FEARS that compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) might pose a health risk may now be eased, thanks to a cloth impregnated with nanoparticles that soak up mercury. Used in protective packaging, the cloth would absorb mercury vapour released if the bulbs break in transit.
Energy-efficient CFLs work by passing a current through mercury vapour. This excites mercury atoms, making them emit ultraviolet light, which in turn causes a phosphorescent coating on the inside of the bulb to emit visible light. CFLs use up to 75 per cent less energy than incandescent bulbs and can last 10 times as long.
Each bulb…
