However, if broken, CFLs can be dangerous due to the fact it contained the toxic metal mercury. In skin, the metal can cause temporary rash if inhalation can cause migraines and could even trigger seizures in people with epilepsy.
Levels of mercury is actually quite small, only about 1-5 mg of every CFL bulb and not too dangerous if the wind swept away instantly. But in a closed room with no wind, levels can improve 20-fold so it is quite dangerous.
A study on Klauditz Fraunhofer Wilhelm Institute revealed that a broken CFL bulb can raise levels of mercury in the air close to 7 mikrogram/cm3. While that does not endanger the safety limit is .35 mikrogram/cm3.
“The presence of mercury is the downside of energy-saving lamps. We can save 80 percent of electrical energy but health risks must also be taken into account,” said Jochen Flasbarth of Federal Environment Agency as quoted from Dailymail , on Monday (12/27/2010).
Flasbarth said high levels of mercury that can survive indoors until 5 hours. He suggested that there is light breaks, babies and pregnant women must be excluded from the room and all doors and windows ought to be opened about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, when cleaning the bulb fragments, it is recommended to use protective rubber gloves to avoid touching directly to the skin. Similarly, when to remove it, do not be put together with other garbage simply because it can pollute the environment.
