New Health Risks Found with Energy Saving Light Bulbs
By Carolin
Maybe we were a little too eager to go green..
A Swiss research team just published results on radiation from the popular Energy Saving Light Bulbs. Turns out that the radiation is high enough to be potentially dangerous just 30 cm. That’s about 12 inch.
This very moment my son is probably asleep with his bedside lamp still lit just 8 inch from his head. Now that feels just great!
Switzerland is now recommending that you keep a distance of a least 30 cm from energy saving lamps while you rest, work or do any longer activity. So no energy saving by your bed or at your desk.
It’s the CFL bulbs they are talking about compact fluorescent lamp. CFL light bulbs are expensive but they use less energy and have a longer rated life. It is estimated that you can save $30 in electricity costs during the lamp’s life time. The lamp bulbs are very popular in Europe and many countries have banned the old fashioned “safe” light bulbs.
Now I have to go upstairs and change a lamp. See you guys later.
Image by http://www.flickr.com/photos/levyfulop/
Learn More About.. health risks, Go Green, energy saving light bulbs, save energy
Wow, is this really true? Do you have any source on that? I’m not sure if i have CFL bulbs, and I usually don’t sit within 30 cm from the lamp, but it’s some really scary news. Gotta go find out more about this.
Wow, this is crazy. I have replaced nearly all the bulbs in my house with these CFL ones and this includes table lamps on my computer desk and living room side table. You’ve got me worried now…
Yes it’s really worrying. We’ve also changed almost all our lamps.
It was all over the Swedish news yesterday, all serious newspapers reported on it. Here is one:
http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/studie-varnar-for-lagenergilampor_4557771.svd
I didn’t see any report on it English yet.
Well this is really worrying! All that encouragement to make us switch to energy savers and then this comes out? It’s the whole “eat lots of salmon, oh actually dont eat to much” scenario all over again.
Thanks for the link to Svd Carolin! Maybe I should have noticed that, since I live in Sweden.. Guess I need to watch the news more often..
I don’t see a cause of worry on this if the bulb is at a distance greater than 30 cm. Using it as a bed-table bulb could be potentially dangerous if the reports are true. Thanks for sharing this article. At least the community would be aware of the damage that these bulbs could do. I guess, many do not know about this.
FORGET CFL bulbs! They contain mercury and are a biohazard. Use LED bulbs!! I am not affiliated with LED industry – but it is the best technology, surely, by a long way. More efficient, less breakable, long lasting and cleaner tech.
I guess we have to live with trial and error when we’re moving towards new technology. I just wish the trials wouldn’t cause cancer.
@Edinburgh Photographer yes this is worrying. I keep wondering what they’ll find next.
@Tom Most lamps are at greater distance than the 30 cm so that shouldn’t be a problem. I exchanged nearly all my lamps including by beds and desks. Bummer..
@Alex Thanks for the info on LED lights, maybe I’ll try that next time.
So in order to save the environment we have to purchase toxic energy saving light bulbs that will end up requiring an expensive waste management program, so we will work more to afford the program and then the working in the industries will cause more pollution and we are going to be forced to buy the made in china mercury bulbs. Wow! it looks like a vicious circle of energy and wastage management. All the best dear Earth !
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Ironic!
So you live in Sweden Jeff, cool. Are you Swedish?
I am Swedish but I live in the US.
Wow! Is it really true? Then what are the alternatives for CFL? Candles?
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Looks like it’s really true. But they still don’t know how dangerous the radiation is.
One green alternative is LED.
@Carolin: LED are not a real alternative! Because the light is not very powerful. But i really hope the radiation is not dangerous for human beings.
it seems that the light emmitted by these is very small. LED lights emmit more light than normal bulbs, last twice as long and are more effiecient(therefore more green) than these! they also have no bad outcomes like radiation.
Oh mine it seems I will have to focus more on my children’s health than the electricity bill…
My child always studies at night. As he say its difficult for him to concentrate on studies while day time. He loves to study alone in his night lamp. But now I feel I will have to ask him to turn on the main light and then study.
That’s what I had to do too Larry. We still use energy saving light bulbs as often as we can but never in our bed side lamps anymore.
Jennifer that might be better for his eyes too since a night light usually don’t give enough light.
I would have never thought energy saving bulbs would be dangerous. Why don’t you think it was taken into consideration when making the model for them? So much for being green!
The best thing to use is led lights they not only saves you cost but it also saves the earth. Now with more led architectural lighting companies I think the price should drop ..
Do we actually know which type of radiation these bulbs are giving off?
Jimmy, I don’t what kind of radiation but hear the latest news on the energy saving light bulb.
In December 2010 the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) reported that energy saving light bulbs emit too much mercury when crushed. To be exact 20 times over EU limits (0,35 micrograms per cubic-meter).