Hey Buddy, Do You Have A Light?

A fluorescent light that is. Oh you don't? Well, you will.

Will you like it? I don't think so, but the Government, in their infinite wisdom, is going to mandate that you use them.

Well gee, what's not to like? Fluorescent bulbs use 75 percent less electricity and last up to 10 times longer.

Ah, but there is a small, or large, caveat that most people are not aware of.

Lets review, shall we?

Fluorescent bulbs can cost 10 times more than incandescent ones.

The fluorescent bulbs must be used for at least 15 minutes once they are turned on and ideally for at least several hours at a time.

Turning them off quickly after you have turned them on dramatically reduces their life expectancy.

Well, that is not a problem. I'm sure once you hit your light switch you always leave the light on for 15 minutes.

Let's think back, shall we? Do any of you remember what we have now learned about the dangers of mercury?

Oh oh, last time I checked fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury.

Has anyone ever done any kind of study on whether the mercury in a little light bulb is anything to be concerned about?

The answer is yes. One study found that immediately after the bulb was broken - and sometimes even after a cleanup was attempted - levels of mercury vapor exceeded federal guidelines for chronic exposure by as much as 100 times.

Oh those studies are studies. What does the EPA say just in case you break one?

Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room

Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug

Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials

If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.

You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.

If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

Disposal of Clean-up Materials

Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.

Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

No no, you are not done yet.

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming

The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

I don't know about you, but I have never broken a light bulb and I'm sure Home Depot has never had one break in their store either.

So if we put our head back in the sand I guess the only worry is how to throw them away when they burn out.

What should you do with a burned out bulb?

Undoubtedly many people will simply dispose of used compact fluorescent light bulbs in the trash.

The problem with the bulbs is that they'll break before they get to the landfill. They'll break in containers, or they'll break in a dumpster or they'll break in the trucks. Workers may be exposed to very high levels of mercury when that happens or should the bulb break in your trash then you too will be exposed.

Oh, I almost forgot. How do we transport them from the store to our house?

Warnings state that the bulbs be put in containers with tight fitting lids and further suggesting the containers be filled with kitty litter around the bulbs to protect them from breaking due to sudden shocks. There is even the helpful suggestion that the container be labelled “Mercury — DO NOT OPEN.”

You might want to consider tying them on you roof in case one of the bulbs break. That way they are in a well-ventilated area and not inside your car.

Ah, but rest easy because the dim bulbs in Washington D.C. will keep the light on for ya.