zuesel

回復 1# boss2007

Thank you for posting this. It's sad that our electric company and manufacturers have people believe that CFL is the greatest and the best. There have been many studies to prove that it's actually a health hazard. True, it's good on money saving but think of the health risk in the long run. People may say that lots of things give you cancer anyway. However, the thing with lighting is that you and your family spend hours dining, reading, playing, whatever, whenever you are at home (or even at work). So, it's not as avoidable like food choices and life style.

When CFL's first came out, BC hydro was promoting it like crazy! People lined up to get them, watched and jumped for sales. They were very expensive too but people believed it was worth it although they are ugly as hell. However, notice that BC hydro, although doesn't disclose the harmful effects, no longer promo them. You can get CFLs at dollar stores nowadays. I once saw them for $0.99 in a overstock bin at a drug store!

As an Interior Decorator, we would never, ever promote CFL's to any clients. Seriously, if you want energy saving, safe, and pretty looking lights, go for LED'S!!

Here are some readings of interest.

http://www.scientificamerican.co ... ightbulbs-dangerous

http://www.squidoo.com/truth_about_cfl_bulbs

http://unhypnotize.com/health/26 ... mful-radiation.html

Above are just a little bit of all the links and studies of bad effects of CFLs

zuesel

Yes, considering the harmful effect (more study has been done on CFL) and it's becoming more and more apparent the negative impacts. I urge people to really google them. Some of the main points to remember are:

• Should not be used with people who have migraines or diabetes
  
• Contains 5mg mercury/bulb
  
• Not biodegradable. The mercury will continue to be present in our landfills.
  
• Should not be used in moist environment ie: bathrooms and enclosed light fixtures.
  
• Easy to explode which is even more dangerous as large amount of mercury will leak.
  
• They do not last as long as they claim coz they have to be left on at least a couple of hours and on/off reduces lifespan.
  

This is an excellent read:
http://lowenergylampsinfo.wordpr ... -saving-lamps-cfls/

zuesel

回復 3# fm9610

It's kind of technical and hard to explain...
Although fluorescent still isn't the best choice, it is still better than CFL's. The key is in the physical make up of the bulbs/tubes.
Fluorescent Light is emitted from a glass tube filled with mercury vapor and argon, lined with a phosphor coating and sealed at the ends with cathodes. The ballast (not biodegradable) which controls the current, voltage and connection is housed in the casing of the lighting unit. Where as CFL's have the ballast built right into the bulbs.

As with your concern of monitors and such. The effect is different and isn't as damaging because you won't be able to stare at a light bulb for hours.

zuesel

回復 4# peter236

Actually, LED lights are energy saving too!
Check this out! New 100W-equivalent LED Bulb Only Uses 16W of Power
http://www.mobilemag.com/2011/05 ... -uses-16w-of-power/

Turning on/off doesn't affect the lifespan
It's cold to the touch
Has no harmful chemical
Can last up to 50,000 hours
save up to 90% of energy consumption
free of infra red and UV
can be used under water

For us decorators, we like it because it provides great color rendition (effect of a light source on the visual appearance of a colored surface)
A good color rendition light temperature is 2700-3500 kelvin.

So when doing light planning, keep in mind what to use to bring out the best in your home, paintings, decors, etc.

Other light sources that are energy efficient are Halogen and Xenon

zuesel

回復  zuesel

But I stare at my 2 LCD monitors the whole day and they are only a feet from my head! ...
fm9610 發表於 2011-5-20 21:28

Maybe you should google for your concern. I didn't study about lighting on monitors as a part of Interior decorating. I think it's common sense that either way, sitting for prolong hours in front of the monitor doesn't do people any good. Not only the light but also one's posture could have negative impact.

zuesel

回復 12# Quest
Thank you for sharing. Not sure why you are defensive about this topic and challenge others to "bust your myth" . Not a competition here, so winner doesn't get a trophy.

The information I shared is to raise awareness. People should do more research if interested and choose whatever they want to use. I received education about the harmful effects of CFL from interior design institute. It is known in our industry not to promote CFL in concern with our clients’ safety plus poor color rendition from the cosmetic POV. Colors and objects appear flat and lifeless. The many controversies and “capping”, restrictions, etc that you mentioned indicates there are still risks involved. While improvements are being made, nothing has been publicized to educate the general public “only” to buy a specific brand; to avoid manufactures of a certain country; and avoid the ones made in a certain year. How many people know about these? In a sense, it could still be harmful if not aware of the risks and proper handling.

I called BCHydro. They would not comment on why they stopped promoting CFLs like they used to and studies on headaches, diabetes, etc. They did however, say it’s not advisable for **Lupus* patients. Also to prevent explosion, DO NOT use in high moisture areas and inside sealed lamp shades such as recessed, pot lights, and bathroom ceiling. Also, they advised in the event of breakage, open all windows and doors, evacuate the room for at least 15 mins, pick up glass using gloves, put inside a plastic seal-able bag, double bag with another plastic bag, bring to the designated recycling center. For normal disposal, you'd still need to bring to designated depos. Unfortunately, these are just one of the many non-biodegradable products.

So, if there are all these stipulations and complication involved, plus improvements and studies are still being made…why not, if in doubt, for the time being use other means of lighting source just for a peace of mind? I personally don't believe in going through all the trouble (including shopping carefully for bulbs, making sure my family of young and old knows how to handle bulb explosion if I'm not at home), plus not certain about the risks is worth saving a few dollars. Besides, CFLs are NOT the only alternative to energy saving.

FYI, majority of the hospitals in civilized countries do not use mercury thermometers anymore.

zuesel

Sorry, kind of off topic for a bit but if you are interested to know what BCHydro is referring to, in the above:

**What is Lupus?
http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Lupus/lupus_ff.asp

The immune system is designed to attack foreign substances in the body. If you have lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system and it attacks healthy cells and tissues. This can damage many parts of the body such as the:
•        Joints
•        Skin
•        Kidneys
•        Heart
•        Lungs
•        Blood vessels
•        Brain

There are many kinds of lupus.
The most common type, systemic lupus erythematous, affects many parts of the body. Other types of lupus are:
•        Discoid lupus erythematous—causes a skin rash that doesn't go away
•        Sub-acute cutaneous lupus erythematous—causes skin sores on parts of the body exposed to sun
•        Drug-induced lupus—can be caused by medications
•        Neonatal lupus—a rare type of lupus that affects newborns.

Who Gets Lupus?
Anyone can get lupus, but it most often affects women. Lupus is also more common in women of African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American descent than in Caucasian women.

What Are the Symptoms of Lupus?
Symptoms of lupus vary, but some of the most common symptoms of lupus are:
•        Pain or swelling in joints
•        Muscle pain
•        Fever with no known cause
•        Red rashes, most often on the face
•        Chest pain when taking a deep breath
•        Hair loss
•        Pale or purple fingers or toes
•        Sensitivity to the sun
•        Swelling in legs or around eyes
•        Mouth ulcers
•        Swollen glands
•        Feeling very tired.