Tim Worstall

Barometers and Mercury in CFL Bulbs

Mr. Eugenides, amongst others, thinks the banning of barometers because of their mercury contents is barmy. And he may well be right.

However, the banning of said barometers and the concurrent insistence that we all have mercury containing compact flourescent lightbulbs in our homes is not quite as mad as some might think.

A CFL is allowed to have a maximum of 5 milligrammes of mercury in it. You can thus make 200 from a gramme, 200,000 from a kilo and 200 million (yes, really) from one tonne.

Or, for the 600 kilos of mercury used in barometers each year, 120 million CFLs.

No, I’m not defending the banning of barometers. Just putting into context how much mercury CFLs use.

In

3 responses

  1. StuartA Avatar
    StuartA

    Full marks for countering the scaremongering of CEI propagandists like this.
    Tim adds: Well, in an example of how closely tied I am to my industry masters, I’ll be having lunch tomorrow with one of my customers. Who is also the world’s leading manufacturer of mercury additions for CFL light bulbs…..:-)

    Reply
  2. Alan Douglas Avatar
    Alan Douglas

    Somercury in barometers is unsafe, but dental mercury STUFFED INTO CHILDREN’S TEETH is safe ? For that dreadful grey “amalgam” contains much more mercury that any barometer.
    My previous wife died because of mercury from her teeth wandering into her jaw then her brain.
    It IS cheaper for the NHS than alternatives though.
    Alan Douglas

    Reply
  3. zorro Avatar
    zorro

    How many of the barometers made in a year end up in a landfill site though? (When compared to light bulbs I mean!) and 120 million sounds like a lot but thats only 1/3 of a lightbulb per person in Europe!! 🙂

    Reply

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