Compact Flourescent Light Bulbs and Mercury

I remember being a kid and having the old mercury thermometer break and we would play with the mercury as it rolled around. Now I wouldn't recommend that since we know that it can be pretty dangerous now - but I'm fine as an adult and no long lasting health effects that I know of from that exposure. Your sweety will be okay!

The concern you have seems to be that because you can't find it - he may have swallowed it. If he is the type of child that doesn't usually put things in his mouth then I wouldn't be as worried. It sounds like you probably picked it up already. I'm not sure how they are designed, but it could even still be in part of the broken bulb. But, if your son tends to put everything in his mouth (my daughter liked to "taste" her world, but my son did not), then I'd ask your pediatrician about checking. There's a big difference between brief physical contact with mercury and actually consuming it. I understand your worry - I'm sure your pediatrician can help put you at ease. If you are worried you collected it into the vacuum bag, you will want to dispose of it properly too. There is info on the EPA site (http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm#fluorescent) that specifically deals with fluorescent bulbs, if you haven't seen it already.

Hopefully it's already been sucked up by the vacuum or something and your son didn't actually get ahold of it. I'm sure he'll be fine. Good luck!

there is more mercury in the air naturally every day then there is created in the breakage of one cfl bulb. You would have to break 100 of them in an enclosed space (like a bathroom size, with no windows and the door shut) in order to even create an miniscule risk factor.

Honestly there is NO danger. I have read and gotten past the hype. It's all just hype. Coal power plants, our cars and factories release mercury into the air every day. You and your child breathe this in all the time. The mercury in the bulbs is released as a vapor when broken, so it long disappaited by the time you vaccummed. Mellow out, all is ok.

N.

Relax! Don't worry so much! I used to play with mercury as a kid, a friend's mother was a lab tech and gave her daughter about a cups worth and we used to play with it. No lasting effects. There is so much more to be worried about with raising kids. I doubt there would be any fumes to worry about as you are not burning the room down right? Things are so much safer now than when we were kids and we managed to survive!

don't worry. I heard or read that if a lightbulb like that breaks, you should just leave the room for 10 minutes., then discard into a garbage bag and dispose of properly which is suppose to be a site that takes toxic materials or u can put in your trash. Baby is fine!!!

Well, I don't have much wisdom, but I do know that over the years your son will be exposed to worse things and he will still survive and be healthy. When you think about all the toxins in our world today, a broken bulb is tiny compared to that. I'm sure you did everything you could do to clean it up. Sounds like you did more than I would have even thought to do. This is one reason why I really hate to use the new bulbs. You can't even throw them away in the trash -- they have to be taken to a disposal site like you do batteries and paints and things like that. I don't think the pros outweigh the cons in using these bulbs, and soon we'll all have to use them, as incandescent bulbs will be nonexistent. Anyhow, you shouldn't worry. You did the best you could and it's over. Now you'll use different bulbs and it won't happen again. Hang in there and know that you're a good mom!

(As a side note, after reading some of the other responses, I too, played with mercury as a kid. My dad had a big jar of it in the basement and we used to stick our hands in it. And I'm still alive and well.)

I'm glad that you realize you are a high anxiety M. about chemicals, that is half the battle won. You need to seek the middle road, i.e. become average in your concern about chemicals and whatever else you are overly anxious about. Do you realize that your anxiety will be communicated to your child, long before he can put it in perspective. His young mind will know something is wrong with mommy, but he won't know what, and he could come to some conclusions which are just as irrational as your worries are. The average person would be reassured by poison control and a doctor that the danger is not enough to be concerned about. Realize that experts know enough and trust them. Focus your thoughts on moderate views and avoid extremes. If you were to trace your feelings and anxiety you would find an irrational belief that if you are very, very vigilant you can protect your child from any and all injury. Nonsense! Life is not like that, bad things can happen no matter how vigilant we are. More likely, your child will grow to adulthood without any terrible thing happening to him and it won't be because of your vigilance, but just because most kids mange to grow up with nothing terrible happening to them, period. When you decide to have a child, accidents are part of the gamble. With all of the metabolic processes that occur during procreation and development in the womb, isn't it just incredible that most babies by far are born healthy? Now translate that to the fact that most children grow up okay. Or, to put it another way, one of the dangerous things in your child's environment is your anxiety. All of these blunt words are sent with the hope that they will motivate you to teach yourself, or get couseling, not to over-worry.

M.

I am a American lighting association certified lighting specialist. I sell CFLs as well as other products. You did do the right thing calling the doctor and posion cotrol. If you had called the city for a hazardious spill you would have paid $15,000 to $20,000. Using the vaccum is a lesson for all of us to learn. It does make the particals air born. Your clean up is a good job. I am positive your son will be just fine. We have a pathologist who comes her. She told us that during her school the whole class submerged their hands in mercury in glass vessels. It was very fun to feel. She is in her fifties and healthy. Injesting mercury causes horrible side effects. Find information on Japan's problems with it.

Relax about your LAMP commonly called bulbs. There are several negative substances in them. Be assured you did the right thing and you son will be fine.

I'm guessing that the amount in one cfl is small too, and that your little guy is just fine, but just wanted to point out this is ANOTHER fine example of why we cannot let the government dictate what kind of lightbulbs we are allowed to use. Ladies, start stocking up on incandescent bulbs as you can Put em in a tote and store em in your garage, crawlspace, attic, wherever so that you can have safe lightbulbs after they ban making them. Why do we have to put up with lawmakers telling us we must have potentially dangerous mercury in our homes. haven't we worked for 30 some years getting it out, of our thermometers, might as well put asbestos in carpet and lead back in paint again. stupid stupid people out there making the rules. I am ALL for green. i was green before it was the new black, but I am NOT for mercury in my lights. Some, yes ok, but in order to ward off the winter blues, i need true full spectrum lighting,not the flickering of fluroescence. and i truly don't want lightbulbs that come with a set of procedures to clean them up when broken and a hazmat fee if you had called the village or emergency services to tell them about it. plus there are disposal fees if you do it by the book, encapsulating in a special container, blahblahblah. .ok, i am off my soapbox now.
edited 11/26 to add, Ch 7 news at 10p just did a whole story on the cfl bulbs, most are made in china, the rules are very strict on the cleanup methods, I didn't catch the part about if they are for or against them, but they have to go thru a rigorous process to have the mercury "mined" from them after you drop them at an approved recycle center that takes them. Seems like it's wasting resources that can be utilized elsewhere. --so the debate continues I guess

Hi M.,

I have a very active 18 month old girl, so I empathize with the rush-around feelings you have in keeping up with your son. If you feel uneasy about the possibility that your son and/or husband may have had a high exposure to mercury, they can take blood tests to check the level of mercury in their bloodstreams. I'm not sure if your insurance will cover it, but peace of mind is priceless.

Also, the FEMA website has specific procedures for cleaning up after a broken CFL bulb.

Good luck!
J. M.

Hi M.,
I have been in the lighting industry for well over 18 years. My father co-owns Fluorecycle mercury recycling in Ingleside, IL. (www.fluorecycle.com) The amount of mercury in one CFL is minimal as well as the phosphor coating. Fortunately no one was hurt and your son did not comsume or "play" with the glass or contents. You can view this page about mercury spills. http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/factsheets/mercurys...
I use CFLs in my home, However, only where the kids cannot reach them or get easily broken. They are excellent at saving energy, but you must take certain precautions when using them.
Good luck, and I am sure all will be well.

M.,

Just to ease you a little. My friend had the same thing happen to her and her daughter. My friend goes nuts about things like this. They vacuumed too, and all that. It has been months later, and her daughter is fine. One thing they did do after, was they threw away the vacuum cleaner. Someone told her not to use it again.
I would have done the same thing (vacuumed) Her experience has taught me a lesson that I would have not known.
Maybe your experience and writting about it on here, will help educate other mothers who would not know this.
You did everything you could. It's hard not to worry, when it's your child. But you called the doctor and poison control I think your child will be fine, or they would have told you otherwise. Prayers are always helpful, you have mine.

We had a cfl bulb break in our son's room a few months back too. And we also vaccuumed the berber rug. Didn't realize until later that we shouldn't have. I am going to have to go and read those websites that others posted about proper clean-up should we have it happen again. We vacuumed because we wanted to get all the tiny pieces up out of the berber. I totally understand your fears because it had me freaked out for a while. But, it appears not to have affected our kids at all. But I am using fewer cfls now not only because of the danger of them breaking in kids rooms, but also because I read that the light is not good for photographs and we have those all over so I don't really want them shining directly on any pictures either. It is too bad such an energy saving bulb has all these drawbacks.