I have to first thank my friend Kristen for alerting me to this situation.  Apparently those cool little compact fluorescent light bulbs we have all been buying over the last couple of years are not so safe for us after all.  I was of course a little skeptical about this claim at first, but after a little research it looks like there’s some truth to the matter.  While they are definitely more energy efficient than their predecessors, the problem with these little bulbs is that they contain a small amount of mercury.  Yeah it’s the same stuff that makes old school thermometers and thermostats dangerous.

While they only contain a small amount of mercury, about five milligrams, this can be a problem in the event that you ever break one of these bulbs.  Kristen’s father had a close friend that got mercury poisoning from cutting himself on the broken glass.  Below I am including the EPA’s recommended cleanup instructions in the event that you ever break one of these bulbs.  Here is also the link that I got this from. (Ohio EPA)

Here are U.S. EPA’s guidelines for cleaning up a broken CFL:

1. Open a window and leave the room (restrict access) for at least 15 minutes. If you have fans, place the fans in the windows and blow the air out of the room. Note: If the room has no windows, open all doors to the room and windows outside the room and use fans to move the air out of the room and to the open windows.
2. Remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner.
   • Wear disposable rubber gloves, if available (do not use your bare hands).
   • Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard.
   • Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipe.
   • Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.
3. Place all cleanup materials in a plastic bag and seal it, and then place in a second sealed plastic bag.
   • If no other disposal or recycling options are available, private residents may dispose of the CFL in residential garbage. Be sure to seal the CFL in two plastic bags and put into the outside trash.
   • Wash your hands after disposing of the bags.
4. The first time you vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag once done cleaning the area (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag and/or vacuum debris, as well as the cleaning materials, in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.

You are welcome to make your own judgement regarding these bulbs.  All I can say is if it takes this much work to cleanup after one breaks, I definitely wont be using them anymore.

I’ve also learned that you can dispose of these bulbs for free at any Home Depot location.

Here are a couple more links for more information:

http://epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm#fluorescent
http://www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/homeowner/cflreport.htm