SINGAPOREAN consumers are encouraged to go green by using energy-saving light bulbs.
However, there are some concerns about the safety of these bulbs. An e-mail has been circulating here saying that the bulbs could be hazardous to health as they contain mercury.
A my paper reader forwarded the e-mail, which included a warning from the British government that mercury from broken energy-saving light bulbs can cause health problems.
When my paper contacted the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), it agreed that many such bulbs here are not certified under the Green Label programme and may come with these health risks.
According to Mr Yatin Premchand, SEC's general manager, only four out of the 27 energysaving light bulb products available in Singapore carry the Green Label.
The Green Label is given by the SEC to environmentallyfriendly products that meet international standards. For energy- saving light bulbs here, the mercury content has to be less than 10mg per bulb.
Mr Premchand said that the SEC is aware of the potential detrimental effects mercury could have on the brain since it is a neurotoxin and can also accumulate in the body over time.
Therefore, the SEC has been trying for many years to get manufacturers and distributors to have their energy-saving light bulbs approved to carry the Green Label.
But success has been elusive.
The Green Label scheme in Singapore is currently voluntary.
Buying energy-saving light bulbs that have the Green Label could come at a cost.
Mr Paul Fam, the manager of local outdoor energy-saving light bulbs company, Golden Pace Enterprise, told my paper that energy-saving light bulbs used for outdoor purposes usually cost $18 to $20.
However, the company's outdoor energy-saving light bulbs with the Green Label - manufactured in Taiwan - are more expensive, with a price tag of between $30 and $40.
A National Environment Agency (NEA) spokesman my paper spoke to said that energysaving light bulbs typically contain levels of mercury below the Green Label's limit and should not pose a danger to consumers.
The NEA recommended that energy-saving light bulbs should be handled carefully to prevent accidental breakage.
If such bulbs are broken, the NEA advises users to open windows to improve ventilation.
The broken shards should be swept into a plastic bag and sealed before disposal in a refuse bin or chute.
The NEA spokeman added that energy-saving light bulbs are environmentally friendly and cost-efficient.
