LED products billed as eco-friendly contain toxic metals, study finds

[The Straight Story]

LED products billed as eco-friendly contain toxic metals, study finds
February 10, 2011

Those light-emitting diodes marketed as safe, environmentally preferable alternatives to traditional lightbulbs actually contain lead, arsenic and a dozen other potentially hazardous substances, according to newly published research.

"LEDs are touted as the next generation of lighting. But as we try to find better products that do not deplete energy resources or contribute to global warming, we have to be vigilant about the toxicity hazards of those marketed as replacements," said Oladele Ogunseitan, chair of UC Irvine's Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention.

He and fellow scientists at UCI and UC Davis crunched, leached and measured the tiny, multicolored lightbulbs sold in Christmas strands; red, yellow and green traffic lights; and automobile headlights and brake lights. Their findings? Low-intensity red lights contained up to eight times the amount of lead allowed under California law, but in general, high-intensity, brighter bulbs had more contaminants than lower ones. White bulbs had the least lead, but contained high amounts of nickel.

"We find the low-intensity red LEDs exhibit significant cancer and noncancer potentials due to the high content of arsenic and lead," the team wrote in the January 2011 issue of Environmental Science & Technology, referring to the holiday lights. Results from the larger lighting products will be published later, but according to Ogunseitan, "it's more of the same."

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-02-products-billed-eco-friendly-toxic-metals.html

[RC]

1. LED are encased in sturdy plastic. Not like the mercury in fragile CFL's

So the are safer.

[snagglepuss]

3. It is the question of disposal. nt

[snagglepuss]

2. Disappointing news. nt

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[Canuckistanian]

5. Gallium Arsenide? Is that what they mean by Arsenic?

According to Wiki, Gallium Arsenide is such a stable crystalline structure, that if you swallowed it, almost NONE would be absorbed by your body.

Besides, have they actually LOOKED at the size of an LED without all the plastic? It's a fraction of a gram.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. Anybody in the electronics field was already well aware of this

CFL are no panacea either when it comes to toxins

[jmowreader]

7. It would take some serious work to get the arsenic out of an LED

It's bound to the gallium and other elements, and the finished crystal is buried in plastic.

Lead's a bigger problem because the device's leads are dipped in it, and there's still lead in solder.

However, these devices are a LOT safer than CFLs, which contain elemental mercury in a glass tube.

[bluestate10]

9. ROHS compliant LEDs don't have Lead on contacts. Look for and buy

ROHS products, not perfect, but better.

[jmowreader]

10. I wonder how many Chinese LEDs are non-RoHS

Certainly the only way they could have gotten significant lead content from the test lamps is to buy non-RoHS bulbs.

You are quite correct that RoHS doesn't allow lead.

[PoliticAverse]

8. Nickel?

"White bulbs had the least lead, but contained high amounts of nickel."

Oh no! High amounts of nickel - like lots of people's pockets...

[Warren DeMontague]

11. Damn. I'm going to have to stop eating them, then.

Terrible, terrible.