Vacuum again, if necessary. Clean Up Within Four Hours. Get your answers by asking now. It also reduces the total load of mercury in the atmosphere. Follow these steps to safely clean up broken CFL bulbs. for information about the percentage of mercury released as vapor.) At lot of official EU gobbledygook on broken CFL health risk.. There were windows on three sides of the room, and one of these, measuring 30 inches x 38 inches, was opened for the tests described below. A 2 oz portion would contain about 21,448 ng of methylmercury. Mercury is so dense that the towel will not absorb it. Shut off your forced air heating and air conditioning systems, and open a window or door for ventilation. Following these steps will protect you and others from possible cuts from broken glass and from potential exposure to mercury vapors that can be released when a CFL breaks. But doing so reduces the total amount of mercury in the environment. No ventilation was provided to the room, and only the larger pieces of the broken CFL were picked up. OMG - somebody ask a question so I don't have to see the HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH crap forever .......? Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. This raises an important question. The museum had enjoyed ... For nearly 20 years, Alan Meier and I have had on one level a typical editor/author relationship. Just how high is the typical short-term exposure to mercury from a broken CFL? Another article, in the European Commission's 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. Findings of a study conducted by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (Maine DEP) in 2007 helped to answer that question. The likely dose of methylmercury from eating a 6 oz portion of albacore tuna is about 63,344 ng. www.ewg.org/files/EWGguide_lightbulb.pdf. I picked it up slowly and it was still on, and I noticed the top of the CFL bulb was missing and there were sparks of something glowing flying out. Collect materials needed to clean up broken bulb: stiff paper or cardboard; sticky tape; damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes (for hard surfaces); and. My husband broke it in living room carpet then he proceeded to pick up the glass with his bare hands and vaccumed it he didn't clean it with paper towel or nothing I'm freaking out because we have a 2 year old and he says I'm overreacting we had an argument were actually having an argument as we speak. • Put on rubber gloves to protect yourself from broken glass. But even then, some manufacturers were producing CFLs that contained as little as 1.5 mg of mercury. In a worst-case breakage scenario designed by the Maine researchers, a 26W CFL was smashed over carpet. Choosing fluorescent lighting means purchasing and using lights that contain a small amount of elemental mercury. This mimicry allows methylmercury to move throughout the human body and to pass through the blood-brain barrier and into the placenta. It is safe to clean up a broken CFL bulb if you are trained to do so. Clean up of a broken bulb: o Leave the area for at least 30 minutes before returning to attempt a cleanup. Those pieces were not removed from the room, but were placed in a trash can located within the room. Collect and bag the broken parts using the above steps. Shut off your forced air heating and air conditioning systems, and open a window or door for ventilation. The broken pieces were removed in a sealed container from the room, but the floor was not vacuumed, according to the existing Maine DEP guidelines for cleanup of broken CFLs. It attaches to the lamp walls, phosphor powder, and other components within the lamp. But keep in mind that the EPA RfC is for lifetime exposure, not for a spike in exposure lasting just one hour. Mercury also can be released into the environment if bulbs are not recycled properly. The amount of mercury contained in one CFL bulb poses a grave danger to a home’s inhabitants, and the mercury dispersed by one broken CFL bulb … No ventilation was provided to the room, and only the larger pieces of the broken CFL were picked up. They found that if the average CFL contains Smaller pieces of the broken CFL were then cleaned up using a vacuum with a beater attachment. There are no published data on this topic. 5 mg of mercury, just 50 - 350 nanograms of mercury will be in vapor form when the lamp is on. EPA sets the Reference Concentration (RfC) for exposure to elemental mercury at 300 ng/m3. Actions You Can Take to Prevent Broken Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Fluorescent bulbs are made of glass and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Report prepared by the State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection, 2007. But this is not the case. Average concentrations shown in Table 1 are nowhere near this threshold. For example, if the average CFL contains 4 mg of elemental mercury (as was the case in 2007), they assume that when the lamp is switched on, 4 mg of mercury is in vapor form in the lamp. • When handling fluorescent bulbs on carpeted surfaces, put a drop cloth down to prevent contamination if a bulb breaks. Before you begin to clean up a broken CFL bulb, clear the area of people as well as pets, and take care to avoid broken glass upon exiting. Fetal exposure to methylmercury results in irreversible damage to the nervous system and neurodevelopmental toxicity. Broken CFL bulb on bed/carpet? Does a broken CFL pose a significant risk of exposure to elemental mercury? In the United States, the level of elemental mercury in the outdoor air varies from 2 to 10 nanograms per cubic meter (ng/m3) of air. Results of the survey are online at www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm. Choosing fluorescent lighting means purchasing and using lights that contain a small amount of elemental mercury. I put the lamp on my nightstand, really sloppily, getting mercury on my bed in the process. When I used my dryer to dry my sweatshirt, it was spinning inside but no heat. Based on the room air concentrations determined after breaking a CFL, a health risk for adults is not expected, since the exposure is in the range of occupational exposure limits for only a … In short, everything possible was done to elevate the air concentration of mercury in the ro… perhaps you have missed teh fact that hubby picked up the larger pieces, and then vacuumed the rest.. no need to use paper towel.. long has the area is vacuumed thourghly thats all what needed. Before you begin to clean up a broken CFL bulb, clear the area of people as well as pets, and take care to avoid broken glass upon exiting. In 2007, when the Maine DEP study was conducted, CFLs contained an average of 4 mg of mercury. Even with all this, the one-hour average air concentration of mercury was 21,262 ng/m3 at 1 foot above the floor and 16,814 ng/m3 at 5 feet above the floor, well below the OSHA PEL of 100,000 ng/m3. www.epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup-detailed.html. It is important to realize that we are always exposed to a basic background level of elemental mercury. Do not use a vacuum or broom … Decreasing the amount of coal that is burned to power inefficient incandescent lighting will decrease mercury emissions into the environment. The committee said it didn't have enough data to assess the risk for children. What could be the issue? Turn off the light, let bulbs cool, then spray and wipe the outside of globes with a microfiber cloth and cleaning spray. I'm a tidy mind in a messy house. If you felt it wasn't cleaned up properly then why didn't you clean it up to your satisfaction? Scientists from the Lighting Research Group at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory studied the release of mercury from CFLs in 1993. And this, in turn, will reduce the amount of methylmercury contained in the fish we eat. Carpet Clean-Up. What about short-term, but high, exposure outside the workplace? 24-hour Hg loss from broken CFLs 2.6% to 28%; not directly related to the Hg content or how Hg is incorporated in the bulb (metallic or amalgam) - Avg. And choosing incandescent lighting — although it eliminates the risk of exposure to elemental mercury — entails the risk of an even more potent and widespread form of mercury poisoning. Smaller pieces of the broken CFL were then cleaned up using a vacuum with a beater attachment. But clean energy expert John Rogers is here to ease your mind. Use CFL bulbs that have a glass or plastic cover over the spiral or folded glass tube, if available. (Please note that all comments are subject to review prior to posting.). One lamp will not be a problem. Currently LEDs are fairly expensive to purchase, but prices are expected to decrease as more manufacturers enter the market. Never use a vacuum -- even on a rug -- to clean up a compact fluorescent light. Therefore, there is no guidance for homeowners on what constitutes short-term, relatively high exposure risk. Notify EHS during this time period of the break. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Should I declutter? Looking at Table 1 you can see that the average spike in elemental mercury concentrations immediately following, and just 1 foot above, a broken — and properly, promptly, and completely cleaned up — CFL is 19,318 ng/m3. Cleaning up a broken CFL by vacuuming up the smaller debris particles in an un-vented room can elevate mercury concentrations over the MAAG in the room and it can linger at these levels for hours. The amount … If We All Do Compact Fluorescent Bulbs… All fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, including CFLs. “You’re talking … ... © Home Energy Magazine 2021, all rights reserved. Instead, while wearing rubber gloves, use stiff paper such as index cards and tape to pick up pieces, then wipe the area with a wet wipe or damp paper towel. How do you think about the answers? Sense, Vance shows how to safely clean up a broken CFL bulb. Allowing the mercury to sit, undisturbed, in a room with no ventilation … Can a laundromat or cleaners successfully wash out ink from ballpoint pens, and pencil marks from #2 pencils on shirts and bags? Do you have separate clothes for cleaning the house? In this episode of Spec. room within a short period of time for a CFL break. This is EPA's best estimate, based on current research and risk assessment calculations, of exposure to mercury in the air that does not impose a significant risk to human health over the subject's lifetime. You can sign in to vote the answer. When a CFL breaks, some of this mercury is released as mercury vapor, while some remains with the broken remnants of the bulb. Home Energy reserves the right to edit or remove comments or blog posts that do not meet our community guidelines. New CFLs were used to obtain the highest possible air concentration of mercury, because new CFLs contain more mercury than used CFLs. It's counterintuitive, but true. They then measured mercury concentrations at both heights at intervals of five seconds for a period of one hour immediately following the break. Guidance: Cleaning Up Broken Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) The following guidance provides instructions for cleaning up a broken compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). Any level of mercury exposure carries potential health concerns, but due to the small amount of mercury and short duration of exposure, a broken CFL is not likely to present any significant risk to you or your family, Rogers told Earth911. How to remove deodorant/sweat stains from black shirts? The readings were averaged to obtain a mercury air concentration over a one-hour period. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets the current permissible exposure level (PEL) for mercury vapor in the workplace at 100,000 ng/m3. Therefore consumers who wish to limit exposure to mercury if they accidentally break a CFL can purchase CFLs with low levels of mercury. Adults and children can also experience neurodevelopmental problems from methylmercury exposure, although it is not certain whether low-dose exposure to adults is toxic. Place all broken objects on a paper towel. But this may be the relevant paragraph. For guidelines on how to safely clean up a broken fluorescent light, go to EPA states that the risk from exposure to elemental mercury is related primarily to the risk of inhaling mercury vapor. a glass jar with a metal lid or a sealable plastic bag. They also last up to 25,000 hours. As data from the Maine DEP study illustrate, long-term exposure to mercury from a broken CFL poses a minuscule risk — and no risk at all if simple cleanup guidelines are followed. Now as far as picking the mercury with a paper towel, no can do. The Federal Trade Commission recently announced that beginning in 2012 CFL labels and the bulbs themselves must specify mercury content. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) contain small amounts of mercury. Click here to read more articles about Lighting, www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/homeowner/cflreport.htm. There is more danger to the little one getting cut on a piece of glass that hubby missed. This raises a question about potential harm within your home and the homes of your customers if a CFL is accidentally broken. I do not understand why you'd fight with your husband about this instead of joining him in the clean up. This estimate includes sensitive subgroups, such as children, infants, and pregnant women. I feel he didn't clean it up and he's saying nnercury is only an element, vacuum the area again and again, then rent a carpet cleaner from the hardware store and shampoo the carpets if your concerned (you'd be surprised at all the dirt it shall get out, i know if u contaminate a room with mercury u can not live there anymore and u can not clean it with average means - it gets absorbed immediately and emanates toxic fumes, vacuum the area again and again, then rent a carpet cleaner from the hardware store and shampoo the carpets if your concerned (you'd be surprised at all the dirt it will get out. The FDA warns "women who might become pregnant, women who are pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children" to eat no more than 6 oz of albacore tuna per week, because it typically contains high levels of methylmercury. What about short-term, but relatively high, exposure levels? Follow these steps to safely clean up broken CFL bulbs. Methylmercury is much more toxic than elemental mercury. Shine a flashlight on the carpet at different angles to highlight any pieces remaining in the carpet. (Vacuuming just spreads the mercury vapor.). After elemental mercury in the air is deposited in oceans, lakes, and other bodies of water, aquatic microorganisms biotransform it to methylmercury. If there are any broken pieces of glass or sharp objects, pick them up with care. The results are shown in Table 1. Use the sticky side of duct tape or packaging tape to pick any remaining powder and pieces of glass. Mercury measurements were taken at 1 foot and 5 feet directly above the breakage spot. •The first time you vacuum on installed carpet after the clean-up, shut the door to the room or close off the area as much as possible and ventilate the room in which the lamp was broken by opening the windows and doors to the outside. See Table 2. The amount of mercury is relatively small, generally about 3-5 milligrams or 1/100 th of what is contained in a mercury thermometer.. Maine Compact Fluorescent Lamp Breakage Study. Maine DEP investigators monitored the levels of elemental mercury in the air when CFLs were broken in a room with a floor area of 11 feet 4 inches x 12 feet 1 inch, and a 10-foot ceiling — a room similar in size to the average bedroom. For consumers who just cannot bring themselves to use fluorescent lighting in their homes, screw-based LED lights for use in incandescent fixtures are now available. And after a one-hour period, mercury concentrations remained above the RfC of 300 ng/m3, at 733 ng/m3 and 940 ng/m3 respectively. Clean-up Steps for Carpet or Rug Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or a sealed... Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. So last night i dropped a lamp. For more information about the studies cited above, contact Mark Pierce at mrp6@cornell.edu, or Joseph Laquatra at jl27@cornell.edu. We make this point to provide some perspective on mercury exposure risks, and to point out that eating fish is currently the primary way that most of us are exposed to mercury. Still have questions? In a worst-case breakage scenario designed by the Maine researchers, a 26W CFL was smashed over carpet. Put the tape in the bag. As part of the 1999 - 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, a large sample of humans were tested to determine blood-level concentrations of methylmercury. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag. More recent research has shown that much of the mercury contained in a fluorescent lamp is not released when the lamp is broken or landfilled. New CFLs from seven different manufacturers, and of various wattages, were broken to measure the amount of mercury vapor released. The average mercury concentrations listed in Table 1 are 2,523 ng/m3 and 19,318 ng/m3 for the initial spike at 5 feet and 1 foot above the floor, respectively. The 1-foot height represents the breathing zone of a crawling infant. emission and mercury loss higher for breakage of Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces Carpet or Rug Clean-Up Wearing gloves, carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with a metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag