Fluorescent lights use electricity to excite mercury vapor. This produces ultraviolet light that causes a phosphor coating inside the bulb to glow.
荧光灯用电激发水银蒸气。这会生成紫外线光而使得镀在灯管内壁上的磷涂层发光.
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Making the bulbs requires workers to handle mercury in either solid or liquid form because a small amount of the metal is put into each bulb to start the chemical reaction that creates light.
An incandescent bulb can emit as much as 18 mg of mercury into the air over its lifespan; a CFL emits 9 mg (including the mercury both in the bulb and that emitted by power plants).