Monday morning, after having slept for only 5 hours (my plane coming back from home for a long weekend visit was very late), I awoke to the beeping of my alarm. Fumbling to turn it off, I inadvertently knocked my lamp over, which had a CFL (compact fluorescent lightbulb) in it, which broke. That got me out of bed!
The thing about CFLs that makes them different--and presumably so efficient--is that they're not like normal incandescent bulbs. Instead, they have a little bit of mercury in them--yikes!
The thing is, it's actually quite a small amount of mercury, according to what I've read, but mercury nonetheless. I quickly turned on my computer to find out how I was supposed to go about cleaning it up. I had no idea, and I don't imagine many people do, but I was quite concerned about it. This is what the EPA website says to do if a CFL breaks in your home:
1. Don't Panic! (The EPA doesn't actually say this, but it's always a good place to start).
2. Open a window and leave the room for at least 15 minutes, to let the vaporized mercury go away.
3. Shut off any central heating or ac system you might have.
4. Carefully scoop up fragments with stiff cardboard, and put them in a sealed plastic bag. Use sticky tape to pick up any smaller pieces. Clean area with a damp paper towel, and put this in the plastic bag as well. Don't vacuum!
5. Put the sealed bag in the trash outside. Some municipalities might want this disposed of not in the normal trash--check with your city.
6. Wash your hands!
You can go to the EPA website for more information. I thought this was a good thing to share, since most people have at least one of these in their homes now.
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