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Mercury in CFLs
CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury (4 mg compared to 500 mg in a thermometer) so they should be recycled to ensure the mercury is captured for reuse. CFLs are used safely by millions of people around the world. No mercury is released when CFLs are intact or in use.
Using CFLs results in less mercury going into the environment than using standard incandescent bulbs. Why? At least some of our electricity is produced by coal-fueled power plants that release mercury into the environment. So using less electricity results in fewer mercury emissions.
Mercury is an essential component of CFLs and allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. Many manufacturers have taken significant steps to reduce mercury used in their fluorescent lighting products. Thanks to technological advances and commitment from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the amount of mercury in a CFL is anticipated to drop even further by the end of 2007.
Contrary to a popular myth, the mercury in a CFL is in vapor form and is not liquid. It cannot spill out of the bulb or be handled and absorbed as someone could handle mercury liquid. As a CFL ages, the mercury inside slowly bonds with the phosphor coating inside the lamp and makes it generally unavailable to the atmosphere or human consumption. In fact, the lack of available gaseous mercury is one reason why the lamp eventually fails. This means that burned-out lamps pose very little human health risk. Encapsulated CFLs pose no human health risks.
What is mercury?
Mercury is an element found naturally in the environment, but exposure to high doses can affect the human brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver. The most common source of mercury exposure today is mercury-contaminated fish. Children, women who are pregnant and women who expect to become pregnant should avoid mercury exposure.
Mercury emissions in the air can come from both natural and man-made sources. Coal-fired power plants produce roughly 40 percent of the mercury emissions in the U.S., the largest manmade source. When coal is burned to make electricity, mercury that naturally exists in coal is released into the air.
Using CFLs uses less energy, which means less electricity must be produced, so mercury emissions are reduced. A CFL provides the same amount of light with 35% fewer mercury emissions than an incandescent bulb.
What should I do if a CFL breaks?
Install a CFL carefully to minimize the risk of dropping and breaking it. Because a CFL contains such a small amount of mercury, your greatest risk if a bulb breaks is being injured by glass shards. A broken CFL poses no immediate health risk to you or your family if it is cleaned up properly. To minimize any risks, follow these clean-up and disposal guidelines recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency:
- Open a window, leave the room, and restrict access for at least 15 minutes.
- 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.
- Use sticky tape (such as duct tape) to pick up small glass pieces and any powder. Do not use a vacuum cleaner.
- Place all cleanup materials in a plastic bag and seal it.
Place the broken fragments and powder in a plastic bag, seal it and place the bag in a second sealed bag. Take the sealed bag to a household hazardous waste facility for recycling or put it into the outside trash if there are no alternatives in your area.
Wash your hands after disposing of the bag. - Vacuuming the affected area.
The first time you vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag once you have finished 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.
For more information on CFLs and Mercury from the EPA, visit the ENERGY STAR® website.
