What to do when compact fluorescents crack

[Erik Sine]

What to do when compact fluorescents crack

February 26, 2008

Compact fluorescent lamps contain small amounts of toxic mercury that can vaporize when the bulbs break, creating a potential health risk for infants, young children, and pregnant women. If a lamp does break, follow these cleanup procedures:

# Keep people and pets away. Open windows, and leave the area for 15 minutes before beginning the cleanup.

# Do not use a vacuum cleaner, even on a carpet. This will spread the mercury vapor and dust and potentially contaminate the vacuum.

# Wear rubber gloves.

# Carefully remove the larger pieces and place them in a secure closed container, preferably a glass jar with a metal screw top lid and seal like a canning jar.

# Next, scoop up the smaller pieces and dust using two stiff pieces of paper such as index cards or playing cards.

# Pick up fine particles with duct tape, packing tape, or masking tape, and then use a wet wipe or damp paper towel.

# Put all waste into the glass container, including all material used in the cleanup. Remove the container from your home and call your local solid waste district or municipality for disposal instructions.

# Continue ventilating the room for several hours.

# Wash your hands and face.

# As a precaution, consider discarding throw rugs or the area of carpet where the breakage occurred, particularly if the rug is in an area frequented by infants, small children or pregnant women. Otherwise, open windows during the next several times you vacuum the carpet to provide good ventilation.

SOURCES: Maine Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management; Mercury Policy Project

[Erik Sine]

They forgot to add

# Call HAZMAT

[imanut]

They forgot to add

# Call HAZMAT

Quite interesting isn't it?? They say don't vacuum --------. So, I doubt you can "get it all cleaned Up" using tape and wet clothes, especially on a carpeted floor. Then it says to open the window when you vacuum the next couple times??? And then you go use the vacuum downstairs in another room --------- and blow all that shit around again????

Another site says to "remove all clothes and discard". If nothing else --- it would make for an interesting clean up situation.

gn

[Erik Sine]

Another site says to "remove all clothes and discard". If nothing else --- it would make for an interesting clean up situation.

gn

Now that's! My kind of clean up, might as well throw the game Twister on the floor too!

[manuellynch]

Some interesting info I learned recently -

The power and energy to recycle a CFL takes more energy than the CFL saves over incandescent. So the Net Net is a losing proposition. We are either going to wind up with a lot of mercury in landfills or being losing energy in the long run....hmm.

Our CCFL has 1/2 the mercury and 3X the lifetime so it fairs much much better in the recycling world.

I have told some people at PNL, Calif Energy Commission, and the DOE that this report is coming out and they all DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO SAY.

Maybe SDGE can comment on this thread.

[imanut]

Some interesting info I learned recently -

The power and energy to recycle a CFL takes more energy than the CFL saves over incandescent. So the Net Net is a losing proposition. We are either going to wind up with a lot of mercury in landfills or being losing energy in the long run....hmm.

Our CCFL has 1/2 the mercury and 3X the lifetime so it fairs much much better in the recycling world.

I have told some people at PNL, Calif Energy Commission, and the DOE that this report is coming out and they all DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO SAY.

Maybe SDGE can comment on this thread.

Please share that when it comes out.

gn

[DAVE THE NEON GUY]

Interesting read here..... still hard to digest all the attention given to broken glass (bulbs and neon) When I was in First grade, a very long time ago, we made paper mosaic rattles out of light bulbs for for mothers day gifts. After we covered the bulbs and it dried, we broke the bulb. In fact, my baby sister used it as a rattle for probably her first two years. Nevertheless, the mecury police is watching us.....Maybe that was what George Orwell was referring to when he wrote "1984".....the mercury police.... No pun intended....just having some fun. :weld:

[manuellynch]

And the StarWars light sabers kicked ass.

[shooter]

Interesting read here..... still hard to digest all the attention given to broken glass (bulbs and neon) When I was in First grade, a very long time ago, we made paper mosaic rattles out of light bulbs for for mothers day gifts. After we covered the bulbs and it dried, we broke the bulb. In fact, my baby sister used it as a rattle for probably her first two years. Nevertheless, the mecury police is watching us.....Maybe that was what George Orwell was referring to when he wrote "1984".....the mercury police.... No pun intended....just having some fun. :weld:

When I was a kid In the early 80s, I lived in Brazil, South America. Kids didn't have a lot of money so they were a lot more creative and inventive. We used to make and fly our own kites, And actually have dog fights with them. We would take fluorescent tubes and crush them into a fine powder,Mix it with some glue In liquid form, Stretch out about 100 feet of kite line,And apply to the line.I remember the white clouds when I was smashing the tubes

You are then ready for battle. You would maneuver your kite into position against your opponent, and free spool line across his tight line,And watch his kite Drift away. If you were really good You would entangle Your kite's tale with his, Then cut his lineand real his kite back to you As a battle prize

[manuellynch]

When I was a kid In the early 80s, I lived in Brazil, South America. Kids didn't have a lot of money so they were a lot more creative and inventive. We used to make and fly our own kites, And actually have dog fights with them. We would take fluorescent tubes and crush them into a fine powder,Mix it with some glue In liquid form, Stretch out about 100 feet of kite line,And apply to the line.I remember the white clouds when I was smashing the tubes

You are then ready for battle. You would maneuver your kite into position against your opponent, and free spool line across his tight line,And watch his kite Drift away. If you were really good You would entangle Your kite's tale with his, Then cut his lineand real his kite back to you As a battle prize

Great story! Arent you amazed that we are still alive today???

Something else to think about - remember all the early mobile phones with Red LEDs? Early red LEDs had arsenic in them so disposing them in a landfill was a bad idea.

I think we live in an age where we have a heightened sense of fear. And to have the Roman Catholic Church tell us today that it is a sin to be against being environmentally aware - isnt that a guilt trip for a large portion of the world!!!

I heard on National Public Radio recently that there was a toy science kit in the 1950s that came with a small amount of radioactive materials...and those people are still alive and kicking. Go figure.

[Erik Sine]

This brings me back to my Great Grandmother. She had 13 children, drank wine, smoked and loved to dance. She died at 101.

My father who is as healthy as an ox also use to play with mercury with neighborhood friends, rolling them in balls and touching it with their fingers.

Funny I read the Roman Catholic Church on a Fox News website this morning. Guilt, yes the number one self motivating tool to bestow onto others.

[HansonSigns]

We are looking to get a "Bulb Eater" - anyone use one? I only know one company who uses it - they love it.