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The Spectator
This Week: What to Do with Broken CFL Bulbs
by Ben Trachtman '12Science & Technology Editor
October 30, 2009
One of the easiest ways to cut down on electricity costs is to turn off the lights, but another great way to save energy is to change the lights to make them more efficient even when they're on. Compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, use 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs and last as much as ten times longer.
The push to use CFLs more in homes and businesses is rising, and CFLs are becoming increasingly widespread, but consumers should be careful. Although they help the environment by reducing carbon emissions, CFLs contain mercury, which can harm both humans and the environment.
Each CFL contains about four milligrams of mercury, a hazardous neurotoxin that is especially dangerous to children and pregnant women. While there is no risk for mercury exposure while the bulb is in tact, mercury can escape in the form of a fine powder if the bulb breaks. Energy Star, a subset of the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, provides a long list of steps in the case of a break.
First, open a window, turn off any air conditioners or heaters and leave the room for 15 minutes. Opening the window allows some of the chemicals to air out and turning off anything that circulates air prevents the chemicals from spreading inside the room or into other rooms.
Energy Star then suggests that the fragments be scooped up with stiff cardboard and placed into a glass jar or plastic bag. Do not use a vacuum or a broom to clean these up, as they can spread the chemicals through the air. A window should be open the next several times you vacuum the area to air out any chemicals that might get stirred up.
The next step is to use duct tape to pick up any powder or fragments that might have gotten stuck in carpeting. Finally, the area should be wiped down with wet paper towels. All pieces of the broken bulb should be deposited in a trash can outside.
If clothing comes in direct contact with the mercury from a CFL, it should be thrown away. Do not wash this clothing because the mercury could then contaminate other clothes being washed or the washer itself, as well as pollute the waste water from the washer. Clothing that was exposed to the chemicals but did not come into direct contact with the chemicals, such as the clothing being worn during the clean up, can and should be washed.
It's also very important to properly dispose of CFLs after they have been used. Because of their mercury content, they cannot simply be thrown away or recycled like an ordinary light bulb. Hamilton has a program in place to recycle CFLs; simply give your burned-out bulbs to a member of the custodial staff. The EPA has more information about off-campus recycling procedures, which usually involve collection by your municipal solid waste agency.
So is it worth it to use these energy-saving light bulbs if they can harm people and the environment with mercury? It turns out that they're the lesser of two evils. Coal-burning power plants emit significantly more mercury than is present in one CFL, and because CFLs reduce the amount of energy that needs to be generated, they also reduce mercury emissions released into the atmosphere and waterways from power plants. They truly are a beneficial technology, especially now that they do not have the harsh color, long warm-up times, or big price tags that they once did. Despite the fact that they contain mercury, every effort should be made to replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs—just be careful with them.