I accidentaly broke one of my new energy efficient bulbs, but I "cleaned" it up wrong?
Question:I installed the new low-level mercury energy efficient bulbs throughout our house. One of the kids broke one by throwing a ball and hitting it. I didn't know at the time how to properly clean it up. And quite stupidly, I picked up the pieces (no gloves on) and vaccumed the rest - which are apparently two big things you should never do. I also did not ventilate the room. I am worried because the kids (all under 6) were in the room at the time and it isn't well ventilated. Should I be worried? Is there anything I can do now? I know mercury is a neurotoxin, but was there enough in one bulb to hurt the kids?
Answers:
You know what you did wrong, so you will know what to do if there is a next time.
I would not loose much sleep over this. Yes, it certainly would have been better to clean up properly, but exposure to a single bulb should not be a big deal. The amount of mercury is small, and although you did not ventilate properly the vapor tends to dissipate rather quickly so the amount actually inhaled would be negligible. There is a certain amount of mercury in the air you breath everyday from pollution, this should not add enough to cause a problem. In fact, you probably ingest more mercury from a single serving of tuna that you would get from this situation.
Follow up by wiping down the area with soapy water. It sounds like you have read the EPA recommendations, you should note that a vacuum cleaner used to clean up a fluorescent bulb should be discarded. I would have to think about this a bit, because the amount of mercury in the vacuum has to be very minimal. In the end, I think I would side with caution and get a new one.
What to Do if a CFL (Fluorescent) Bulb Breaks
LOS ANGELES, May 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- One Billion Bulbs
(http://www.onebillionbulbs.com... today noted the emerging concern that
consumers have about CFL mercury, CFL disposal issues and what to do if a
CFL bulb breaks.
"While CFL bulbs are normally very safe, people should use extra
caution if a CFL bulb happens to break, especially in a closed living
space," said Brian Huyser, founder of One Billion Bulbs. "The EPA's
recommendations are the best to follow in that eventuality."
EPA Fact Sheet Compares CFL Mercury Emission to Incandescent Lamps
According to a June 2002 EPA Fact Sheet, over a five-year period the
coal emissions in the air needed to power a normal light bulb would be 10.0
milligrams of mercury compared to a total of 6.4 mg with a CFL (4.0 used in
CFL and 2.4 mercury air emissions to power the CFL)
CFL Disposal Sites
Many people want to know how to dispose of the CFL bulbs when they need
to be replaced. Earth911 (http://www.earth911.org) provides information on
site across the nation. A person can supply their zip code and Earth911
will show them the nearest CFL disposal locations.
Warning -- If You Break a CFL
How should I clean up a broken fluorescent bulb?
EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal guidelines:
1. Open a window and leave the room (restrict access) for at least 15
minutes.
2. Remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner.
-- Wear disposable rubber gloves, if available (do not use your bare
hands)
-- Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or
cardboard.
-- Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipe.
-- Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces
and powder.
3. Place all cleanup materials in a plastic bag and seal it.
-- If your state permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage,
seal the CFL in two plastic bags and put into the outside trash (if
no other disposal or recycling options are available).
-- Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.
4. More
-- The first time you vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove
the vacuum bag once done cleaning the area (or empty and wipe the
canister) and put the bag and/or vacuum debris, as well as the
cleaning materials, in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash
or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.
Reference: EPA
The information above is also noted in the One Billion Bulb web site.
About One Billion Bulbs
One Billion Bulbs is an initiative that encourages people to conserve
energy by replacing one billion standard incandescent light bulbs with more
energy efficient bulbs such as CFL or LED bulbs. In addition people and
groups can register how many bulbs they have changed. Groups such as high
schools, colleges, alumni organizations, bloggers, community groups, etc
have registered groups in order to motivate their members, readers, friends
and neighbors to be pro-active in changing bulbs. In April, One Billion
Bulbs became part of Pajamas Media, an internet media organization that is
working on a broad energy conservation initiative.
http://www.onebillionbulbs.com
I dont think you really should worry about this at all...and Ive been an electrician and inspector for over 30 yrs
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