‘Green’ lightbulbs poison workers

According to this article in the Sunday Times (London) the Chinese workers who produce energy efficient lightbulbs for the West are suffering from mercury poisoning:

“Doctors, regulators, lawyers and courts in China – which supplies two thirds of the compact fluorescent bulbs sold in Britain – are increasingly alert to the potential impacts on public health of an industry that promotes itself as a friend of the earth but depends on highly toxic mercury.

“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.”