How Do Mercury Vapor Light Bulbs Work?
Mercury Use Mercury is used in fluorescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs, which is why there are warnings on how to dispose of such bulbs when they are no longer in use. Fluorescent light bulbs last much longer and use much less energy than traditional bulbs, which is why they are advocated by government agencies and eco-friendly organizations, but they also use mercury, which is one of the most toxic metals and can be breathed into the lungs or absorbed into the skin. This is why great care must be taken when a fluorescent light bulb breaks, and why the bulbs should be carefully recycled instead of thrown away in landfills. First Stage of Fluorescent Lighting The amount of mercury used in the bulb is actually very small, and unlike mercury in thermometers it is sealed in a vapor form, usually with some kind of inert gas like argon. Unlike incandescent light bulbs, there is no filament in the fluorescent version–and that is what allows it to save so much energy. The filament exp
