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The federal government has mandated the use of CFL bulbs starting in 2012. There are a few things consumers need to know about these bulbs. For one, they contain mercury — but not as much many believe. "CFL bulbs [have] about 4 milligrams of mercury in them, and a lot of them have much less than that," said Robert Ryan of Temple's College of Engineering. "The old mercury thermometers that we all used to have had about 500 milligrams." Nevertheless, if a CFL bulb breaks, Ryan advises airing out your room and avoiding getting vapors into your ventilation system.