[SustainableTompkins] broken CFL/mercury clean up

[Thomas Shelley]

Dear Friends--There has been some concern over the mercury content of 
CFLs.  This has bordered on hysteria in some circles.  In extreme cases 
people have called the local Haz Mat Squad over a broken CFL and then been 
billed thousands of dollars for the clean up of one broken bulb.

Mercury is indeed a hazardous material.  Ingested or breathed in for a long 
enough time in sufficient concentration it can cause neurological problems, 
birth defects and many other very serious problems.  The fact is that the 
amount of mercury in a CFL is tiny, especially in the newer models.  The 
amount of mercury in the even the older style of CFLs is 125 times less the 
amount of mercury in a mercury medical thermometer.  Since this amount is 
so small, it is not of great concern if the broken bulb is cleaned up properly:

air out the room where the bulb broke
carefully clean up the broken glass and powder without lofting the material 
into the air
(don't use vigorous broom sweeping and never use a vacuum cleaner--gently 
scrap up the glass and the powder with file cards or thin cardboard)
clean up the remaining dust with masking tape or duct tape
double wrap the broken glass and the clean up materials in heavy weight 
zip-lock plastic bags
take the bag(s) to the next household hazardous waste day at the Tompkins 
County Solid Waste Management District facility on Commercial Ave.
air the room out some more when you are finished with the cleanup

Many special mercury clean up kits are available and most of them are o.k. 
to use, but they are a waste of money.  Many of them are also sold under an 
air of hysteria; some of the kit manufactures even state that you should 
call the Haz Mat Squad OR use their product.

The following link it to an EPA document on CFLs and the clean up of a 
broken bulb.  The procedures outlined by the EPA take more precautions than 
I feel are really needed for the level of mercury involved, but I suppose 
it is more important to be overly cautious than not.

http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf

Another document dealing with not only the clean up of CFLs but other 
larger mercury spills, such as broken thermometers is:

http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm#flourescent

The obvious solution is not to break a CFL in the first place.  As with all 
delicate bulbs they should always be handled with great care; never let 
children change or handle CFLs.  Even so, accidents happen and I hope this 
is useful information for those who may need it one day.  Take care.   Tom

P.S.:  I am not pulling my information on the hazards of mercury and 
mercury spill clean up procedures out of thin air.  I am a chemist and a 
hazardous materials expert by training and profession and I've been in the 
field for over 30 years.  If you have any questions about the above post, 
please feel free to contact me off-line and I can supply you with 
additional information.

Tom Shelley
118 E. Court St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
607 342-0864
tjs1 at cornell.edu
http://www.myspace.com/99319958
P I thank you for printing this e-mail only if it is necessary

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present 
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own 
needs."

The World Commission on Environment and Development,
Gro Harlem Brundtland
Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, 1987

MY NOTE:  Sustainable development does not mean "sustainable growth" as 
growth per se is not sustainable.  And the term "sustainable" has to mean 
"for a very long time" (A. Bartlett).

"The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives."        Sioux proverb
Tom Shelley
118 E. Court St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
607 342-0864
tjs1 at cornell.edu
http://www.myspace.com/99319958
P I thank you for printing this e-mail only if it is necessary

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present 
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own 
needs."

The World Commission on Environment and Development,
Gro Harlem Brundtland
Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, 1987

MY NOTE:  Sustainable development does not mean "sustainable growth" as 
growth per se is not sustainable.  And the term "sustainable" has to mean 
"for a very long time" (A. Bartlett).

"The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives."        Sioux proverb