things that make me wonder...

[ratcreature]

I am using energy saving light bulbs for lamps I leave on for a long time, and just now the bulb in my bedroom started flickering. Which was fine, it had lasted some years, much longer than a regular incandescent bulb, just as advertised. Unfortunately it also started to emit an absolutely disgusting chemical smell (like solvents or melting plastic or something like that), that became noticeable as I got close to change it. I know of course that they are toxic if they break, but this one was still whole and no plastic parts had visibly melted either, and certainly they don't normally to smell like that. (I also use one of these in a desktop lamp for getting bright, more blue-spectrum daylight so that I can avoid color distortion, and my nose tends to be quite near that, closer than it came to this one while changing.)

Either way, I changed it, and ventilated the room, but this really makes me wonder what level of chemicals this thing released during its normal function, because clearly something was released at a higher level in its malfunction phase, like maybe the plastic part with the electronics got hotter than usual and thus more of something evaporated or something. Seriously, it was extremely unpleasant.

I had heard critics of these bulbs claim all sorts of negative things, including harmful chemical emissions, but had always assumed them to be somewhat overblown (I mean, I'm not unconcerned about environmental toxins, but for the most part try not to be too alarmist). But yeah, that smell was not environmentally friendly, that's for sure.

Comments

[acari]

The stinky smell may've been phenol. It's one of the substances commonly named in articles about the lamps.

[ratcreature]

Yikes. I had always assumed these criticisms, that I didn't pay much attention to, were about some sort of risk for a small background indoor toxin increase, but on a level you wouldn't detect with your own senses (of course maybe more insidious because of that), like how they say that the plastic coatings in cans release hormone-like bisphenol-A and cause infertility. Not that under some circumstances I'd have to deal with acrid smells.

[auburn]

Alarming, but I'll at least mention a good side to it? The unpleasant smell acts like the distasteful odor that American manufacturers add to bottled propane: it lets you know the gas is leaking since you can't see it.

I do find it bothersome that no one seemed to consider that no matter how much 'longer lived' and energy-efficient the new type bulbs are, some would wear out or be broken and have to be disposed of and the average idiot (meaning me) wouldn't think at first that they require more care in clean up and getting rid of them.

I sometimes wonder what it would be like to live in a world where everyone considered the consequences before acting, but it's just depressing.

[ratcreature]

Well, here everybody who sells them has to take them back, and they are not allowed to be put into the trash, with labels instructing you about this all over the things. Of course some people may throw them away despite that, but it's like with batteries. At least for the bulbs collection places are everywhere, unlike small electrical appliances or electronics.

I actually have a growing pile of trash in apartment that I can't throw away in the garbage, but am too lazy to bring to the nearest collection point, to which I have to take a bus and then the subway, and I always miss the dates when the mobile collection comes around to the nearest market place. So the pile with an old mixer, a broken digital camera, an old sound card and so on, just remains where it is.

[lilacsigil]

Australia is changing over to these long-lasting bulbs, which would be great, except that if you live outside a major city, there's no safe way to dispose of them. I've had some in place for 4-5 years now, so one's got to go soon, and I have no idea what to do when it goes!

[ratcreature]

Here stores that sell them need to take them back (at least I think that is mandated by law, just like with batteries, or if it is not, they still do), so unlike with electronic waste or small appliances I can just bring them back. But with the other special waste, I have some accumulating too. To be fair, a special collection van comes around on certain dates and sets up shop for local collections, if you can't make it to the more central recycling places, but that's not all that convenient either.

[madripoor-rose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the curly ones have mercury in them. I've been hoping for a breakthrough on LED lightbulbs pricewise. Never had one start to smell though, that is worrying.

[ratcreature]

Yeah me neither, which is why I'm so "WTF? What is this?" because it was quite an extreme and intense chemical smell. I mean, I'm not usually a sensitive person, suffering from every bit of new plastic smell.