May 18, 2008

Dangers of mercury in CFLs, how to clean up

By The Associated Press

The Associated Press

A broken compact fluorescent light bulb releases a mercury-containing powder, some of which can evaporate into the air, and is difficult to contain or clean up.

Mercury, a neurotoxin, is thought to have the biggest impact on the developing brains of fetuses, infants and young children through sustained exposure.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has written guidelines on how to clean up a broken bulb and the mercury. In general, the area should be vented well by opening windows to reduce the mercury air concentrations; mercury should be carefully scooped up using paper or cardboard, or picked up using tape or a sticky material; and the glass and mercury powder should be sealed in a glass jar or plastic bags.

The EPA's full guidelines are here: http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm

Some states have made it illegal to throw CFLs in the garbage, while other states advise residents to seal a burned-out or broken CFL in two plastic bags if they are going to dispose of it in their regular trash.

The EPA lists state laws here: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/id/univwast/statespf.htm