Spiral energy-saving light bulbs could cause cancer, German scientists have found.
They say the compact fluorescent lamp bulbs should not be left on for long as they send poison into the atmosphere when switched on, according to a report in Britain’s Daily Telegraph.
And in particular, the scientists warn, they should be kept away from people’s heads due to an “electrical smog” of phenol, naphthalene and styrene.
“For such carcinogenic substances it is important they are kept as far away as possible from the human environment,” warned Peter Braun, who carried out research in Berlin.
Fellow researcher Andreas Kirchner added: “They should not be used in unventilated areas and definitely not in the proximity of the head.”
Earlier this year an Israeli report suggested CFL bulbs could trigger breast cancer and there have been fears about the environmental damage they could cause if dumped in landfills.
Despite those worries — and the fact they can cost up to six times as much as traditional incandescent bulbs — the CFL bulbs are in wide use worldwide. They are said to cut energy costs significantly and have a much longer lifespan.
Congress passed a measure in 2007 to phase out incandescent bulbs completely by 2014.
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