Residents warned of mercury exposure after fluorescent light bulbs dumped at Dallas playground

WFAA ^

[Arthurio]

DALLAS -- The parks and recreation department is warning residents near a south Dallas playground to be on the lookout for symptoms of mercury exposure after light bulbs were illegally dumped at the playground and a vacant lot across the street.

Nearly 1,000 electrical and fluorescent light bulbs were found Thursday at the Peary Play Lot in the 2800 block of Peary Ave. near Malcolm X Boulevard.

[al_c]

No ... they don’t last. That’s why I’ve stopped using them. I still have 7 year old incandescent bulbs burning brightly but could never get a CFL to last a couple of months. I only have 1 left in the house and two outside.

[Truthoverpower]

This is not controversy. And it did not start with The stupid CFL which are A complete and unmitigated disaster. People have been warning about the tubes since the 1980s. They have been ignored and now I am taking up the banner as a chemical engineer who understands the horror this is inflicting on the world that no one can see taste or feel

The sooner we stop this the sooner we stop millions of people a day from being irreversibly poisoned

It was simply the GREED of the MERCURY PURVEYORS who said.

’ hey let’s get our mercury lamps into every home now !’

Around 1994. Then they paid the bureaucrats and the global warming fools to pick up the banner For the last 20 yrs. it’s ongoing

Save the planet. Install CFLs they said

Now these highly dangerous noxious and toxic lamps are in every none

Because of this now everyone MUST be aware of the truth

Not just business owners who STILL after 70 years of these things mostly don’t know they are filled with mercury gas

BTW. I have never met Anyone who likes fluorescents. No one

They suck and are terrible light. No decent restaurant would use them

[Fresh Wind]

Oh yeah. Plug in something expensive and sensitive to harmonics exit to one and see what happens. I dare you

I'm not categorically defending CFL bulbs, as you have accused, so don't suggest I'm a tool of the "mercury purveyors". For the record, I am 100% opposed to any governmental mandates for the use of such bulbs.

I am challenging one specific, indefensible statement that you made.

Do you actually know what "harmonics" are, or is that just a word that you saw on some environmental wacko web site? A properly designed electronic device will not be damaged by the level of RF energy radiated by a CFL bulb. If a device was so poorly engineered that that were the case, it would be driven from the marketplace almost immediately.

For better or worse, we are surrounded by "radio frequencies". Radio stations, TV stations, cell phones, cell phone towers, police and emergency services, WiFi services, radar, light dimmers, wireless everything you can imagine. And, yes, even some LED bulbs that are being touted as the eventual replacement for the CFL.

Virtually every modern electronic device radiates some RF energy, particularly those with switching mode power supplies.

Are you one of those Luddites who wants all of those things eliminated?

[VerySadAmerican]

I sold flourescent lamps for 6 years. Among other electrical stuff. There was always a barrel in the warehouse where the broken tubes were kept. The rep would re-imburse us.

[Truthoverpower]

Sir.

Nice try I am a power quality engineer certified by Elspec
Look up them and get back to me

I get paid to diagnose utility caused problems in terms of power factor voltage and phase imbalance and incorrect metering. My equipment which is calibrated stands up in court vs utility meters
You probably assume all metering is correct as you would assume our brilliant guvmint would surely never allow 99c crap from china to harm our electronics. This a 99 c bulb that has a 25-60000 hz ballast inside that is supposed to make sure the mercury doesn’t ignite after lit up
I will spare you embarrassment by noting that assumption starts with?

Now I see you’re quickly backtracking once I told you who you were unknowingly shilling for. The Mercury Purveyors. Yes I coined that term

So I am not only about not having the stupid government and their stupid global warming idiots shove this crap down our throats

I want ALL mercury lamps Banned period. Now and forever more

[Truthoverpower]

Mercury levels around such are like 1 gram per m-3. Most recent safe level is 200 x 10-9. m-3. Or 200 nano grams per

Can’t see or smell it. Stays where it’s at at 200 g mole-1 vs air at 32 g

Sorry no one ever told you. Please let others still working there know

This is very very serious stuff.

[Fresh Wind]

I don’t care what you claim to be. Chemical engineer? Power quality engineer? Whatever.

I don’t shill for anybody.

Show me some documented cases in which RF energy (either radiated or coupled into the power line) from a CFL bulb caused the failure of an electronic device. I don’t mean some annoying hash on an AM radio that goes away when you turn off the light, I mean actual failure to continue operation.

That is the only point I am challenging you on. Why can’t you accept that and prove me wrong on that point, instead of accusing me of being involved with some sort of evil conspiracy.

That crap just makes you look like a nut.

[Truthoverpower]

You are starting to sound like a shill for the industry the mercury purveyors

So I’m supposed to do some PQ study on one of 200 billion or so lamps that are out there and only then you will be convinced

That mercury gas filled tubes with Ballsts to make sure they don’t explode are not ok anymore

They are NOT acceptable , PQ study you think is sufficient or not

You have used most of the liberal type tricks I’ve seen

Compare them to something else demean the opponent

I am going to repeat this over and over until everyone knows
THE TRUTH about these horrible monstrosities and we get rid of them
Forever and ban their future use

Mercury is really really bad. And it’s unique properties make it as you see

VERY dangerous !

Please help get the word out and not suppress the truth about these relics of the 1940s. Yes the 1940s

It’s time for nice light again. Like the sun. Not the blue hazard of mercury

[Fresh Wind]

[Truthoverpower]

Here is a documentary film which shows how ordinary citizens got headaches, skin rashes and other negative effects from CFL lamps, and demanded answers, and got none.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/toxic-light-bulb-investigation/

Watch this and please feel free to defend your insult again proving you are indeed a shill. Defend forcing sensitive people to suffer under these horrible harmful radiation spewing crap the EPA makes us use

These awful relics of the 1940s hurt people. There is a much better way

People need not SUFFER under these hideous monsters anymore

[gitmo]

Did the fumes run you out of the house?

[gitmo]

Same here. They seem to last about like Edison bulbs at my house.

[Truthoverpower]

Oh and by the way someone in the Dallas area. That will be a hazardous waste site for the near future Whether guvmint says so or not. Now I know Dallas tx ain’t run by Libs so if they want to the people doing the cleanup should have hazmat gear and mercury detection equipment that is good to 1 nano gram per cu mtr. Please tell them to use extreme caution and to use the data of 25 mg per lamp or approx 15 g of hg spilled or local concerns of 5-100 mg per cu mtr. This is far above exposure limits for anyone without serious gear. There are likely to be experts in the Industrial hygiene and hazmat depts

Good luck

[Fresh Wind]

My insult? I merely challenged you to defend one of your claims.

You refuse to do so, and continue to accuse me of being part of your conspiracy.

I already stated that I don’t support the government mandate forcing these bulbs on the public.

But, since you are convinced that I am part of that grand conspiracy, of course you don’t believe me, and will once again accuse me of being a shill.

Of course, you also won’t believe me that I did watch your video.

One thing that I would have liked to have seen in that video was that person holding their field strength meter close to a traditional tubular fluorescent bulb, or for that matter, close to a computer power supply, a computer monitor, a lamp dimmer, a flat screen TV, or a cell phone.

That would have provided a useful basis for comparison, but the producer of that video chose not to do that. Why?

I believe you would have seen similar readings from those other devices, but that would have watered down the argument being advanced in the video, so the producers opted not to go there.

Yep, there I go again, shilling for the “purveyors”.

It’s long been known (certainly since before CFLs came along) that there are people who have sensitivity to flickering light, even if the flickering is imperceptible. This affects epileptics, and people prone to migraines. That there should be problems with CFLs certainly shouldn’t come as a surprise. I do agree that warning labels are appropriate for people who have that sensitivity.

I’d like to ask that woman who claimed that horrible rash appeared after 20 minutes next to a CFL bulb what happens to her in direct sunlight? Why didn’t the producers ask her that? Didn’t fit their agenda?

Finally, if I am such a shill, why the hell aren’t they paying me to do it? I could use the money.

[al_c]

Hey, I’m with ya, FRiend. I just never heard a word about mercury in those things until CFLs hit the market. That’s why I asked.

[Truthoverpower]

Thankful FRIend Trying to get the facts out. Here ya go again. Spread the word Freepers ! Baseline. Mercury vapor should not exceed 0.0002 mg m-3 in air to stay below safe levels Concentration of Hg (g) inside Fluorescent Lamps SUMMARY OF Hg GAS CONCENTRATION IN DIFFERENT LAMP TYPES ONE FOUR FOOT T8 LAMP HAS ~ 164 MILLION times this concentration inside it ONE CFL LAMP HAS ~ 165 BILLION times this concentration inside it T8 lamp is 4 feet long and one inch in diameter One T8 typically contains 20mg of Mercury - but can range much higher Volume of a T8 lamp in ft 3 = π * r2 * L = 3.14 * (1/24)2 * 4 = 0.0218 ft3 Ft3 = 0.028 m3 Volume of T8 lamp in cubic mtr = 0.000614 m3 CONCENTRATION IN T8 LAMP of Hg (g) = 20 mg / 0.000614= 32765 mg / m3 That is 32.8 grams / m3 - that is 32765/.0002 = 163,285,000 TIMES AS HIGH! CFL CALCULATION Though proponents of CFLs often argue a single bulb only contains 5 mg of mercury, a study found it was an average. There are a number of different size and wattage CFLs so the standard 13 W lamp was used The 13 W CFL bulbs tested and broken actually ranged from 4 to 23 mg of mercury content 100% of lamps surveyed were made in China. CFLs range in volume, but typical 13W has volume of 0.58 *(1/96)2 * 3.14 = 0.000108 ft3 Ft3 = 0.028 m3 Volume of CFL lamp in cubic mtr = 3.03 x 10-6 m3 10 mg of Hg is assumed CONCENTRATION = 10 mg / 3.03 x 10-6 m3 = 33 MILLION mg per meter cubed or 3.3 KILOGRAMS per m3 That is 33,000,000 /.0002 = 165,000,000,000 TIMES AS HIGH! THAT IS 165 BILLION Yes billion HOW MUCH AIR WOULD BE NEEDED TO BRING DOWN TO SAFE LEVELS? (remember : Mercury is heavy, does not disperse, and will entrain itself into anything) One Four Foot T8 To get to .0002 mg/ m3 - 20 mg of mercury requires 100,000 Cubic Meters or 4,000,000 Cubic Feet ofAir One CFL 10 mg of Mercury will require 50,000 Cubic Meters or 2,000,000 Cubic Feet of Air SUMMARY Once released in an indoor environment , the mercury can NEVER be totally removed. What can mercury do to a person? A sudden high exposure to mercury vapor inhaled into the lung causes headaches, cough, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. It may also cause soreness of the mouth, loss of teeth, nausea, and diarrhea. It may lead to permanent lung scarring. A very high exposure to mercury can damage your kidneys. Long-term exposure to mercury can cause effects which develop gradually. It may cause shaking of the hands, eyelids, lips, tongue, or jaw. It may cause headaches, trouble sleeping, personality change, memory loss, irritability, indecisiveness and loss of intelligence. It can also cause skin rash, sores in the mouth, or sore and swollen gums. Many of these symptoms go away when the exposure to mercury stops. Your body gets rid of mercury through urine. Mercury poisoning can be treated with a medicine that pulls mercury out of your body and into the urine. This medicine is only used if mercury exposure is recent—not if mercury exposure occurred many years ago,. When the effects of mercury last for years after exposure stops, that injury is usually permanent. Get the word out to everyone you know ! Please take a these lamps out of your house immediately Be very careful with them Take them to a qualified recycling facility Then get CLEAR incandescents or LEDs if you can afford or like them Business types. LEDs are the way Power to the people! End guvmint evil now Woooooooo - hooooooooooo ! Love Big daddy

[Truthoverpower]

Look here mr fresh wind.
You simply belie your title unless you see the truth

I’m not going to engauge you any further it is a waste of my time

Have all the crap mercury filled UV giving off interference creating crap you want for now in your own house. Ill never tell you what to do

However the PUBLIC needs to be spared of both toxic gas and harmful radiation

And I fight to my death asserting that these crap relics of the 40s need to Go.

And NOW

The old lamps are wonderful. 2$. Filled with argon gas Perfectly dimmable with any dimmer. Will NEVER blow up and set fire to your house. Will NEVER hurt anyone in fact will HELP people see in the dark

NO PROBLEM gee why is guvmint trying to Ban them?

LEDs? Solid state. Chips and computers. NO problem

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. More efficient than stupid evil mercury vapor (née ‘fluorescent’) lamps

The time of the mercury vapor lamp MUST now come to an end

Why?

Cause I say so! And you will NEVER win this argument with me!

Cheers !

Big daddy

[Fresh Wind]

You finally said something right.

I will never win an argument with you because your only strategy is to put your fingers in your ears and yell louder.

You won’t answer questions, you only throw insults and baseless accusations.

You aren’t interested in facts that don’t support your agenda, and you have no desire to engage in a rational discussion.

You made a wild claim and then when it was challenged, you refused to offer any facts to back it up, your only response was to attack the other person.

That tells me right there that you know that you were caught in a lie.

Maybe you should take your rants to the Democratic Underground. The Michael Moore crowd over there will surely welcome you, and they sure don’t care about facts.

[Fresh Wind]

LEDs? Solid state. Chips and computers. NO problem

No problem? Watch this short video in which an LED lamp for home use shows higher RF radiation than a CFL bulb. I watched your video, will you watch mine?

[Truthoverpower]

Sir you simply are shilling for these toxic harmful lamps. Whether you work for EPA directly or just want to prove that gee these lights aren’t really so bad I don’t know.

The bottom line is that these lamps must go and now

How h mercury gas is in an LED lamp? Huh?

Now about in incandescents ? Huh ?

Answer. None.

These also do not have ballasts or create the potentisl for severe fire danger.

You are defending the indefensible and badly

In this fight you are either for toxic nasty crap the guvmint is forcing on us or you are against it

By obfuscating. Changing the subject insulting me repeatedly you have shown what you clearly are. A shill for GE. Phillips. And the EPA

Once again I have laid out clear facts and hopefully people with minds that are not closed will understand that we have a very serious and ongoing problem with these mercury lamps and

1. People need to be informed on this matter

Noone is even aware that these things are highly toxic

2 sensitive people of many types are harmed by these lamps.

There is no question about this. And other lamps do not harm people

There’s your facts- irrefutable.

You simply don’t like them. So you change the subject bring up irrelevant comparisons and the insult me

You are acting like a liberal. Like it or not