Like many of us concerned about saving energy, a couple of years ago, my husband and I replaced the incandescent bulbs in every fixture in our house with compact flourescent lightbulbs, or CFLs. Given the energy savings of CFLs (they use about 50-80% of the energy of old-fashioned incandescent bulbs), making the switch seemed like a no-brainer. 

Then a couple of weeks ago, a friend sent me a link to this article that talks about the threat of mercury exposure and other hassles (financial and otherwise) that ensue when a CFL bulb breaks inside your home. I began to worry. Not only because we live in earthquake country and we have a drawer full of out-of-the-packaging CFLs sitting vulnerable in the bottom drawer of our china cabinet. But also because I'm days (hopefully hours) away from delivering a baby and I'm just not up for the drama of a crew in hazmat suits showing up at my door when I'm in labor. So, I did a bit more research to figure out whether this was something I truly needed to worry about, or if I could spend my time finding something else to worry about. (When you're about to have a baby, the list is endless, no?)

I decided to contact Michael Bender at the Mercury Policy Project to get his input on the real risks involved in using CFLs. According to Bender, while it's true that breaking a CFL in your home can expose you to harmful mercury vapor, the actual risks do not outweigh the energy benefits one can gain from using CFLs. At least not in most cases. Bender says that while it's true CFLs contain mercury--and that some bulbs contain more than others with no way for consumers to know which are which--most contain a very small amount and that if one happens to break, following the EPA's recommended guidelines for clean up should be sufficient. From a group that works solely on mercury issues, this bit of perspective gave me comfort.

Although some have argued that families should ditch CFLs all together (see article referenced above), Bender says, and I'd have to agree, that position seems a little extreme. Especially given that replacing just one incandescent bulb with a CFL keeps a half-ton of CO² out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb. Based on that, we could shut down 90 average size power plants if everyone in the U.S. used energy-efficient lighting like CFLs. 

But I admit, I'm sort of a "worst-case-scenario" kind of girl. I like to have a plan for avoiding toxic exposure or harm of any kind, so, based on my chat with Michael Bender and other research I'm offering up the following tips for safely using CFLs in your home:

When not to use CFLs
If you live in earthquake country like me, or if you just have a lot of rambunctious kids running around (and it just seems like you live in earthquake country), take care when putting CFLs in table lamps that could easily be tipped over. Your safest bet is to stick to traditional incandescent bulbs in this situation, or opt for LED bulbs instead.

Cleaning up a broken CFL bulb
You've probably heard the horror stories, too. One family in Maine broke a CFL bulb and contacted the Department of Environmental Protection, who told them it would cost $2000 to clean it up. It has happened. But it doesn't have to happen to you. If you break a bulb.

• Ventilate the area - then leave. Taking pregnant women, kids, pets, and anyone else with you and don't come back for at least 15 minutes. If you have a forced-air  heating/cooling system turn it off.
  

• Whatever you do, don't vacuum. Although the logic is to suck all the glass and mercury out of the room, the reality is that vacuuming will actually disperse the mercury further.

• Don't use a broom, either. Use rags or other cloth to clean up the spill.

Disposing of spent CFLs
When a bulb does break you'll need to get rid of it, but where? Depending on where you live, you may be able to put the broken bulb inside a plastic bag and dispose of it in your garbage can. Some retailers like Home Depot and IKEA accept CFLs for recycling. Visit Earth911 for other drop-off locations in your area.

If you don't have a drop-off center in your community, you'll need to take the broken bulbs to your local hazardous waste disposal center. In 2007, California passed AB 1109 that among other things,  reduces hazardous waste in lighting and increases recycling opportunities.Contact your state legislators and find out if similar legislation is pending in your area. If so, do what you can to help pass it!