RHF wrote:
OBtSWL,

This would be the same amount of Mercury that came out of the Ground.

Was processed into the CFL Bulb.

And when the CFL Blub is disposed-of it : That same amount
of Mercury will be going back into the Ground.

net sum equal - imho ~ RHF

Yes, but, of course, the problem is that when the mercury from bulbs is
placed back into the ground/water, it is greatly more concentrated than
when it was mined, where it was also locked up in the ore. It is the
artificial purification / concentration / juxtaposition that makes it
dangerous.

However, it is also true that most people are becoming far more careful
about they dispose of toxic materials. Here in the SF bay area, we
have fairly convenient hazardous waste centers who will accept this
stuff free at disposal time. About once every two years, I bring a
small batch of nasty material there, and in about 1 minute it is off my
hands. The material is then either reclaimed or disposed of in a palce
where it hopefully will be safe for 1,000,000,000 years.

BJ