The widely publicized energy-saving bulbs, which now are a source of light in millions of Chinese households, may well be causing mercury pollution in many parts of the country. Still, an official of the Guangdong provincial bureau of environmental protection said the department has “not come up with any concrete and effective measure to cope with mercury pollution” so far. The provincial government has subsidized (补贴) rates to help promote the use of more than eight million energy-saving lamps and light bulbs this year. But Guangdong, an economic powerhouse of the country, has “yet to establish a system to recycle the large number of bulbs and lamps that are disposed of daily”, said the official. In just Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, about 650,000 energy-saving bulbs have already been used this year. If the used bulbs are not recycled, “more than 117 million tons of water will be polluted”, said Liu Hong, an expert from the energy research institute under the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planning agency. “A single energy-saving bulb usually contains an average of 0.5 milligram of mercury. And 1 milligram of mercury is enough to pollute about 360 tons of water,” Liu said, urging relevant government departments to act fast before it is too late. Li Qusheng, a professor from the Guangzhou-based Ji’nan University, suggested setting up a “special treatment center” that focuses on recycling used energy-saving bulbs in the province. “China should learn a thing or two from Europe and Japan. They’ve been quite successful in handling the problem of mercury pollution,” the professor told China Daily. “The mercury may pollute the water and the soil even if you burn or bury the used bulbs, which are hazardous (危险的) waste,” Li said. Many collection depots (储存处) in the provincial capital reportedly refuse to recycle disposable energy-saving bulbs, citing low profits from the move.