Do light bulbs contain mercury

Answer 1

florescent lamps have Mercury

the mercury plasma has three bright bands in uv to make the phosphors floresse

incandescent lamps have thorium allowed with tungsten so the tungsten doesent melt

LEDs have nice stuff like gallium and arsenic for particular jumps in atomic shells at the active layer

Neon lamps are sort of benign

Gaslights use methane but to be bright you add a mantle with thorium wire

perhaps a lime light is the answer

carbon arc is another benign light source

Answer 2

A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light. A fluorescent lamp converts electrical power into useful light more efficiently than an incandescent lamp. Lower energy cost typically offsets the higher initial cost of the lamp. The lamp fixture is more costly because it requires a ballast to regulate the current through the lamp.

Answer 3

The average Compact Fluorescent Tube (CFT) contains 4 mg Hg. Usually this is isolated from the environment and poses no problem and if recycled is no problem for its total life cycle. However if broken or trashed and broken can release the Hg vapour. By comparison the old 48" tube contains 10-25 mg Hg in vapour and liquid form.

The mercury is there because the vapour conducts electricity and in the process gives off ultraviolet (UV) light. The UV in turn excites the lining of the bulb to give off visible light

Answer 4

Nope. Incandescent light bulbs contain no mercury. However, fluorescent lights, whether full sized or compact, do contain mercury.

Answer 5

they can be good, but they can be very harmful to your health because of the mercury in them. so you cannot throw them away in regular trash cans.