Cameron MacLeodJan 17

Reminder: compact fluorescent light bulbs (the little spiral or bended tube kind) are now banned in Canada for import or manufacture, and retailers can only sell for 3 more years.

They contain mercury and are dangerous; LED bulbs are better in every way now, including cost. If you break CF bulbs it can be dangerous - don’t just throw them in trash, they are considered hazardous waste. Cleanup process suggestion from SickKids: https://www.ontariopoisoncentre.ca/household-hazards-items/cfl-bulbs-inhalation-from-broken-bulb/

News article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/climate/what-on-earth-light-bulbs-9.7046307

CFL bulbs (inhalation from broken bulb)

SickKids
Show threadC.

@c_9

This is an ... alarmist take.

CFLs contain mercury - but a tiny amount, just milligrams. They're not particularly dangerous, broken or not. If you break one, it might scatter one or a few tiny, tiny droplets of mercury, too small to find. They will eventually evaporate and disappear, but at such a low rate that there won't be any detectable amount of mercury vapour in the air.

It is definitely far, far below any level that could cause you any harm at all - and elemental mercury isn't very dangerous to life, anyways. It's organic mercury compounds that are bad, and there aren't any of those in a fluorescent bulb, compact or traditional tube.

People used to *drink* large quantities of mercury as a health treatment for syphilis, among other things. In it's metallic, liquid form, it's just not much of a health hazard.

#science #alarmism #mercury #alarmist

Jan 18 at 3:24amWeb
Show threadM. GrégoireJan 18

@cazabon
1. So I've been excessively afraid of broken fluorescent tubes all my life? I wonder if that's true about anything else.

2. @c_9 's post is still correct — CFLs are supposed to be disposed of specially, not just in the trash.

Show threadC.Jan 18

@mpjgregoire @c_9

1. Yes. The broken glass is far more dangerous than the few milligrams of mercury (that was) in it. Pretty much every message pushed at people that "<X> is bad!" is badly-distilled, over-hyped garbage that has a tiny, tiny kernel of truth somewhere down in it. Modern media is extremely bad at conveying knowledge, and completely incapable of correcting their mistakes.

2. Dispose of things the way your local jurisdiction says you should. But once the glass envelope of a fluorescent bulb - tube or CFL or any other type - has been broken, there's no mercury in it any more.

Show threadCameron MacLeodJan 18

@cazabon @mpjgregoire I’ve rephrased slightly, and added a link to cleanup instructions.

My intent when writing was about having more than one bulb - hoarders of things - not the specific amount of mercury in a single bulb. Damaged bulbs plural in enclosed spaces, a reasonably plausible event, would be dangerous and would be worth avoiding.

For anyone reading interested in the health effects of mercury exposure, this EPA page has some information: https://www.epa.gov/mercury/health-effects-exposures-mercury

Health Effects of Exposures to Mercury | US EPA

Learn about the form of mercury, and how exposure to its various forms effect the health of humans of all ages, including pregnant women. Also find symptoms of methylmercury exposure

US EPA
Show threadC.Jan 18

@c_9 @mpjgregoire

Fair enough, but a dozen broken CFLs in a closet would still not represent a measurable risk to human health, even if you spent the rest of your life in that closet.

Metallic mercury just isn't that hazardous. By all means, avoid unnecessary exposure, take reasonable steps to mitigate if you spill mercury [1] - by breaking a large mercury thermometer, for example, but don't panic if you break fluorescent bulbs, and don't live your life in fear of doing so.

I detest scaring people unnecessarily over things which are simply not a major hazard - e.g. another person in this thread who described living their whole life in fear of breaking a fluorescent tube.

[1] Liquid mercury can be converted to a solid compound, completely eliminating the tiny, tiny amount of mercury vapour it emits, by mixing it with powdered sulphur. But this step is totally unnecessary for virtually all possible household spills.

Show threadCameron MacLeodJan 19
@cazabon @mpjgregoire Sounds like you have feedback for CBC and Health Canada and the EPA. I’m glad to hear it’s less dangerous than they tend to describe it!