But the EPA recommends special care be taken if a compact fluorescent bulb breaks in your house, and that broken or burned-out bulbs be recycled.

01:00 AM EST on Monday, November 28, 2005

BY TIMOTHY C. BARMANN
Journal Staff Writer

Several readers responded to the last week's installment of our Bracing For Winter series about lighting with questions about compact fluorescent light bulbs.

That article recommended replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs to save electricity. These spiral-shaped bulbs use 66 percent to 75 percent less electricity while still putting out the same intensity of light.

Most of the letters raised concerns that these energy-efficient bulbs contain mercury, a toxic metal.

These bulbs do indeed contain mercury, in vapor form. Mercury is a substance known to affect the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It can cause symptoms such as trembling hands, memory loss and difficulty moving.

The amount of mercury in a CFL bulb is minimal. According to a fact sheet distributed by the EPA, such bulbs contain 4 mg of mercury.

By comparison, a traditional glass thermometer contains 500 mg of mercury. So it would take 125 compact fluorescent bulbs to equal the same amount of mercury as is contained in one thermometer.

Still, the EPA recommends that these bulbs be disposed of differently than regular light bulbs, and it suggests that people take special care if a CFL breaks inside your home:

"Open nearby windows to disperse any vapor that may escape, carefully sweep up the fragments [do not use your hands]and wipe the area with a disposable paper towel to remove all glass fragments. Do not use a vacuum. Place all fragments in a sealed plastic bag."

The fact sheet is available at http://www.efi.org/articles/epafactsheet-cfl.pdf.

Broken or burned-out CFL bulbs should be recycled through residential recycling programs, the EPA says. They can be found at

http://www.earth911.org, or by calling 800-CLEAN-UP, an automated hotline.

In Rhode Island, the fluorescent bulbs are recycled by the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, said Joseph Rotella, manager of its Eco-Depot program. The Eco-Depot, located in Johnston, allows people to drop off hazardous waste found in households.

An appointment is necessary, Rotella said, and the next collection date is Dec. 10. For a list of all collection dates, see the company's Web site at

http://www.rirrc.org/ and click on Eco Depot.

Timothy C. Barmann covers energy issues, utilities and technology. He can be reached at tbarmann@projo.com