$2K to clean up broken CFL
04-30-2007, 01:41 PM
#1
Big Block go VROOOM!
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$2K to clean up broken CFL
Political overtones aside, be really damn careful when handling these things. It can get expensive if you're not.
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/f...4-b62dee548fda
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/f...4-b62dee548fda
05-01-2007, 02:04 AM
#5
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People will just end up pouring the CFL 'dust' down the toilet or in the storm drains.
<-- Thought $2k was a low ball amount to fix the Canadian Football League.
<-- Thought $2k was a low ball amount to fix the Canadian Football League.
05-01-2007, 06:28 AM
#6
Team Owner
There has to be more to this story. Here's an excerpt from http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partner...et_Mercury.pdf
What should I do if a CFL breaks?
Because there is such a small amount of mercury in CFLs, your greatest risk if a bulb breaks is getting cut from glass shards. Research indicates that there is no immediate health risk to you or your family should a bulb break and it’s cleaned up properly. You can minimize any risks by following these proper clean-up and disposal guidelines:
•
Sweep up—don’t vacuum—all of the glass fragments and fine particles.
•
Place broken pieces in a sealed plastic bag and wipe the area with a damp paper towel to pick up any stray shards of glass or fine particles. Put the used towel in the plastic bag as well.
•
If weather permits, open windows to allow the room to ventilate.
What should I do if a CFL breaks?
Because there is such a small amount of mercury in CFLs, your greatest risk if a bulb breaks is getting cut from glass shards. Research indicates that there is no immediate health risk to you or your family should a bulb break and it’s cleaned up properly. You can minimize any risks by following these proper clean-up and disposal guidelines:
•
Sweep up—don’t vacuum—all of the glass fragments and fine particles.
•
Place broken pieces in a sealed plastic bag and wipe the area with a damp paper towel to pick up any stray shards of glass or fine particles. Put the used towel in the plastic bag as well.
•
If weather permits, open windows to allow the room to ventilate.
05-01-2007, 07:19 AM
#7
Team Owner
^The problem with those instructions is that they aren't widely known. For instance, if I broke one yesterday i just would have vacuumed it up. I had no idea there was risk of mercury poisoning. I now need to rethink my use of these devices.
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05-01-2007, 09:10 AM
#9
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All fluorescent lamps contain a small amount of mercury. Much much less than you would find in a thermometer or thermostat.
However, unless you plan on breaking a hundred or so at the same time the chance for mercury poisoning is pretty damn low.
I'm in the environmental remediation industry and $2,000 is a little absurd to clean up after a light bulb is broken. However, $1,200 wouldn't be out of the ordinary as that is the minimum cost for many environmental remediation contractors.
However, unless you plan on breaking a hundred or so at the same time the chance for mercury poisoning is pretty damn low.
I'm in the environmental remediation industry and $2,000 is a little absurd to clean up after a light bulb is broken. However, $1,200 wouldn't be out of the ordinary as that is the minimum cost for many environmental remediation contractors.
05-01-2007, 09:14 AM
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The article makes a good point.
As each CFL contains five milligrams of mercury, at the Maine "safety" standard of 300 nanograms per cubic meter, it would take 16,667 cubic meters of soil to "safely" contain all the mercury in a single CFL. While CFL vendors and environmentalists tout the energy cost savings of CFLs, they conveniently omit the personal and societal costs of CFL disposal.
05-01-2007, 01:11 PM
#11
Community Architect
robb m.
robb m.
to debunk this article a little bit, i did some reading.
The amount of Mercury in each CFL is far outweighed by the amount of Mercury that's released into the environment when burning coal to generate electricity to power the equivalent incandescent bulbs.
A little bit more information for you.
CFLs contain small amounts of mercury[12][13] and it is a concern for landfills and waste incinerators where the mercury from lamps may be released and contribute to air and water pollution. In the USA, lighting manufacturer members of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) have made a voluntary commitment to cap the amount of mercury used in CFLs:
Under the voluntary commitment, effective April 15, 2007, NEMA members will cap the total mercury content in CFLs of less than 25 watts at 5 milligrams (mg) per unit. The total mercury content of CFLs that use 25 to 40 watts of electricity will be capped at 6 mg per unit.[14]
Some manufacturers such as Philips and GE make very low mercury content CFLs.[15] Safe disposal requires storing the bulbs unbroken until they can be processed. Consumers should seek advice from local authorities. Usually, one can either:
Return used CFLs to where they were purchased, so the store can recycle them correctly; or
Take used CFLs to a local recycling facility.
The first step of processing involves crushing the bulbs in a machine that uses negative pressure ventilation and a mercury-absorbing filter or cold trap to contain and treat the contaminated gases. Many municipalities are purchasing such machines. The crushed glass and metal is stored in drums, ready for shipping to recycling factories.
Note that coal power plants are the "the largest uncontrolled industrial source of mercury emissions in Canada".[16] According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), (when coal power is used) the mercury released from powering an incandescent bulb for five years exceeds the total of (a) the mercury released by powering a comparably luminous CFL for the same period and (b) the mercury contained in the lamp.[17] It should be noted, however that the "EPA is implementing policies to reduce airborne mercury emissions. Under regulations issued in 2005, coal-fired power plants will need to reduce their emissions by 70 percent by 2018."[18]. This change will lengthen the term before CFLs are better than incandescents. If CFLs are recycled and the mercury reclaimed, the equation tilts towards CFLs, and if non-coal sources of electricity are used, the equation tilts toward incandescents.
The amount of Mercury in each CFL is far outweighed by the amount of Mercury that's released into the environment when burning coal to generate electricity to power the equivalent incandescent bulbs.
A little bit more information for you.
CFLs contain small amounts of mercury[12][13] and it is a concern for landfills and waste incinerators where the mercury from lamps may be released and contribute to air and water pollution. In the USA, lighting manufacturer members of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) have made a voluntary commitment to cap the amount of mercury used in CFLs:
Under the voluntary commitment, effective April 15, 2007, NEMA members will cap the total mercury content in CFLs of less than 25 watts at 5 milligrams (mg) per unit. The total mercury content of CFLs that use 25 to 40 watts of electricity will be capped at 6 mg per unit.[14]
Some manufacturers such as Philips and GE make very low mercury content CFLs.[15] Safe disposal requires storing the bulbs unbroken until they can be processed. Consumers should seek advice from local authorities. Usually, one can either:
Return used CFLs to where they were purchased, so the store can recycle them correctly; or
Take used CFLs to a local recycling facility.
The first step of processing involves crushing the bulbs in a machine that uses negative pressure ventilation and a mercury-absorbing filter or cold trap to contain and treat the contaminated gases. Many municipalities are purchasing such machines. The crushed glass and metal is stored in drums, ready for shipping to recycling factories.
Note that coal power plants are the "the largest uncontrolled industrial source of mercury emissions in Canada".[16] According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), (when coal power is used) the mercury released from powering an incandescent bulb for five years exceeds the total of (a) the mercury released by powering a comparably luminous CFL for the same period and (b) the mercury contained in the lamp.[17] It should be noted, however that the "EPA is implementing policies to reduce airborne mercury emissions. Under regulations issued in 2005, coal-fired power plants will need to reduce their emissions by 70 percent by 2018."[18]. This change will lengthen the term before CFLs are better than incandescents. If CFLs are recycled and the mercury reclaimed, the equation tilts towards CFLs, and if non-coal sources of electricity are used, the equation tilts toward incandescents.
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