In , Jim
Redelfs wrote:
In article ,
(Don Klipstein) wrote:

If any are disposed of through lamp recycling outfits, then
reduction of mercury pollution would be even greater.

"They" removed the mercury from dry cells (batteries). Now it's CFLs
(compact fluorescent lamps) turn to be the poster child of a Good
Ideatm with a BAAAAD environmental impact.

How much mercury is in the average CFL?

Aout 3-4 milligrams.

How much REAL damage can they do if introduced into the general waste
stream and deposited in a MODERN landfill?

Well, I do breate air, and it gets mercury from coal fired power plants.
I also eat stuff that gets whatever is in the air. I like to eat fish,
and they say mercury gets into fish because of the way the food chain and
aquatic life work.
With half our power coming from coal, replacing a 60 watt incandescent
with a 15 watt CFL for 4,000 hours reduces electricity consumption enough
to prevent 7 milligrams of mercury from being spewed into the air by coal
fired power plants.

If they are ahem PROPERLY recycled, what happens to the mercury?

http://www.everlights.com/serv_fluorescent.html

says mercury actually gets recycled and is sold as raw material. It
also says some gets trapped in filters - I imagine those filters get
disposed of in landfills rated for such waste.

If the D.C.Droids can legislate 35mpg and ban the 100w and 75w incandescent
light bulb, why do they not address the building "threat" of discarded CFLs?

I thought DC did make schools, hospitals, industrial buildings, offices
and large retail facilities dispose of their fluorescent lamps in a proper
manner. As recently as the 1980's, 4-foot fluorescents had on average 80
milligrams of mercury. And they did go into dumpsters that recently.

As for what you can do? To see what is required of you, and what is
available to you, as a function of where you live, go to:

http://www.lamprecycle.org

- Don Klipstein )