is it dangerous for a fluorescent light to break?

[dpopiz]

they have mecury vapor inside right? so don't you get exposed to mercury when one breaks?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I think they are indeed toxic when broken. Let's try Google - Yep, it doesn't sound good. On the other hand, from this site:

Are Broken Bulbs Dangerous?

A small amount of mercury is released if a fluorescent tube or bulb breaks. Breathing in mercury on a repeated basis is hazardous, but the small amount of mercury released from one bulb should pose no significant health risk. Try not to break bulbs. Instead, bring intact bulbs to a free Household Hazardous Waste site.

 

[Bassyhead]

try not to break the bulbs

 

[Evadman]

if the ends are green metal, there is no mercury

 

[OZEE]

The amount of mercury in an individual fluroescent lamp is so small that it is negligible. Especially if you're using the new TCLP compliant lamps, like the Philips ALTO series, which, indeed, have less than the amount deemed harmful by the EPA.

Those are the green-ends ... they DO have a small amount of mercury. At present, there is no way to make a fluorescent lamp without mercury. (I used to work for Philips Lighting...)

 

[JC]

Where's Jerboy when you need him?

 

[TechnoKid]

Originally posted by: OZEE

At present, there is no way to make a fluorescent lamp without mercury. (I used to work for Philips Lighting...)

Would you care to elaborate on why this is so? Or point me to an online explination? I'm curious as to why this is so...I remember reading about a new technology that uses a single light source, and "light ducts" to spread the light source about...something like sodium vapor..it's an orange light source.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: TechnoKid

Originally posted by: OZEE

At present, there is no way to make a fluorescent lamp without mercury. (I used to work for Philips Lighting...)

Would you care to elaborate on why this is so? Or point me to an online explination? I'm curious as to why this is so...I remember reading about a new technology that uses a single light source, and "light ducts" to spread the light source about...something like sodium vapor..it's an orange light source.

Because you need mercury gas to initiate ionization and to strike the arc.

We would never use sodium lighting in office spaces or in homes. It has a Color Rendering index of like 30(where 100 = true color).

Due to the different phosphors that can be put on the inside of the glass, fluorescent bulbs have the capability of being nearly identical to sunlight and almost anywhere inbetween.

link

 

[Belethgaladwen]

They make a cool noise when imploding...

 

[RagingBITCH]

I use to break em all the time at work for fun

 

[tweakmm]

Don't break a case of them and then stick your nose up to the glass of the broken ones after you break them. :beer:

 

[Colt45]

When the Hg is ionized, it emits UV, which is turned to visible light when it hits the posphor on the glass.

 

[datalink7]

Don't break them near you, cause they explode all over the place and it isn't nice to be stuck with flying pieces of glass (happened to me)

But they are fun to toss at a distance

 

[TechnoKid]

Eli, the lamp technology I was referring to is not the purple/white of high pressure lamps. It a really bright source, and now that I think about it, I don't think its sodium vapor.

Thanks for the info on flourescents.

Ah..there, found it. Its called sulfur lighting.

 

[Maetryx]

I work at a landfill. The Philips Alto bulbs pass the EPA's Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Protocol (TCLP) test, which means they can be buried in the landfill. Normal fluorescent bulbs do not pass this test, and must be treated as a hazardous waste (if done properly, as a Universal Waste with less paperwork).

Philips Alto bulbs actually accomplish the passage of the TCLP test by using less mercury. Their competitors seed the endcaps of the tubes with Vitamin C (or somesuch) which makes the ground up bulbs pass a TCLP... but without reducing the amount of mercury in the bulbs. This is lame, because in real life the mercury escapes the broken bulbs and does not mix with the additives. Only in the laboratory would the proper mixing be achieved.

I'm arguing with my boss over whether or not we should accept the Alto bulbs as regular waste. Currently we don't accept the bulbs at all, leaving people with the expensive option of mailing intact bulbs from Alaska for recycling.

 

when i was a kid, a neighbor kid and i found a bunch in my basement and had a "sword fight"

my dad was more mad about all the blood all over his pool table than he was about me nearly cutting off my neighbors hand