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Thread: broken CFL help

  1. #1

    broken CFL help

    Need help!

    I broke a CFL in a drawer and now I'm paranoid about the whole mercury thing. I used my hand to get the broken light bulb out of the house, opened the nearby windows, let it air for about 15-30 min, used gloves and a wet paper towel to clean up all the glass. I swept the broken glass from the floor (before I ran to the internet to read about CFL clean up). I read that my boom/dustpan now has to be thrown away. I sealed all the light bulb, glass, gloves, paper towels in sealable bags and then tied it tight in a plastic grocery bag and brought it outside. What more do I have to do? I have no idea if there is any remaining residue. I wiped the drawer and the surrounding area with a wet paper towel. Could I have possibly absorbed any mercury in through my skin? Could I have breathed any in? There is so much mixed opinions about CFL.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    One Particular Harbour
    Posts
    2,326
    Oh dear. I am having serious flashbacks to junior high science class, when the teacher opened a jar of mercury and passed it around so we could all stick our fingers in and see how the mercury behaved when we dropped some on the desk. It acted like water on wax paper.

    But I don't mean to make light of your question. The EPA website seems to have some answers:

    http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/#fluorescent

    ***************************************
    Fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal below. Please also read the information on this page about what never to do with a mercury spill.

    Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room

    Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
    Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
    Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
    Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

    Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
    Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
    Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
    Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
    Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug

    Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
    Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
    If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
    Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
    Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials

    If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
    You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
    If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.
    Disposal of Clean-up Materials

    Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.
    Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
    Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.
    Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming

    The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
    Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.
    Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Dadeville, AL
    Posts
    12,330
    That. And why are we using these, supposedly "green" bulbs? LEDs are safer!
    Kay
    I'm a WYSIWYG person -- no subterfuge here!Hidden Content

  4. #4
    Thanks! I had read the EPA info. I'm just still uncertain how much mercury I could have been exposed to by handling the broken bulb with my hand. I wonder if any got absorbed through my skin. Do I really need to throw away my broom? DH told me that one of his high school friends swallowed some thermometer mercury. He's still alive and normal! I HATE CFLs even though we use it in our house. There's a $10 million prize if anyone can come up with a better alternative to the incandescent.


    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/te...gy/25bulb.html

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