Mercury and other possibly dangerous heavy metals were once used in LED lights. This created a biohazard when cleaning up a broken bulb, therefore farmers strive to keep their hands off the shattered objects and cover their faces. At first, the issue was so severe that pregnant women and young children were urged to stay away from shattered LED lights. A burned-out LED bulb that was still intact, however, offered no health hazards at all. Additionally, LED grow lights are generally less brittle than glass bulbs.
The recent LED designs don’t pose a health risk to the user and are recyclable and environmentally friendly. LEDs made up of chips with bulbs within are virtually unbreakable.
