour which is extremely dangerous especially to little tots and pets who may be crawling around on floors.
When the bulbs burn out they will be tossed into a garbage can, picked up by your garbage personnel, thrown into the garbage truck where they will no doubt break, then taken to the landfill to seep their poison into the ground water, rivers, creeks and lakes to mutate all sorts of wildlife along the way.
Information has been available for several years on the dangers of CFLs, but nobody’s listening. At the very least packages of CFLs must warn of the dangers and provide instructions on how to dispose of them properly or a few years from now we’ll all be shaking our collective heads in befuddlement as to how the forthcoming damage ever happened.
M. Blainey
Saanich
