Broken CFL?

Question

My husband broke a CFL a few months ago(I am thinking probably 9 months or so) and we didn't really clean it up by doing anything special. We just picked up the broken glass and threw it away. At the time, we didn't have any idea that there were special precautions to take with these bulbs, as they were what was in our apartment when we moved in. We have three children (6yrs, 4 yrs and 7 months) and a cat. Should we be concerned at this point or would all the mercury be gone by now?

Answer 1

Clean up is best by doing thorough vacuuming, not just the immediate area but the whole house, because the mercury will disperse on the air and deposti everywhere.

Now the good or worse news.Your family will get more mercury in the air, from coal fired generating stations even miles away than from that one bulb.

We should avoid breaking these flourescents, but no need to panic. You should prefer vaccum over dusting cloth, many times over. But you will survive either.

One does not want to use a vacuum on a fresh break, which can distribute the mercury. But in your case the mercury is already spread out over every surface in the apartment.

Answer 2

If you didn’t have any skin or eye irritation yet don’t worry too much. But follow EPA guidelines, if you encounter any such problem in future.  

EPA guidelines:

1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.

2. Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a sealed plastic bag.

a. Do not use bare hands. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the plastic bag.

b. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

c. Place all cleanup materials in a second sealed plastic bag.

3. Place the first bag in a second sealed plastic bag and put it in the outdoor trash container or in another outdoor protected area for the next normal trash disposal.

Note: Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a local recycling center.

4. Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.

NOTE:  Continuous use of CFL in poorly ventilated rooms and apartments can also cause serious health problems, so please be careful.

Answer 3

mercury does not "go away".

Per EPA:

Fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal guidelines:

   1.        Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.

   2.        Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a sealed plastic bag.

         1.              Use disposable rubber gloves, if available (i.e., do not use bare hands). Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the plastic bag.

         2.             Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

   3.        Place all cleanup materials in a second sealed plastic bag.

         1.             Place the first bag in a second sealed plastic bag and put it in the outdoor trash container or in another outdoor protected area for the next normal trash disposal.

          

  Note: Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a local recycling center.

         2.              Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.

   4.        If a fluorescent bulb breaks on a rug or carpet:

         1.             First, remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner, following the steps above. Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.

         2.              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 two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.

Answer 4

CFL's contain very little mercury. After 9 months, most of the glass is gone, you have no-or almost no phosphorus in the air and the same is true with the mercury. You need to clean it up at the time. us gloves, try not to breath the dust.