First, increase the ventilation in the room where the bulb broke by. I just saw a safety bulletin showing a fellows foot after he stepped on a broken cfl bulb. The amount of mercury contained in one cfl bulb poses a grave danger to a homes inhabitants, and the mercury dispersed by one broken cfl bulb needs to be dealt with only by an environmental. Protecting workers from mercury exposure while crushing. This information apparently came from a safety meeting. Once a cfl has been broken, mercury vapor, liquid mercury if present and mercury adsorbed onto the phosphor powder will be released nj mtf, 2002.
Its true that the epas guidelines for cleaning up a broken compact fluorescent light bulb sound kind. Measured data suggest that a broken cfl may produce hg concentrations of 8 to 20. How to clean up a broken cfl light bulb video cnet. Transcript music woops you just broke a cfl light bulb in your kitchen and now that mercury trapped inside is exposed into your home. Understanding the dangers of compact fluorescent light bulbs. As we discuss in another article, energysaving compact fluorescent lamps cfls contain small amounts of mercury, and the remnants of a broken cfl bulb should therefore be handled and. Energysaving light bulbs cfls release dangerous amounts of mercury when broken. You can limit contamination by gathering up the large pieces of the broken bulb into a bag and set the bag outside. Cleaning up a broken cfl compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Mercury is not dangerous if it touches your skin, but if you get it on your hand and then hold your hand close to your face, you could inhale a hazardous vapor, according to the. The reason i want to know is that we have a bunch of baby gear, etc. In short, the exposure from breaking a compact fluorescent bulb is in about the. A low level exposure like if you broke a dozen cfls in your house every day for a couple of weeks would cause insidious symptoms fatigue, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and perhaps some mild clumsiness. Follow these steps to safely clean up broken cfl bulbs. Another article, in the european commissions scientific committee on health and environmental risks, concluded last year that significant health risks were unlikely for adults pdf when a broken cfl bulb was cleaned up properly.
Around the world, governments have passed measures to phase out incandescent light bulbs in favor of the more energyefficient cfls. Could cutting ones self on a broken cfl bulb cause severe. A room she loved to play in because of a broken cfl bulb. I walked down to my basement a little too quickly and forgot about the low ceiling and walked face first into the cfl light bulb hanging down, exploding it instantly. In addition, neurotoxic symptoms such as tremor and increased sensitivity to stimuli are. The maine department of environment protection conducted experimental trials to measure how much mercury was released when fluorescent bulb or cfls were broken inside moderate sized rooms.
Bulb was in the back seat of the car, dog was in the trunk area. Its hard to be certain, but one study pdf looking at long tubular fluorescent bulbs found that over a two week period, only 17 to 40 percent of the mercury in the bulb evaporated. The environmental protection agency has developed a handy guide on how to clean up a broken cfl bulb, which you can find using the link below. The life span of a regular light bulb ranges from 700 hours to 1,000 hours, while the life span of a cfl is between 8,000 and 15,000 hours. My wife just sent me a bulletin concerning mercury exposure from cfl bulbs. To make a long short the mercury and the phosphorus almost ate the individuals foot off. While cfl bulbs are great for saving energy, they become a problem when broken. Broken light bulbs are tricky under any circumstances, but especially when youre trying to remove them from.
There are no positive health effects from a broken cfl, and you can reduce your exposure. I read on here recently of a woman who broke a compact fluorescent tube in her bedroom. Nbc report of the dangers when a cfl bulb breaks because of its mercury content. Vacuuming with the shop vac is how we always clean up glass cause it picks up everything. A friend of mine sent me a email about a individual that had steeped on a broken cfl with out shoes on. Do not use a vacuum when cleaning up a broken cfl bulb. The entire 5 mg of mercury vaporizes immediately an unlikely occurrence, resulting in an airborne mercury concentration in this room of 0.
A cfl has a longer life span and uses less energy than regular light bulbs. It was not shattered everywhere from what my wife remembers it was contained in the lampshade. The machines air filtration system is not working properly. A cfl bulb was broken in our house over a year ago. Brandy bridges heard the claims of government officials, environmentalists and retailers like walmart all pushing the idea of replacing incandescent light bulbs with energysaving and moneysaving compact fluorescent lamps. Human health risks from mercury exposure from broken. Although mercury is poisonous toxic, it usually only causes problems if you inhale large amounts of it. Follow up by taking pieces of sticky tape to remove any unseen particles. Cleaning up after these mercuryfilled bulbs is a hassle, but heres how to do it safely. Higher exposures could give tremors, and mood or emotional disturbances. After i bought a few compact fluorescent light cfl bulbs, i heard they contain mercury. Grow lights explained cfl led and hps easy and cheap to.
If you are concerned about your health after cleaning up a broken cfl, consult your local poison control center by calling 18002221222. Release of mercury from broken fluorescent bulbs michael aucotta, michael mclindenb, and michael winkac linking science to new jersey s environmental decision making mercury is a persistent, bioaccumulative toxin. Home energy magazine accidentally breaking a cfl is. If you break one, its unlikely to cause any health problems. Many years ago i was told that if you ever got cut by a fluorescent bulb it would never heal. Understanding the dangers of compact fluorescent light. How could mercury released from a broken cfl affect health. It was very early in the morning, so i was a bit too groggy to realize what dangers the broken cfl, which contains mercury, posed. The researchers suggest that in the case of a broken cfl, you should immediately open a nearby window. This raises a question about potential harm within your home and the homes of your customers if a cfl is accidentally. Many media stories brought to the publics attention that fluorescent lights contain elemental mercury, which is a toxic metal. Yes, but the amount of mercury in one bulb is not enough to give you serious poisoning afaik and presumably you got most of it out.
The concentrations described above of mercury in air are to 40000 times greater than that. The primary human exposure is from ingestion of fish contaminated with methyl mercury. In an average room, the amount of vapour could briefly be well above the limits allowed in the general environment, and could exceed the levels allowed in the workplace. Since there is a very small amount of mercury in cfls, exposure to the mercury in a broken bulb should not cause health effects. I accidentally put a cfl bulb in the clothes dryer and it. An improperly disposedof cfl still emits far less mercury than would be emitted by a coal plant to generate the light to run incandescents for the same amount of time. Therefore, eating just a 2 oz portion of albacore tuna would result in a higher exposure to a more toxic form of mercury than being 1 foot above a cfl at the very moment it is broken, and inhaling every nanogram of elemental mercury following the break.
Do one final cleaning of the dryer with damp paper towels. Screw or unscrew the cfl by holding the plastic or ceramic base, not the glass tubing. Will you inhale dangerous amounts of mercury vapor when a cfl bulb breaks in your house, even after it is cleaned up. Numbness and panic attacks are both mercury symptoms. I bought a lamp with a cfl bulb, which broke whilst being transported home. In general, symptoms subside after removal from exposure. Anyhow, if no one is exhibiting signs of mercury poisoning at the moment, i would just go on and try to clean up a bit more and leave the windows open for a bit, but i wouldnt panic. How long does it take the mercury from a broken cfl bulb.
However, you should avoid contact with the mercury and take extra care when cleaning it up. When a cfl bulb breaks, how far above legal limits will the mercury vapor in a room rise to. Symptoms depend on the length or level of exposure. Broken cfls not a serious health threat mnn mother. If a cfl breaks, some of the mercury thats contained in the bulb will evaporate into the air.
Lets look at some of the issues associated with the three common types of light bulbs found in homes, so you will know what the symptoms indicate. A broken cfl definitely merits attention and a proper cleanup, but by following some simple instructions you can minimize your exposure and effectively eliminate the contaminant. Can a broken thermometer or light bulb cause mercury poisoning. You can call your center any time you have questions or in an emergency. Some comfort about broken cfls mercury release rates are low, new data show, but can build to toxic levels if broken bulbs arent cleaned up right away.
Before you begin to clean up a broken cfl bulb, clear the area of people as well as pets, and take care to avoid broken glass upon exiting. Can a broken thermometer or light bulb cause mercury. The committee said it didnt have enough data to assess the risk for children. A cfl containing 5 mg of mercury breaks in your childs bedroom that has a volume of about 25 m3 which corresponds to a medium sized bedroom. Bulbs can burn out prematurely, pop, or cause other issues which can be an inconvenience.
Bloodurine tests and watch for neurological symptoms to it was like eating a nibble of tuna. In short, the exposure from breaking a compact fluorescent bulb is in. Use a stiff piece of cardboard to get any remaining glass fragments from the dryer. Will the amount of mercury in a broken cfl cause health effects. Led lightemitting diode bulbs use less energy than incandescent light bulbs. However, if you are concerned about your health after cleaning up a broken cfl, consult your local poison control center by calling 18002221222. I just want to know if my kids are going to get mercury poisoning if a bulb breaks in their rooms. Once broken, a compact fluorescent light bulb continuously releases mercury vapor into the air for weeks to months, and the total amount can exceed safe human exposure levels in a poorly. Protecting workers from mercury exposure while crushing and recycling fluorescent bulbs this fact sheet assists employers and workers in understanding the hazards that. How dangerous is a broken compact fluorescent lamp cfl. Im 25 weeks pregnant and my husband recently broke a cfl energysaving light bulb in our bedroom. Compact fluorescent lightbulb missouri poison center. A broken fluorescent light bulb can also expose you to mercury. Its true that cfl bulbs do contain a small amount of mercury, sealed within the glass tubing, and it can be released as vapor after a breakage.
Which is worse for you, a can of tuna or a broken cfl bulb. Mercury poisoning in dogs symptoms, causes, diagnosis. Shut off your forced air heating and air conditioning systems, and open a window or door for ventilation. My husband did some cleanup and opened a window to air out the room for a few hours, then closed the room up and weve pretty much just left it as is, closed up. Cleaning up broken led bulbs is different and simpler than cleaning up cfl bulbs. Aside from the inhalationskin exposure issues typically raised which are answered in the above linked question quite well, there were pictures of a foot injury supposedly incurred from stepping on a. As we discuss in another article, energysaving compact fluorescent lamps cfls contain small amounts of mercury, and the remnants. Broken cfl exposure breakage mercury child ask metafilter. A cfl is an energy saving light bulb that fits into a standard light socket. Just how much mercury is emitted from broken cfl bulbs. You can also consult your physician about potential health effects from mercury exposures. It is unlikely that any spilled liquid mercury will be visible as the volume of mercury is small and any. Fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent light bulbs cfls can release sufficient mercury vapor to cause poisoning.
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