Did you know that CFLs contain 4 milligrams of mercury--which is about enough to cover the tip of a ballpoint pen? Compare this to the 500 milligrams of mercury found in older thermometers. It would take 125 CFLs to equal the amount of mercury found inside a thermometer.

Customer Newsletter, August 2008

How to Clean Up a Broken CFL

The mercury contained within a Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) allows the device to be an efficient source of light. The mercury is not released when the bulb is intact, or in use. Many of our customers have asked questions about the mercury inside of CFLs, and specifically, what safety measures should be taken when they are broken.

If you should break a CFL, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends the following clean-up and disposal guidelines:

• Before you clean up, air out the room. Remove people and pets from 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. If you have a central forced air heating/air conditioning system, shut it off.
• Clean up steps for hard surfaces: Carefully scoop up glass fragments 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. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass pieces 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 rugs: Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with a metal lid 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, etc: 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 or other materials you were 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 CFL, 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.
• 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.

For more information on all sources of mercury, visit http://www.epa.gov/mercury. For more information about compact fluorescent bulbs, visit http://www.energystar.gov/cfls. EPA is continually reviewing its clean-up and disposal recommendations for CFLs to ensure that the Agency presents the most up-to-date information for consumers and businesses.

Here are a few "NEVER" tips for mercury clean up:

NEVER use a vacuum cleaner to clean up mercury. The vacuum will put mercury into the air and increase exposure.
NEVER use a broom to clean up mercury. It will break the mercury into smaller droplets and spread them.
NEVER pour mercury down a drain. It may lodge in the plumbing and cause future problems during plumbing repairs. It can also cause pollution of the septic tank or sewage treatment plant.
NEVER wash clothing or other items that have come in direct contact with mercury in a washing machine to avoid contaminating the machine and/or polluting sewage. You may wash the clothing you were wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as it did not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
NEVER walk around if your shoes might be contaminated with mercury.

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