Compact Fluorescent EMF and Your Health

[W1AEX]

I was messing around with my new toy, a cheap digital multimeter that I picked up mostly because it can measure capacitance. The meter also has an EMF function that allows you to detect the relative strength of electromagnetic fields created by appliances. I was messing around with the EMF function and happened to be sitting in the chair that I generally use when I'm reading. When I switched over to the EMF mode the meter and audible detector went beserk! The CFL bulb in the reading lamp 2 feet away was spewing out an impressive amount of RF at some unknown frequency, and bathing the entire area with it. When I held the meter where my head would be when reading, it was at full scale and the audible detector was at its maximum.

I have about a dozen of these bulbs in the house, and they have posed absolutely no issues with radio reception, even when a portable AM radio is held close to them, but apparently they are spewing quite a bit of garbage out on some frequency. I checked them all and they all exhibited the same behavior. Maybe it means nothing, but really, why would I knowingly expose myself to an RF bath for hours at a time? I pulled those that were within 3 feet of places where we typically sit and replaced them with incandescent bulbs. That may not be an option for long in the USA as it is my understanding that incandescent bulbs will be banned in 2014.

Guess I'll switch over to candles when my last incandescent blinks out...

I found this site to be interesting, although I cannot vouch for its accuracy: http://www.emfsolutions.ca/compact_flourescent_bulbs_are_dangerous.htm

Another intersteing site, although it is a year and a half old: 
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59298

So what do you think? In addition to the mercury issue, are the near fields spewed by things dangerous???

[W1RKW]

My original set of CFLs I bought about 7 years ago were about $1.00 each and performed really well for the most part. And as far as radio was concerned they were quiet so  for me it's been an out of sight out of mind thing.  But as time went on and I had to replace some of the originals and noticed some of the CFLs I was purchasing were noisy as heck on radio.  So those ended up in places that don't get much use. The CFLs don't last long as claimed unlike incandescents and rather spending big dollars on CFLs that don't cut the mustard for their intended purpose and wasting money trying to find quiet CFLs the incandescent is a better alternative.  So, I think I'll eventually go back to directly heated cathodes too.  Just need to start hording soon if 2014 is the cutoff date.

The EMF is definitely something to ponder. Why take the chance and minimize exposure, if you can. Of course EMFs are all over the place so, not sure if one can minimize exposure unless one wears tinfoil clothing with a ground strap. Walk tall and carry a large ground rod  

[Ed/KB1HYS]

I've found the commonly available CFLs to be electrically noisy, and have as short a lifespan as the supposedly evil filament buibs.  though I have some filament bulbs that have been installed since I bought the place and are still emitting photons.

I have also found that sometimes when one of those CFLs fails, the base becomes hot enough to melt & char!
I pulled one from a fixture at work (that was used only intermeittently) and it had a blackened melted hole in the plastic base. 

Increadible.  Has someone paid off UL??

[WA1GFZ]

Budly did some radiated emissions plots a while ago. Frequency is fairly low any not a risk. Your cell phone has a higher field. 

[k4kyv]

Just about everything you buy that plugs into the wall socket these days generates "dirty electricity".  That explains why there are so many mysterious buzzies all across the ham bands and the AM broadcast band.  The number one generator of dirty electricity is the power lines themselves.  Then there are touch lamps, switching power supplies, unfiltered modems and computer equipment, plasma TV screens, etc.

That's why BPL or PLC will never work.  They are trying to send a highly refined, digitally encoded signal down the same pipeline that carries raw, dirty electricity.  It would be like using a garbage truck to serve double duty, and provide a food catering service from a fine restaurant along the way of its garbage run.

[N0WEK]

I was messing around with my new toy, a cheap digital multimeter that I picked up mostly because it can measure capacitance. The meter also has an EMF function that allows you to detect the relative strength of electromagnetic fields created by appliances. I was messing around with the EMF function and happened to be sitting in the chair that I generally use when I'm reading. When I switched over to the EMF mode the meter and audible detector went beserk! The CFL bulb in the reading lamp 2 feet away was spewing out an impressive amount of RF at some unknown frequency, and bathing the entire area with it. When I held the meter where my head would be when reading, it was at full scale and the audible detector was at its maximum.

I have about a dozen of these bulbs in the house, and they have posed absolutely no issues with radio reception, even when a portable AM radio is held close to them, but apparently they are spewing quite a bit of garbage out on some frequency. I checked them all and they all exhibited the same behavior. Maybe it means nothing, but really, why would I knowingly expose myself to an RF bath for hours at a time? I pulled those that were within 3 feet of places where we typically sit and replaced them with incandescent bulbs. That may not be an option for long in the USA as it is my understanding that incandescent bulbs will be banned in 2014.

Guess I'll switch over to candles when my last incandescent blinks out...

I found this site to be interesting, although I cannot vouch for its accuracy: http://www.emfsolutions.ca/compact_flourescent_bulbs_are_dangerous.htm

Another intersteing site, although it is a year and a half old: 
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59298

So what do you think? In addition to the mercury issue, are the near fields spewed by things dangerous???

I wouldn't blow this off completely but your first link ultimately puts you over to this link

http://www.dirtyelectricity.ca/EMF%20Protection%20Products.htm

where they get to sell you all this stuff to fix the "problem". The second site is worldnet daily which is filled with crackpot stuff so regularly that anything they cover is suspect.

The whole field is something to look at though. I don't know if it's a health hazard but it's sure an AM radio problem.

A high percentage of my friends who are "sensitive" to various irritants such as chemicals or RF fields and such are pretty weird about lots of other things too; it seems to be more of a personality trait than a medical problem.

YMMV

[Jim, W5JO]

A high percentage of my friends who are "sensitive" to various irritants such as chemicals or RF fields and such are pretty weird about lots of other things too; it seems to be more of a personality trait than a medical problem.

YMMV

This sounds a bit obsessive compulsive like all the environmentalist movement members can be.  The sky will fall if one molecule of carbon dioxide gets into the atmosphere. 

[WA1GFZ]

I think china owns UL based on the crap they sell

[flintstone mop]

I have yet to get 5 yrs of life out of a CFL. About 2yrs is the max.

Fred

[W1RKW]

I have also found that sometimes when one of those CFLs fails, the base becomes hot enough to melt & char! I pulled one from a fixture at work (that was used only intermeittently) and it had a blackened melted hole in the plastic base. 

Ed,
Thanks for jogging my memory.  We had one in a table lamp that went dark while we were watching the tube.  I got up to mess with it and it decided to let out some smoke as I wiggled it.  It stunk up the whole  house.  The lamp shade still faintly smells of burnt electronics. 

I wonder if there are any reports of CFL's going up in flames and starting fires.

[K6JEK]

I have yet to get 5 yrs of life out of a CFL. About 2yrs is the max.

Fred

I have some that must be going on 10 years, forever, it seems, in the kitchen, too, where they see a lot action.  There were early ones made by Philips with a replaceable bulb in an R40 sized reflector.  They just keep on going, and going, and going.   They are long, though, and don't fit everywhere.

[Ed/KB1HYS]

They also don't seem to be as bright as same wattage filament types. I don't know how they are measuring them, but they usually claim on the box, Same light as a 60 watt bulb for 30 watts or something. They never seem as bright to me as the 60w bulbs I've replaced with them.   Maybe it's the difference in output spectrum?

I dunno, I never tried to quantify it, just seems to me that before i could have two 60watters in the kitchen ceiliing, but now I need to have four CFLs to be able to read the paper.

[Opcom]

Most CFL work at 30-150KHz. It's a performance-vs cost balance between magnetics and MOSFET or IC.

The magnetics should be 'shielded' that is, a complete magnetic circuit, not letting much out. A couple of examples of functional CFL drivers are attached. Who knows what inductors might be used by the ODM, to save a few hundredths of a penny per lamp.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

It ain't the magnetics, it's the electrics, the switcher.

[W1AEX]

I cleared my workbench off (no easy task) and did a relative field measurement of a lamp with a 13 watt Greenlite CFL installed. There's not much of a field present at 2 feet but closer in it's quite easily detected. I did find later that the greatest field is located down at the base, as you might expect, because of the switching circuit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L97twHOdcjY

It is my understanding that this particular bulb operates at approximately 100 kc.

Even though it does attract a few extra UFO's to the neighborhood, makes dogs whimper, and causes all the ants in the backyard to circle aimlessly counter-clockwise, I feel perfectly safe sitting next to it as long as I have 3 layers of tin-foil wrapped around my head. No problem at all, that is unless it self destructs as in the picture...

[KB2WIG]

" to it as long as I have 3 layers of tin-foil wrapped around my head. "

Don't forget the nads.

[flintstone mop]

HMMMM
should I try to find Philips made CFL's?? If they last longer?
The "Lights of America" and some others are not going past the 2 yr mark.


Phred

[K6JEK]

HMMMM
should I try to find Philips made CFL's?? If they last longer?
The "Lights of America" and some others are not going past the 2 yr mark.


Phred

Who knows?  The Philips bulbs that I bought all those years ago certainly have lasted but I don't know that they are still making them the same old way.  I don't have any Lights of America bulbs (ha! they mean Lights of China) so I can't compare.

You might look on line.  When I can't find what I want at the local places I use bulbs.com which has a wide selection, lists the color temperature of the bulbs as well as lumens, power, dimensions etc., and doesn't use those pesky peanuts when they ship. Maybe the other online places are good too. 

[KF1Z]

HMMMM
should I try to find Philips made CFL's?? If they last longer?
The "Lights of America" and some others are not going past the 2 yr mark.


Phred

I use the Home-Cheapo, "contractor-pak" CFLs.

The house is loaded with them, even the outside light.
Only replaced 3 out of 23 in the past 6 years...

Those 3 are in par cans  in the kitchen......



As for the EMF issue, my computer power supply tops any of the CFLs here...
The monitor is about tied with it....

Then there's the wall-warts!  ouch!

And of course most of the wiring that's carrying any amount of current.. and the breaker panel itself really throws it out there...


Then again... maybe I've got a bunch of ghosts trying to manifest themselves, drawing off these devices to gain enough energy to show themselves!

[Opcom]

It ain't the magnetics, it's the electrics, the switcher.

well then whomever is experiencing this problem is likely stuck with it.