Fluorescent light

[crystal sage]

This is disturbing... there is more and more info out there that Flourescent light is dangerous.... yet schools are lit with flourescents... new born babies are exposed to flourescents... Hospitals are lit by flourescents.... and we are now being encouraged to use flourescents all over the world to save energy... why not just encourage..subsidise ...updating.. solar energy???

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v266/...s/266724a0.html

Mutagenicity and toxicity of visible fluorescent light to cultured mammalian cells

Light has been shown to produce strand breaks in DNA5,6. Because many tissue culture operations are conducted under fluorescent light, we have investigated whether the toxicity and DNA strand-breaking activity of light are accompanied by mutagenicity. We report here that this is the case.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlere...4&tools=bot

Twenty-hour-exposure to fluorescent light produces chromatid breaks in a line of adult mouse lung cells grown in Dulbecco-Vogt medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum. The light-induced damage appears to be enhanced by increasing the concentration of oxygen in the gas phase of the culture. The effective wavelength(s) of light is in the visible range between 400 and 450 nm andis probably the mercury emission peak at 405 or 436 nm. Addition of catalase or glutathione with ascorbic acid to the culture medium reduced the number of chromatid breaks to a level not significantly different from that in the shielded cultures. It thus appears that the production of H2O2 in the culture medium or in the cell is responsible for the chromatid breaks. Most of the chromosomal abnormalities observed in long-term culture of mouse cells may result from exposure of cells or medium to fluorescent room lights in the presence of atmospheric oxygen.!!!!!!!!! These genetic abnormalities can be minimized by shielding cells and medium from light, lowering the PO2 of the medium, and including reducing agents such as glutathione and ascorbic acid in the medium formulation.!!!!

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0027-8424...&size=LARGE

[SilverCougar]

Next... Crystal Sage will bring us the dangers of breathing!

It's only dangerous if you inhale what's in the tubeing... as for the lighting issue... that could be fixed by making them with a natural frequency. It can be done. I have sunlight frequency flourescent bulbed shaped tubes for my plants and for my light fixtures. No headaches, no traumas, no nothing. Easier on yer eyes as well.

[crystal sage]

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/...any_legisl.html

How many legislators does it take to change a lightbulb?

How many legislators does it take to change a lightbulb? In California, the magic number appears to be 41. That's how many votes Democratic Assemblyman Lloyd Levine needs to pass his proposal to replace all of the state's incandescent lightbulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs by 2012.

The environmental impact is real, about 20 milligrams of mercury can leak out of a broken bulb. Currently about 800 million bulbs are manufactured each year. They do need to be recycled, this could be compared to Alkaline batteries which also contain mercury and most people just throw them in the garbage. Then end up leaking mercury into landfills. Some more study needs to be done.

http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2006/06/12/smell/

a QUESTION " Compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury; can the bulbs discharge the mercury into the air?"

given ANSWER .... "For one thing, mercury is odorless.For another, if the mercury were leaking, the lamp would not be workingWhat's that smell?

Photo: iStockphoto.

For one thing, mercury is odorless. For another, if the mercury were leaking, the lamp would not be working.

Let's address the mercury issue looming over CFL users 'round the nation. At room temperature and regular atmospheric pressure, mercury is an odorless liquid. Last week I wrote, with my usual scientific precision, about CFLs and the little gas-filled tubes they contain. The pressurized tube is where the infamous mercury lurks. Under the conditions inside the tube, it becomes a gas that helps to light your house.

Compact fluorescents contain only a wee bit of mercury -- four to five milligrams, compared to 500 milligrams in a thermometer -- but even that amount is highly poisonous. If you were to break your CFL, the mercury could take the form of a metallic amoeba of toxic, vapor-emitting fun. You can inhale the gas, and it's worse if the room is poorly ventilated. As you attempt to clean it all up, little balls can break off and sneak into your floorboard or carpet fiber, lurking in wait to poison the entire family, from the cat to grandma, odor or no. So don't be casual about light bulb or thermometer breakage. Follow EPA's cleanup instructions. If you cut yourself in the process, call a doctor. And don't let children play with mercury. (Even though we all had such fun doing it when we were kids.)

All that said, keep buying compact fluorescents and don't worry about the mercury, so long as it stays inside the bulb. When the bulbs die, bring them to the hazardous-waste people.

"

Edited April 6, 2007 by crystal sage

[Reincarnated]

She was spaming one of my other threads with the dangers of fluorescent lights. If they were really that bad, tell me why they are still being used in almost every school and office building in America and why we haven't had a plague of problems associated with your accusations?

Since CFLs use about a quarter of the energy of incandescent bulbs they are a key part of efforts to fight pollution. However, CFLs contain trace amounts of mercury. The amount is not large enough to pose a hazard to users (it is about 1/5 the amount in a typical digital watch battery).

Source

[Lotus Flower]

Fluorescent lights are the closest thing to natural light, hence why they are used in schools and hospitals.

The only times I have thought they were dangerous is when they are on their way out and start flickering - dodgy for epileptics and people who are epileptic but don't yet know it.

I must admit I've never thought about the other issues.

[crystal sage]

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2005...nt_lighting.htm

http://www.daylighting.com/Article-HealthH...entLighting.htm

http://medicalresearchfrauds.cf.huffingtonpost.com/

"Part B presents several converging strands of evidence that the preemies’ eyes are damaged by the typical bright fluorescent nursery lighting. The light type and level recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics exposes their still developing retinae during their most vulnerable time to gross overdoses of irradiation in precisely the most eye-damaging wavelength.

However, the forged dogma about blinding by oxygen blinds many nursery doctors to that upsetting evidence for iatrogenic causation and makes them reflexively deny the undeniable role of their nursery lamps in the blinding epidemic. You will see in part C that in the mid 1990s, some pediatric retinal surgeons even rigged another bogus study to falsely exonerate these lamps from any involvement in the eye damage of ROP which requires much pediatric retinal surgery. " \

http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99aug18/health.htm

"Ophthalmic expert Peter Wilkinson, who invented the lenses, said: "Light remains one of the great unknown pollutants in the UK. We are all bombarded daily with bad light from TVs, computers and fluorescent light.

"Freshlite solves this problem by filtering out the harmful elements. It's a real scientific breakthrough that can genuinely help headache sufferers".

http://www.price-pottenger.org/Articles/SeeingTheLight.htm

"In Germany, Fritz Hollwich, Professor Emeritus, Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Munster, found high levels of stress hormones - specifically adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol - in individuals sitting under cool white fluorescent tubes. He found normal levels, however, in people working under full-spectrum tubes. Based on the research of Dr. Hollwich and others, the cool-white fluorescent bulb is legally banned in German hospitals and medical facilities.(7)

In America, however, most schools, hospitals and businesses “still haven’t seen the light,†says Dr. Berne. Although he reports some luck in convincing school officials to convert to full-spectrum lighting, his success has been mostly in the private sector, namely Waldorf and Montessori Schools. It seems that we are willing to buy special lights so that chickens, hogs and horses will grow better, yet subject our children to the cheapest warehouse lighting possible. "

full-spectrum tubes seem to be the go though!!!!

http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2007/01/81805.html

January 10, 2007 05:21PM EST [general.addtranslation] Download Article (PDF) [ insert language bar ]

Fluorescent Light Ain't Right

Fluorescent light used in public buildings causes many kinds of physical and mental illnesses.

By Robert Brennan, The New York Megaphone

Studies worldwide prove that if schools and workplaces were lit with sunlight or full-spectrum bulbs kids would do better in school, and rates of depression and suicide would drop everywhere, from colleges to prisons.

Edited April 7, 2007 by crystal sage

[crystal sage]

I was wondering why there were so many light fitting sales on in the last couple of years!!! prices of many have gone down by as much as 70%... I wonder if they can design proper fluoro bulbs for them all??? Or are we going to have to replace them all... Already I've noticed how silly fluorescent lights look hanging down from the recessed spot lights!!! it reminds me of too short kilts

[xCrimsonx]

This is disturbing... there is more and more info out there that Flourescent light is dangerous.... yet schools are lit with flourescents... new born babies are exposed to flourescents... Hospitals are lit by flourescents.... and we are now being encouraged to use flourescents all over the world to save energy... why not just encourage..subsidise ...updating.. solar energy???

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v266/...s/266724a0.html

Mutagenicity and toxicity of visible fluorescent light to cultured mammalian cells

Light has been shown to produce strand breaks in DNA5,6. Because many tissue culture operations are conducted under fluorescent light, we have investigated whether the toxicity and DNA strand-breaking activity of light are accompanied by mutagenicity. We report here that this is the case.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlere...4&tools=bot

Twenty-hour-exposure to fluorescent light produces chromatid breaks in a line of adult mouse lung cells grown in Dulbecco-Vogt medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum. The light-induced damage appears to be enhanced by increasing the concentration of oxygen in the gas phase of the culture. The effective wavelength(s) of light is in the visible range between 400 and 450 nm andis probably the mercury emission peak at 405 or 436 nm. Addition of catalase or glutathione with ascorbic acid to the culture medium reduced the number of chromatid breaks to a level not significantly different from that in the shielded cultures. It thus appears that the production of H2O2 in the culture medium or in the cell is responsible for the chromatid breaks. Most of the chromosomal abnormalities observed in long-term culture of mouse cells may result from exposure of cells or medium to fluorescent room lights in the presence of atmospheric oxygen.!!!!!!!!! These genetic abnormalities can be minimized by shielding cells and medium from light, lowering the PO2 of the medium, and including reducing agents such as glutathione and ascorbic acid in the medium formulation.!!!!

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0027-8424...&size=LARGE

Flouros give me headaches.

[crystal sage]

Next... Crystal Sage will bring us the dangers of breathing!

It's only dangerous if you inhale what's in the tubeing... as for the lighting issue... that could be fixed by making them with a natural frequency. It can be done. I have sunlight frequency flourescent bulbed shaped tubes for my plants and for my light fixtures. No headaches, no traumas, no nothing. Easier on yer eyes as well.

would't it as in a heated gaseous form... just evaporate into the room???or???

http://www.ewire.com/display.cfm/Wire_ID/1793

"Mercury From Broken Sylvania Bulb Costs $70,000 to Clean-Up, Closes Library

Advocates call on lamp makers to inform consumers about product risks

MUNCIE, INDIANA, Sep. 29 -/E-Wire/-- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency attributes the need for $70,000 in clean-up costs at a library in East Central Indiana to the breakage of one Sylvania 8-foot fluorescent light bulb and subsequent vaccuming of the mercury. "What's been going on ever since is, [the vacuum cleaner] has been tossing little beads of mercury from over here to over there, and then from over there to over here," said Bill Simes, on-scene coordinator for EPA, who was quoted in an article appearing last Friday in the East-Central Indiana Star Press.

"The take home message is don't attempt to use a vaccuum cleaner to clean up mercury from a fluorescent bulb or other mercury-containing device that breaks in your home, library, school or business," said Michael Bender, Director of the Mercury Policy Project. "Also, don't believe it if anyone tries to convince you that mercury releases from fluorescent light bulbs--or any other mercury product--is not a problem. There are cases in the literature of young children become poisoned in their homes solely due to the mercury from fluorescent bulb or thermometer breakage."

Better make sure kids don't play ball inside... or you accidently drop them when you are changing them... or if they fall and break during earth quakes... tremors..

Or troublesome kids use their BB guns on the Fluoro street lights....

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/...stract/79/5/786

Medical attention was sought for a 23-month-old toddler because of anorexia, weight loss, irritability, profuse sweating, peeling and redness of his fingers and toes, and a miliarial rash. The diagnosis was mercury poisoning, and an investigation of his environment disclosed that he had been exposed to mercury from broken fluorescent light bulbs. Acrodynia resulting from fluorescent bulbs has not been previously reported.

now imagine the future when careless or lazy people throw their fluorescents bulbs in the garbage..just like many do with batteries etc. they get smashed in the compacter releasing mercury..... poisoning all those involve in the disposal industry... and probably polluting the road way... or when bins get knocked over.. and some innocent neighbour... or the householder eventually cleans it up... are they going be wearing protective gear???

Then it all eventually finds it's way into land fills.. our ground water.... causing all sorts of damage to people and the environment.... Why add another potential risk... problem to the world?

Look at the problem we have controlling corporations.. individuals... nations from dumping their toxic wastes already!!!!!

Do you trust the people of the world to act responsibly???

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2007/s1855433.htm

The New Jersey Department of the Environment did a study a few years ago, and estimated about two to four tonnes of mercury from broken fluorescent bulbs is released to the environment every year.

Edited April 7, 2007 by crystal sage

[crystal sage]

http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/hg/summary.html

http://www.umasssoils.com/abstracts2004/We...oindicators.htm

http://www.al.com/specialreport/mobileregi...oremercury.html

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categorie...ury/default.htm

Edited May 3, 2007 by crystal sage

[The Skeptic Eric Raven]

Fluro's make my hair grow faster.

[crystal sage]

it speeds up the aging process!!!.....

[Reincarnated]

it speeds up the aging process!!!.....

Does it? I've always been told I look young for my age.

[SilverCougar]

Read, learn, and STOP WORRYING!

Yeah, it contains mercury.. but not enough to hurt you. But it's like every other lightbulb.. if it breaks be *CAREFUL* when cleaning it up.

[crystal sage]

Read, learn, and STOP WORRYING!

Yeah, it contains mercury.. but not enough to hurt you. But it's like every other lightbulb.. if it breaks be *CAREFUL* when cleaning it up.

how many people know to be carefull about cleaning them up... and treat as toxic disposal...

Many people are totally unaware of the mercury in these lights... I was.. and had broken ones...that I cleaned up also using a vacuum.... and it all being disposed in the regular waste...In how many households has this happened??? and will happen!!!!

Why add to the world's pollution... ??? Many people won't recylce.. and throw batteries in the garbage...not just our of ignorance..but too lazy... or think that the odd bulb or battery won't matter... It's pretty much human nature...

They could eventually bring out the garbage police... who randomly check people's garbage...and impose fines for the non recyclers.... but do we want to go there???

I've registered for green energy... I'm doing my bit... I don't want the flourescents... as I think in the long run...they will do much more harm than good...

s

[SilverCougar]

if you read the article... it tells you to take them to the recycle bins in carefully sealed bags. So it's not adding to the waste, it's being recycled.

I can't help it if people can't read, or do research in the matter. Again. Don't panic. You know the dangers.. the pros and cons.. now you can use the bulbs and know what to do.

[Ghost Ship]

I read an article that said that if we all lived in candle light our stress levels would be measurably lower.

[crystal sage]

if you read the article... it tells you to take them to the recycle bins in carefully sealed bags. So it's not adding to the waste, it's being recycled.

I can't help it if people can't read, or do research in the matter. Again. Don't panic. You know the dangers.. the pros and cons.. now you can use the bulbs and know what to do.

Yes it may come with those instructions ... but how many people in this world do you think will follow this????

How long do you think it will take for the message of the dangers to come accross???

Every one I have randomly spoken to about the possible dangers of Fluorescents...were completely amazed!!!

They hadn't a clue that it contained mercury... that special care needs to be taken if they drop one...they always treated them like ordinary light bulbs!!!

I previously wasn't aware of the dangers of them either!!! or of the special need to dispose of them seperately or safely!!!

They'll have to do a massive advertising campaigne about responsible usage....once the law of anti-incandescent lighting takes over!!!!

Edited May 9, 2007 by crystal sage

[JJO]

Truly, in my opinion, those facts are just another reason for people to get questioned and have something to argue upon. I believe there is no dangerous issues about using fluorescent lighting. If there was some dangerous gases or chemicals given off by running these lights it would be so small it would not cause an harm. Usually, people like to over exaggerate to try and prove a point. The government in several countries would probably support the theory of florescent lighting being unsafe just to ring up your hydro bill. All in all, it’s just a hoax in my opinion.

JJO

[crystal sage]

Truly, in my opinion, those facts are just another reason for people to get questioned and have something to argue upon. I believe there is no dangerous issues about using fluorescent lighting. If there was some dangerous gases or chemicals given off by running these lights it would be so small it would not cause an harm. Usually, people like to over exaggerate to try and prove a point. The government in several countries would probably support the theory of florescent lighting being unsafe just to ring up your hydro bill. All in all, it’s just a hoax in my opinion.

JJO

Nope the Australian govt... is planning to make it compulsory to use fluorescents!!!!

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/02/20/tech-bulb.html

I'm saying that it is a silly idea...and am against it... I'd rather green the energy source..rather than use an alternate potentially dangerous solution....

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55213

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2005...nt_lighting.htm

I can offer many scientific studies too that point out the dangers of fluorescents too!!!!

basically that it causes DNA damage... destroys nutrients in foods eg... all those foods at the supermarket under flourscents...

http://www.informinc.org/SheddingLightRelease.pdf

http://www.electrosensitivity.org.uk/powerwatch.htm

[crystal sage]

Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!!

Australia pulls plug on light bulbs

http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/1051

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2005...nt_lighting.htm

As always of an investigative mind, I decided to search further into this problem pertaining to these lights having found that the entire matter involved the "radio light spectrum" and other light frequencies which are invisible to the human eye whilst, however, radiating high levels of "radio active" energy containing the frequencies of x-ray, gamma and cosmic rays. There is no solution, even with total lead shielding of the starter unit, transformer capacitor sections and the tube cathode areas as it leaves the illuminating area of the tube itself free to radiate all manner of radio frequency and mercury vapour energies. The only way out is to outlaw them completely.

The general public is completely oblivious to this lurking danger to their health. This situation should be addressed with urgency. The general public is entitled to be made aware of this danger to their health and as there is now legislation in place to cover these kind of unforeseen risks attention to this paramount issue should be addressed and enforced immediately. Such action would result in savings of millions of dollars in medical care, not to mention human suffering as a result of the gross ignorance of the health authorities of the dangers involved in the widespread use of these lethal devices.

Millions of fluorescent lights exist in the offices of commerce, in factories, workshops, homes, schools, universities, colleges, airports, cafes and restaurants, hospitals ad infinitum ­ all radiating these dangerous energies into the unsuspecting public worldwide.

The effects of lighting on the human functioning development and psychological effects are indeed profound. Try placing seedlings/plants adjacent to an unshielded fluorescent light at the end where the starter unit is located, they will surely wilt and die, (and this is most certainly not attributable to "heat" radiation, a conclusion some may readily jump to). Unshielded fluorescent lights are a menace to mankind and should be replaced by standard Tungsten filament lighting.

Too many people, including doctors and general hospital staff, are spending far too much time indoors (an unfortunate occupational hazard as also found within other professions and trades) subjecting themselves to this continuous bombardment of colourless radioactive radiation from fluorescent lights, the worst of which are the soft white economical plug-in bulbs. These bulbs, although physically small, are nevertheless hazardous.

http://www.mercola.com/article/emf/emf_dangers.htm

Can electromagnetic fields (EMF) from power lines, home wiring, airport and military radar, substations, transformers, computers and appliances cause brain tumors, leukemia, birth defects, miscarriages, chronic fatigue, headaches, cataracts, heart problems, stress. nausea, chest pain, forgetfulness, cancer and other health problems?

Numerous studies have produced contradictory results, yet some experts are convinced that the threat is real.

Dr. David Carpenter, Dean at the School of Public Health, State University of New York believes it is likely that up to 30% of all childhood cancers come from exposure to EMFs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns "There is reason for concern" and advises prudent avoidance".

Martin Halper, the EPA's Director of Analysis and Support says "I have never seen a set of epidemiological studies that remotely approached the weight of evidence that we're seeing with EMFs. Clearly there is something here."

Concern over EMFs exploded after Paul Brodeur wrote a series of articles in the New Yorker Magazine in June 1989. Because of Paul Brodeur's reputation. his articles had a catalytic effect on scientists, reporters and concerned people throughout the world.

In November 1989, the Department of Energy reported that "It has now become generally accepted that there are, indeed, biological effects due to field exposure."

The EMF issue gained more publicity in 1990 when alarming reports appeared in Time, the Wall Street Journal, Business Week and popular computer publications. ABC's Ted Koppel and CBS's Dan Rather both aired special segments on EMFs.

[Truffles]

Lets all go back to candles, but only the bees wax lead-free ones of course lol. Flourescents give me headaches too. I hate their glare. My mom got this light thats supposed to be like the sun for people with SAD or it emits vitamins something I dunno. (She doesn't suffer from SAD but thinks its good for your health) Its in the kitchen and I can't stand it. It's so bright. blah

[Primeval]

Fluro's make my hair grow faster.

I need to get me some of those!

[Kevin A.]

I am astonished at the number of people that DIDNT know there was mercury in fluorescent light bulbs. I thought this was common knowledge but I guess not?

Its amazing. Lead paint, mercury in thermometers, mercury in fluorescent lights, bad light spectrums breaking down cells, spankings, actually losing a tee ball game or two etc etc

All of this crap, yet here we remain. All of this horrible horrible stuff that is going to be the death of every single child on the face of the planet blah blah blah and yet here we sit. Amazing isn't it?

Everyone needs to calm down. Low mercury bulbs are available now and they are working towards mercury free bulbs. By the time we all have to use fluorescents by law the mercury should, for the most part, be totally eliminated from them.

You know breaking one mercury thermometer exposes you to more mercury than breaking one typical CFL every year for 100 years.

If you will pardon the pun.....lighten up people.

Kevin A.

[crystal sage]

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2005...nt_lighting.htm