Dear Friends--There has been some concern over the mercury content of CFLs. This has bordered on hysteria in some circles. In extreme cases people have called the local Haz Mat Squad over a broken CFL and then been billed thousands of dollars for the clean up of one broken bulb.
Mercury is indeed a hazardous material. Ingested or breathed in for a long enough time in sufficient concentration it can cause neurological problems, birth defects and many other very serious problems. The fact is that the amount of mercury in a CFL is tiny, especially in the newer models. The amount of mercury in the even the older style of CFLs is 125 times less the amount of mercury in a mercury medical thermometer. Since this amount is so small, it is not of great concern if the broken bulb is cleaned up properly: air out the room where the bulb broke carefully clean up the broken glass and powder without lofting the material into the air (don't use vigorous broom sweeping and never use a vacuum cleaner--gently scrap up the glass and the powder with file cards or thin cardboard) clean up the remaining dust with masking tape or duct tape double wrap the broken glass and the clean up materials in heavy weight zip-lock plastic bags take the bag(s) to the next household hazardous waste day at the Tompkins County Solid Waste Management District facility on Commercial Ave. air the room out some more when you are finished with the cleanup Many special mercury clean up kits are available and most of them are o.k. to use, but they are a waste of money. Many of them are also sold under an air of hysteria; some of the kit manufactures even state that you should call the Haz Mat Squad OR use their product. The following link it to an EPA document on CFLs and the clean up of a broken bulb. The procedures outlined by the EPA take more precautions than I feel are really needed for the level of mercury involved, but I suppose it is more important to be overly cautious than not. http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf Another document dealing with not only the clean up of CFLs but other larger mercury spills, such as broken thermometers is: http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm#flourescent The obvious solution is not to break a CFL in the first place. As with all delicate bulbs they should always be handled with great care; never let children change or handle CFLs. Even so, accidents happen and I hope this is useful information for those who may need it one day. Take care. Tom P.S.: I am not pulling my information on the hazards of mercury and mercury spill clean up procedures out of thin air. I am a chemist and a hazardous materials expert by training and profession and I've been in the field for over 30 years. If you have any questions about the above post, please feel free to contact me off-line and I can supply you with additional information. Tom Shelley 118 E. Court St. Ithaca, NY 14850 607 342-0864 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.myspace.com/99319958 P I thank you for printing this e-mail only if it is necessary "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The World Commission on Environment and Development, Gro Harlem Brundtland Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, 1987 MY NOTE: Sustainable development does not mean "sustainable growth" as growth per se is not sustainable. And the term "sustainable" has to mean "for a very long time" (A. Bartlett). "The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives." Sioux proverb Tom Shelley 118 E. Court St. Ithaca, NY 14850 607 342-0864 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.myspace.com/99319958 P I thank you for printing this e-mail only if it is necessary "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The World Commission on Environment and Development, Gro Harlem Brundtland Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, 1987 MY NOTE: Sustainable development does not mean "sustainable growth" as growth per se is not sustainable. And the term "sustainable" has to mean "for a very long time" (A. Bartlett). "The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives." Sioux proverb _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
