Mercury Vapor Released from Broken Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Can Exceed Safe Exposure Levels

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Mercury Vapor Released from Broken Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Can Exceed

Safe Exposure Levels for Humans, Study Finds

ScienceDaily (July 6, 2011) — Once broken, a compact fluorescent light bulb

continuously releases mercury vapor into the air for weeks to months, and the

total amount can exceed safe human exposure levels in a poorly ventilated room,

according to study results reported in Environmental Engineering Science, a

peer-reviewed online only journal published monthly by Ann Liebert, Inc.

The amount of liquid mercury (Hg) that leaches from a broken compact fluorescent

lamp (CFL) is lower than the level allowed by the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA), so CFLs are not considered hazardous waste. However, Yadong Li and

Li Jin, State University (, MS) report that the total amount of

Hg vapor released from a broken CFL over time can be higher than the amount

considered safe for human exposure. They document their findings in the article

" Environmental Release of Mercury from Broken Compact Fluorescent Lamps. "

As people can readily inhale vapor-phase mercury, the authors suggest rapid

removal of broken CFLs and adequate ventilation, as well as suitable packaging

to minimize the risk of breakage of CFLs and to retain Hg vapor if they do

break, thereby limiting human exposure.

Tests of eight different brands of CFLs and four different wattages revealed

that Hg content varies significantly from brand to brand. To determine the

amount of Hg released by a broken CFL, Li and Jin used standard procedures

developed by the EPA to measure leaching of mercury in liquids and used an

emission monitoring system to detect Hg vapor.

" This paper is a very nice holistic analysis of potential risks associated with

mercury release from broken CFLs and points to potential human health threats

that have not always been considered, " according to Domenico Grasso, PhD,

Editor-in-Chief and Vice President for Research, Dean of the Graduate College,

University of Vermont (Burlington).

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by Science Daily staff)

from materials provided by Ann Liebert, Inc., Publishers , via AlphaGalileo

..

Journal Reference :

1.

Yadong Li, Li Jin. Environmental Release of Mercury from Broken Compact

Fluorescent Lamps . Environmental Engineering Science , 2011; 110705072037001

DOI: 10.1089/ees.2011.0027