I broke a cfl bulb in my hand

Time course of average air concentrations of hg in a standard room. Ive got five bulbs wrapped in bubble wrap in my basement, waiting for me to. 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. So, lets assume that what happens with cfls is comparable to what happens with tubular fluorescents. If i tap the lamp with my finger the bulb instantly turns on again. I swear im going ot get rid of all my cfl bulbs and put led in where the light is always on. The cfl light bulb looked intact and was working, but there was a bit of glass and white powder attached to the outside of the cfl light bulb i. Persons in rooms after breakage of a cfl may be exposed to mercury by. Broken cfls not a serious health threat mother nature network. Oct 17, 2011 and one ofthe reasons for my lack of fandom is that every fluorescent bulb contains a tiny but troublesome amount of mercury. If it does, well the epa has some safe and sanerecommendations. Dont use your bare hands, and dont use a vacuum cleaner because this. You can handle cfl bulbs carefully to avoid breakage. Question about broken energysaving light bulb and pregnancy.

It literally broke in half so we put that in a sealed bag and i picked up about 4 or 5 little pieces on our comforter. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard. What if i accidentally break a cfl, fluorescent bulb or. There is no warning on the case and the bulb broke in my hand while trying to put it into the lamp. I wont post the pictures as they are pretty graphic. First many cfls have a lot less than 4mg of mercury. Oct 29, 2011 i just broke a mercury bulb in my hand about 10 minutes ago while i was having difficulty unscrewing it from a lamp. How could mercury released from a broken cfl affect health. 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. Subscribe us hello friends, in this video i am going to show how you can convert old broken not working cfl into led bulb. I have recently been told that much more care is read more. If a fluorescent bulb tube or cfl breaks outdoors rather.

I work in the environmental industry, and if you check my posting history, youll find that i m generally on the more conservative side on these kinds of things. Ifthe bulb doesnt break and is properly recycled, thats not a problem. Dirty bulbs shed 30% less light than clean ones, says the u. I cleaned it up with a wet cloth and vacuumed the carpet. This is almost one thousand times less than what was in mercury thermometers. Jan 31, 2010 cfl bulbs have mercury in them, which is toxic to humans. A small percentage of this mercury can be released into the air if the bulbs are broken. The longer life and energy efficiency is not enough to justify using led lights for most of my home. Sep 23, 2014 so i broke one of those mercury containing energy saving bulbs in my hand while screwing it in. Mar 11, 2008 there is no warning on the case and the bulb broke in my hand while trying to put it into the lamp.

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. If you have a fan that fits in the window, you can put that in the room where the bulb broke to exhaust the air. Broken cfl exposure breakage mercury child ask metafilter. How to clean up energyefficient bulbs that break home. Now would also be a good time to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. Even if a cfl breaks, total emissions are only about 1. If a light bulb breaks off in the socket, dont risk cutting or electrocuting yourself. 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 broken cfl bulb. You can switch off and allow a working cfl bulb to cool before handling. I broke a cfl bulb in the room on the carpet in kids room. 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. On the bulb and package it warns that the product contains elemental mercury. I had my washer open and as i was moving around some things on the shelf above one of our cfl bulbs fell and shattered in the washer.

They told her absolutely do not vacuum up the pieces and to close the door and leave if possible, someone would be over to clean it up. However the high cost per equivalent light output of cfl or standard bulbs is discoursing. Cfl bulbs use less energy than a regular light bulb. Many years ago i was told that if you ever got cut by a fluorescent bulb it would never heal. Aug 30, 2017 the louisiana state university guidelines for cleanup you reference are very conservative and careful. I work in the environmental industry, and if you check my posting history, youll find that im generally on the more conservative side on these kinds.

Dec 22, 2012 my 8 month old puggle, broke a glass christmas bulb and may have eaten some of the pieces. I just cut my finger not seriously on a small piece of. The mercury in the bulb is in the form of an invisible vapor or as part of the phosphor coating on the inside of the glass. Sep 28, 2012 if you have a fan that fits in the window, you can put that in the room where the bulb broke to exhaust the air. A friend of mine sent me a email about a individual that had steeped on a broken cfl with out shoes on. All those global warming nutjobs fooled you into buying a dangerous product and now you will pay a price.

The amount of mercury in a cfl is very small, only 45 milligrams. Cfl bulbs have mercury in them, which is toxic to humans. Granted, cleaning light fixtures is a hassle that requires a stepladder and a steady hand. Nov 03, 2008 as the mercury is in vapor form it is more dangerous than the mercury i once held in my hand on the playground it can be breathed though liquid mercury, once it is spilled, can vaporize. How dangerous is a broken compact fluorescent lamp cfl. May 01, 2007 in my online searches i have stumbled upon some real horror stories about people who have broken the bulbs in their homes which has resulted in thousands of dollars worth of cleanup to remove the.

I just broke a mercury bulb in my hand about 10 minutes ago while i was having difficulty unscrewing it from a lamp. Still on the lamp once it broke, i immediately meaning after about 10 sec ran out of the room, went downstairs, opened the front door in the open air, and started to unscrew the broken light bulb from the lamp. Most mercury vapor inside fluorescent light bulbs becomes bound to the inside of the light bulb as it is used. On the other hand, if a bulb is next to impossible to reach or we have an application with tons of onoff cycles, the led can be justified. May 02, 2007 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.

Led lightemitting diode bulbs use less energy than incandescent light bulbs. Mar 21, 2017 subscribe us hello friends, in this video i am going to show how you can convert old broken not working cfl into led bulb. Led bulbsespecially regarding cleanup of broken bulbsshould not be confused with compact florescent cfl bulbs. Use one of these simple methods to quickly and safely. A broken fluorescent light bulb can also expose you to mercury. Its true that the epas guidelines for cleaning up a broken compact fluorescent light bulb sound kind of scary, but if you do break a cfl, you shouldnt loose sleep over the resulting. So i broke one of those mercury containing energy saving bulbs in my hand while screwing it in. 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. Compact fluorescent light bulbs cfls contain small amounts of mercury. Do not use a vacuum cleaner to clean up the breakage.

After i bought a few compact fluorescent light cfl bulbs, i heard they contain mercury. I was home when it happened and i wasnt in the room when it happened but we live in a small apartment and i did bring him stuff to help him clean up. Could cutting ones self on a broken cfl bulb cause severe. 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. 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 united states environmental protection agency. Nov 02, 2008 i broke a compact fluorescent light bulb in my house about 2 months ago.

Several days ago, i was replacing the cfl light bulb that was in my night stand lamp to an led light bulb when i noticed a small blemish near the left prong of the cfl light bulb. We were in the general area for about 515 minutes before we left and then i opened the door beside where the bulb broke to the outside and shut off the furnace. If you break a thermometer you think may contain mercury, call immediately to report the spill. Sep 27, 2011 several days ago, i was replacing the cfl light bulb that was in my night stand lamp to an led light bulb when i noticed a small blemish near the left prong of the cfl light bulb. Under the same assumptions, the electricity required to power a 60watt incandescent bulb for its lifetime would release about 4. Clear the room of all people and pets, and dont let anyone walk through the area where the bulb broke. I cleaned it up without protective gear and disposed of it in the garbage can. I have a cfl in a desk lamp that i keep on for several hours every day. A cfl bulb is made of glass, a ceramic and metal base, a powder called phosphor, and a small amount of mercury. My nightowl daughter woke me in a panic at around 2 a.

Apr, 20 the bulb broke in the living room and my whole main floor is open concept. I broke a compact fluorescent light bulb in my house about 2 months ago. Aug 03, 2011 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. An experimental study indicates even lower concentrations, between 0. I am worried because i know it contains mercury vapour that spreads when the bulb breaks. Sep 11, 2017 convert old broken cfl into led bulb charge level in hindi 100% working rk electronics project. The environmental protection agency has developed a handy guide on how to clean up a. Convert old broken cfl into led bulb charge level in hindi 100% working rk electronics project.

My wife just sent me a bulletin concerning mercury exposure from cfl bulbs. In the event of breaking a cfl bulb when you are offcampus, follow epa guidelines for the proper cleanup procedures. Mercury exposure from compact fluorescent lights exposure. Which is worse for you, a can of tuna or a broken cfl bulb. Clean room light fixtures how to clean light fixtures. If possible, screwunscrew the cfl by holding the plastic or ceramic base, not the glass tubing. Compact fluorescent light bulbs cfls use dramatically less energy than. Wash your hands with soap and water after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing bulb debris and cleanup materials. Then only about 10% of the mercury is released when a bulb breaks the rest is adsorbed onto the surfaces in the bulb and will go away with the broken glass. To make a long short the mercury and the phosphorus almost ate the individuals foot off.

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. If you cut your fingers on the broken glass, remove all. Why would a compact fluorescent lamp randomly turn off. Cleaning up a broken cfl compact fluorescent light bulbs.

The louisiana state university guidelines for cleanup you reference are very conservative and careful. Cleaning up broken led bulbs is different and simpler than cleaning up cfl bulbs. 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. There is no flickering before the cfl turns off like i am used to with incandescent bulbs when they are going bad. The principle dangers of elemental mercury not to be confused with methyl mercury is inhalati. I walked down to my basement a little too quickly and forgot about the low ceiling and walked face first into the.

I cleaned it with gloves and put it in a plastic bag, but where the fuck do i throw this shit away at. I only broke the very tip, and i have no cuts or scrapes. First, increase the ventilation in the room where the bulb broke by opening. These spill cleanup procedures are only good for single broken bulb cleanups. I listened to a woman on pbs that broke a cfl light bulb and the package said that if this happens to call an 800 number, which she did. He used paper towel to clean it up and threw everything out. In my online searches i have stumbled upon some real horror stories about people who have broken the bulbs in their homes which has resulted. Jul 31, 2007 the amount of mercury in a cfl is very small, only 45 milligrams. And one ofthe reasons for my lack of fandom is that every fluorescent bulb contains a tiny but troublesome amount of mercury. This information apparently came from a safety meeting. May 12, 2016 most of the mercury in a cfl is bound to the bulb and is therefore harmless. 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.