Impacts
Did you know Fluorescent light can also be toxic to your home and environment? Fluorescent light contains items such as fluorine, neon, lead powder and also mercury. Mercury's impact on the environment can be very harmful and since it is an essential element in millions of fluorescent lamps throughout the world, as those lamps are thrown into landfill, the mercury can escape and contribute to air and water pollution.
Each year, about 600 million fluorescent lamps are thrown in landfills, creating up to 30,000 pounds of mercury waste. It is astonishing that it only takes 4mg of mercury to contaminate up to 7,000 gallons of fresh water, meaning that the 30,000 pounds of mercury thrown away in compact fluorescent light bulbs each year is enough to pollute nearly every lake, pond, river and steam in North America . They contain mercury, a neurotoxin that can cause kidney and brain damage.
ABOUT: Effects to the Environment
Mercury is a heavy, silver transition metal most commonly found in thermometers, and other scientific equipment. Many chest pains, dyspnea, coughing, hemoptysis, and sometimes interstitial pneumonitis leading to death may follow to breathin mercury vapor.
"People need to understand that these bulbs are considered "hazardous" and can cause long term damage to not only the environment, but if broken can cause health problems with people as well. Mercury has the ability to cause humans, as well as animals, serious health problems such as permanent nerve and kidney damage if exposed." –Researcher at the University of Illinois.