DEP issues warning on low-energy bulbs

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Maine environmental officials have revised their recommendations for cleaning up shattered compact fluorescent lights based on new studies that examined the amount of mercury released when the popular energy-saving bulbs break.

The new recommendations include disposing of the broken bulb in a sealed glass jar and potentially removing any affected area of carpet.

Compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs, are rapidly displacing the old incandescent bulb on store shelves and in household light sockets because of their capacity to lower energy bills while helping the environment.

But a tiny amount of mercury in compact fluorescents – about the amount of ink on the tip of a ballpoint pen – means the bulbs must be disposed of properly.

In one of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted on the topic, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection broke dozens of compact fluorescent light bulbs in various settings and measured levels of mercury in the air.

The researchers then cleaned up the mess by several means and measured for mercury again.

The results, published Monday, did not change state officials’ enthusiasm for the low-energy bulbs, which are touted as an easy way to fight climate change while saving money.

But the study prompted the department to advise residents to take additional precautions when installing compact fluorescents or handling their contents after a breakage.

Some recommendations, such as ventilating the room and avoiding vacuuming the mess, remained the same after the study. Vacuuming not only disperses the mercury vapor around the room but can contaminate the vacuum.

The department now says the broken bulbs and any cleanup materials should, whenever possible, be sealed in a glass jar to prevent mercury vapors from escaping. Plastic bags and even thick plastic jars, such as those used for peanut butter, did not stop vapors from escaping.

Additionally, the DEP advises that residents may want to consider “removing throw rugs or the area of carpet where the breakage occurred as a precaution, particularly if the rug is in an area frequented by infants, small children or pregnant women.”

Residents still concerned about health risks may want to avoid using compact fluorescent bulbs in areas, such as bedrooms, frequented by children or in places where they are more likely to be broken. They also could place a drop cloth or plastic sheet on the floor when replacing a bulb should it fall, the recommendations state.

Mark Hyland, director of the DEP’s Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management, acknowledged that he and others were surprised by the mercury levels they recorded in the tests.

The state safety standard for long-term exposure to mercury is 300 nanograms per cubic meter. Levels in the study rooms occasionally spiked to more than 25,000 and even 100,000 nanograms for short periods.

“We were very surprised,” Hyland said. “I have to say, because we knew the [mercury] levels in the bulbs were very low, we didn’t expect to see the vapor levels that high.”

The problem, according to toxicologist Dr. Deborah Rice, is that no comprehensive studies have been done on possible health effects from short-term exposure to elemental mercury at such levels, particularly in children.

That’s why Maine is erring on the side of caution by revising its recommendations, said Rice, who was one of several staff members at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to participate in the study.

“The answer is we don’t know,” Rice said. “We don’t have the data that we need.”

Like many states, Maine actively encourages residents to switch to compact fluorescents because they use up to two-thirds less electricity than incandescent bulbs. That, in turn, reduces the amount of mercury, carbon dioxide and other pollutants released by power plants.

Compact fluorescents also can last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, meaning residents can recoup the higher original purchase price several times over.

The Efficiency Maine program gave out nearly 1.5 million rebates in 2006 and 2007 alone to residents who purchased the low-energy bulbs. And lawmakers in Maine and other states have discussed banning incandescent bulbs altogether.

But national marketing promotions have outpaced educational campaigns about proper disposal of the bulbs because of their mercury content.

In Maine, all compact fluorescents – whether broken or simply burned-out – must be disposed of as “universal waste” at a municipal transfer station or at a store that offers a recycling program. More than 200 hardware stores around the state now accept used compact fluorescent bulbs as part of a disposal program launched last year by Efficiency Maine.

The DEP study was prompted, in part, by the unusual experience of a Prospect woman, Brandy Bridges, who was told it would cost several thousand dollars to clean up her daughter’s room after a single bulb broke. The case generated national media attention.

Hyland said he hopes the study does not scare homeowners away from the bulbs, which are proven energy-savers that result in fewer mercury emissions from power plants. Instead, he hopes the study and recommendations will help educate homeowners about the safest way to deal with a rare break.

“I’ve been using them for 15 years and I’ve never broken one,” he said.

For more information, go to www.mainedep.com.

How to clean up

a broken CFL bulb

. Do not vacuum. This will spread the mercury vapor and dust throughout the area and could contaminate the vacuum.

. Keep people and pets away from breakage area until cleanup is complete.

. Ventilate the area by opening windows. Leave the area for 15 minutes before returning to begin cleanup. Mercury vapor levels will be lower by then.

. Wear rubber gloves to protect hands from glass.

. Carefully remove larger pieces and put them in a secure, closed container, preferably a glass container with metal screw-top lid and seal such as a canning jar. A glass jar with a good seal works best to contain any mercury vapors inside.

. Begin collecting smaller pieces and dust. Two stiff pieces of paper such as index cards or playing cards may be used to scoop up pieces.

. Pat area with sticky side of duct tape, packing tape or masking tape to pick up fine particles. Wipe area with wet wipe or damp paper towel to pick up finer particles.

. Put all waste and materials in glass container, including all material used in cleanup that may have been contaminated with mercury. Label the container “Universal waste – broken lamp.”

. Remove container with breakage and cleanup materials from your home. This is particularly important if you do not have a glass container.

. Continue ventilating room for several hours.

. Wash hands and face.

. Take glass container of waste material to a facility that accepts “universal waste” for recycling. To determine where your municipality recycles such waste, call your municipal office or go to www.MaineDEP.com and click on “Fluorescent Light Bulb Information.” Look for link to municipal collection sites.

. When a break happens on carpeting, residents may want to consider removing throw rugs or the area of carpet where breakage occurred as a precaution, particularly if the rug is in an area frequented by infants, small children or pregnant women.

. If carpet is not removed, open a window to the room the next several times you vacuum the carpet to provide good ventilation.

. The next time you replace a lamp, consider putting a drop cloth on floor so any accidental breakage can be cleaned up easily. Consumers concerned about safety may consider not using fluorescent lamps where they could be broken easily. Consumers also may consider avoiding CFL use in bedrooms or carpeted areas frequented by infants, small children or pregnant women. Consider not storing too many used or spent lamps before recycling as that may increase chance of breakage. Properly recycle used fluorescent bulbs so they don’t break and put mercury into environment.

Source: Maine Department of Environmental Protection.