What to Do if a CFL Bulb Breaks in Your Home - Compact Flourescent Lightbulb = Danger

[John Stankus]

Vaporized mercury, the form used in CFL bulbs, is a proven, verified health threat. It is a very very potent carcinogen, much more potent than asbestos. It would be very foolish to ignore this fact. Liquid mercury is not much of a health threat.

Larry

Actually, mercury is not a carcinogen. It is classified as IARC group 3 "The agent (mixture or exposure circumstance) is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. This category is used most commonly for agents, mixtures and exposure circumstances for which the evidence of carcinogenicity is inadequate in humans and inadequate or limited in experimental animals" IARC is the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

If you really want to know the hazards of mercury (or any other chemical) google MSDS and the chemical name. The MSDS is the Material Safety Data Sheet, which by law all chemical manufacturers must provide. It details the hazards and the methods for dealing with the hazards.

From the virginmercury.com msds http://www.virginmercury.com/pdf/MSDS.pdf
: Long-term exposures to Mercury vapors present
a severe health hazard. When Inhaled, Mercury will
be rapidly distributed throughout the body During this
time, Mercury will cross the blood-brain barrier, and
become oxidized m the Hg(ll) oxldatlon state. The oxidized
species of Mercury cannot cross the blood-brain barrier
and thus accumulates in the brain. Mercury in other
organs is removed slowly tom the body via the kidneys
me average haif-time for clearance of Mercury for different
paw of the human body is as follows: lung, 1.7 days;
head. 21 days; kIdney region, 64 days; chest 43 days;
whole body, 58 days

The toxicity section is also interesting but the msds is a scan of the paper copy and does not copy well into the post.


Regards

John
(My day job is chemistry professor)

[Van Huskey]

What to do is you break a CFL...

Sell the house...

[Ryan Mooney]

The reason I've heard not to drink from hoses is because bacteria can build up in the water inside if the hose lays in the sun and isn't used often.

Yeah but your computer keyboard is likely much much nastier

Non potable (especially older) garden hoses were also a significant source of lead, but if you let the water run for a minute 99.99999999% of the time its just fine (I make the % up, but have read on residual bacteria and chemical analysis which were below detectable thresholds in pretty much all cases so its not completely bumpkiss). I would be surprised if anyone drank much from a hose that hadn't run enough to be clean because blech, the flavor!

[Jeff Nicol]

First thing is that mercury is a naturally occuring mineral/metal and like has been said many times most all of us have played with it numerous times during our youth and beyond. Also one would have to eat 100's of pounds of tainted fish flesh to get sick and the mercury settles in the fat of the fish and most anyone who eats fish often knows where the fat is and what to cut off the fillet to remove the majority of the tainted portion. But for those who have no knowledge of many things and have no desire to learn about what "Those of high education, knowledge.....also with government credentials" tell them to believe, will go with that "Threat" and in a week or month when the powers that be change what is dangerous to our health.....those who wish to be told what to do, fear, like, avoid, buy and so on will switch to the newest fear in the blink of an eye.

So what I am trying to say is that most of us know what is safe, and use our common sense to determine what steps to insure our own self preservation. Then after all the hard steps to do the right thing, many will get hit by a car, fall of a ladder, slip on the ice, get struck by lightning and oh so many other deadly things far quicker than perishing from mercury poisoning. For each and every time the government gets their hooks into something all of the new regulations that will miraculously appear to create fear, control and un-needed oversight, it happens everytime and that is just the facts and we have lived with this for about a century or so. Will it ever end???? I sure hope so!

Just my view of all the foolishness in the world,

Jeff

[Brian Ashton]

Vaporized mercury, the form used in CFL bulbs, is a proven, verified health threat. It is a very very potent carcinogen, much more potent than asbestos. It would be very foolish to ignore this fact. Liquid mercury is not much of a health threat.

Larry

Hate to say it but so are many kinds of wood dust, particleboard or mdf dust are the worst. The way I see it there's no point worrying about it. To be honest dying is like being an elite sports athlete... it's best to go out when you're on top and not linger around too long.

[Brian Ashton]

why do we think these bulbs are an improvement? If they represent such a health hazard with the toxic mercury and such then consumers are better off buying the old style incandescent bulbs which are not toxic.

Most don't think they're an improvement - just the flavour of the month right now for all the greenies who want to save electrons...

[Belinda Barfield]

Jeff, you're already married, right?

[Ken Mosley]

I'm afraid that the true motive can be found in the cost of "proper disposal" as shown in a recent notice of compliance I recieved from Waste Management. You send for the proper size box and fill it with your worn-out bulbs-send it back to waste management for "proper" disposal. The box price starts at $99.00! This does however include postage! Ain't it GREAT?

Cleaning Up a Broken CFL

What to Do if a CFL Breaks in Your Home




Before Cleanup

1. Have people and pets leave the room, and avoid the breakage area on the way out.
2. Open a window or door to the outdoors and leave the room for 5-10 minutes.
3. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning (H&AC) system, if you have one.
4. Collect materials you will need to clean up the broken bulb:
   
   • Stiff paper or cardboard
   • Sticky tape (e.g., duct tape)
   • Damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes (for hard surfaces)
   • Glass jar with a metal lid (such as a canning jar) or a sealable plastic bag(s)

Cleanup Steps for Hard Surfaces

1. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place debris and paper/cardboard in a glass jar with a metal lid. If a glass jar is not available, use a sealable plastic bag. (NOTE: Since a plastic bag will not prevent the mercury vapor from escaping, remove the plastic bag(s) from the home after cleanup.)
2. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Place the used tape in the glass jar or plastic bag.
3. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
4. Vacuuming of hard surfaces during cleanup is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken. [NOTE: It is possible that vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor, although available information on this problem is limited.] If vacuuming is needed to ensure removal of all broken glass, keep the following tips in mind:
   
   • Keep a window or door to the outdoors open;
   • Vacuum the area where the bulb was broken using the vacuum hose, if available; and
   • Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and seal the bag/vacuum debris, and any materials used to clean the vacuum, in a plastic bag.
   
   
5. Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags, outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of. Avoid leaving any bulb fragments or cleanup materials indoors.
6. Next, check with your local government about disposal requirements in your area, because some localities require fluorescent bulbs (broken or unbroken) be taken to a local recycling center. If there is no such requirement in your area, you can dispose of the materials with your household trash.
7. Wash your hands with soap and water after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing bulb debris and cleanup materials.
8. Continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the H&AC system shut off, as practical, for several hours.

Cleanup Steps for Carpeting or Rugs

1. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place debris and paper/cardboard in a glass jar with a metal lid. If a glass jar is not available, use a sealable plastic bag. (NOTE: Since a plastic bag will not prevent the mercury vapor from escaping, remove the plastic bag(s) from the home after cleanup.)
2. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Place the used tape in the glass jar or plastic bag.
3. Vacuuming of carpeting or rugs during cleanup is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken. [NOTE: It is possible that vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor, although available information on this problem is limited.] If vacuuming is needed to ensure removal of all broken glass, keep the following tips in mind:
   
   • Keep a window or door to the outdoors open;
   • Vacuum the area where the bulb was broken using the vacuum hose, if available, and
   • Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and seal the bag/vacuum debris, and any materials used to clean the vacuum, in a plastic bag.
   
   
4. Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags, outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of. Avoid leaving any bulb fragments or cleanup materials indoors.
5. Next, check with your local government about disposal requirements in your area, because some localities require fluorescent bulbs (broken or unbroken) be taken to a local recycling center. If there is no such requirement in your area, you can dispose of the materials with your household trash.
6. Wash your hands with soap and water after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing bulb debris and cleanup materials.
7. Continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the H&AC system shut off, as practical, for several hours
   

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rugs: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming

1. The next several times you vacuum the rug or carpet, shut off the H&AC system if you have one, close the doors to other rooms, and open a window or door to the outside before vacuuming. Change the vacuum bag after each use in this area.
2. After vacuuming is completed, keep the H&AC system shut off and the window or door to the outside open, as practical, for several hours.
   

Why is it important to clean up a broken CFL properly?

CFLs and other fluorescent light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. When a fluorescent bulb breaks in your home, some of this mercury is released as mercury vapor. To minimize exposure to mercury vapor, EPA recommends that residents follow the cleanup and disposal steps described on this page.



What if I can't follow all the recommended steps? or I cleaned up a CFL but didn't do it properly?

Don't be alarmed; these steps are only precautions that reflect best practices for cleaning up a broken CFL. Keep in mind that CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury -- less than 1/100th of the amount in a mercury thermometer.
However, if you are concerned about the risk to your health from a potential exposure to mercury, consult your physician.



courtesy of US EPA

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[David Weaver]

WM has a lot of high-priced products aimed at consumers. Things like the bagster and all of these green recycle boxes that you can track and get excited about where things went, etc.

Like throwing away a TV for $100 when BB will take it and give you a $10 gift certificate for the fee that they charge to take it.

I had a bathroom to take apart, and WM here will not take construction waste without an extra charge. So I tossed the floor (tile and subfloor), the toilet and the vanity out with the garbage and called them, and they charged $25 additional to take it with the regular garbage. I'm glad I didn't use one of their canned solutions for $100.

But you can't blame them for offering - they probably know most people won't buy those services, but i'm sure they do pretty well with the ones who do.

(the township takes bulbs and other such things for free here year round, the bigger issue is coming up with a big enough pile of them to make it worth driving a few miles to drop them off. It's not too hard to store spent tubes and bulbs in the attic where nobody will step on them or break them.)

[Ken Mosley]

This solution opens other problems: Do you sign the disclosure form? The safest thing is to simply abandon the property so it is available for the homeless. Get it? Throw-a-way house...

[Greg Peterson]

First thing is that mercury is a naturally occuring mineral/metal and like has been said many times most all of us have played with it numerous times during our youth and beyond.

Uranium and lead are also naturally occurring elements.

I have serious doubts that many kids played with vaporized mercury.

Yes, most of us know what is safe and most of us know how to assess risk. I don't know about others, but I just don't have that many CFL bulbs breaking around me. In fact, it is a fairly uncommon occurrence for me. However, should one break I will make sure that I let the air clear before I clean up. YMMV.

[Craig Gates]

Vaporized mercury, the form used in CFL bulbs, is a proven, verified health threat. It is a very very potent carcinogen, much more potent than asbestos. It would be very foolish to ignore this fact. Liquid mercury is not much of a health thre
Larry

The EPA doesn't agree.
"EPA has classified elemental mercury as a Group D, not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity, based on inadequate human and animal data."

[Jeff Duncan]

So if I don't use CFL's I'm a bad person b/c I'm not "green " and not taking care of the planet! If I do use them I'm a bad person for exposing my family to potential toxic fumes....I guess we'll have to go back to candles

Now a different question....what's worse for me....the mercury present in a nice thick tuna steak I cook on my grill, or the carcinogenic black residue from taking too long to get another beer, and slightly burning part of my tuna steak?

Answer....it's a moot point b/c the wood dust I breathe everyday will surely get me first

JeffD

[Ryan Mooney]

Now a different question....what's worse for me....the mercury present in a nice thick tuna steak I cook on my grill, or the carcinogenic black residue from taking too long to get another beer, and slightly burning part of my tuna steak?

Answer....it's a moot point b/c the wood dust I breathe everyday will surely get me first

JeffD

Actually you were mostly there by going back for another beer
This is the first "feeling lucky" hit http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/01/beer-barbecue/ but I've read some other studies that showed post application of beer also reduces

HCAs (i.e. drinking a beer with your steak may save you from cancer). Turns out sometimes tastes good really is good.

The other half is picking the right tuna, some types are much lower than others:

http://www.gotmercury.org/article.php?list=type&type=75 Luckily for me a lot of the lower mercury ones are also fattier (others can and will disagree but I prefer most fattier fish).

In either case the absorption rate of ingested or loose handled mercury is much much lower than vaporous mercury so my stress level about most of that is pretty low.

[Larry Edgerton]

I bought 2 gross of incandesents, so I am just going to wait for led pricing to come down and skip the whole vaporized mercury thing.

Mostly I resent the organization that just drove me out of the historic home restoration business coming into my home and telling me what light bulb I have to use. Out of control I tell you......

Silent protest, or just my way of saying up yours......

Larry