Just how toxic are fluorescent tubes?

[Number22]

Let's just say there was a little incident in the barn tonight...and now I've got to pick out 16' worth of broken T12 tubes from my gravel. Everyone always acts like these things are full of anthrax or something. I know mercury is bad, but, how much is really in a tube? Are they really THAT toxic? I'm sure I'm not the first person to break one. Should I be taking any other precautions besides gloves to clean up this mess?

 

[Kevin54]

Did you read this http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55213

But if it was me....I'd just clean up the glass and rake the rest into the gravel so you don't step on it. You'll probably run into more hazardous things on a daily basis than just a couple of broken fluorescent tubes.
Then again, some of the fluorescents are or were safe for general trash disposal. I know at our shop they were busting them up and throwing them in general trash. Now we have some containment place for all lights like that.

 

[lametec]

As a kid we used to play "Star Wars" with tubes as light sabers. Who knows how many we busted. AFAIK, we're all alive and healthy still (20 years later).

 

[Falcon67]

Jeeze - a good paint mask and a shop vac, that'll be $2000 please.

You should not breathe the vapor that come out, really. When I blow one I air the place out, clean up the debris and we're done. On gravel, I'd try a wisk-boom type attachment on a shop vac to get up as much as possible, then grind the rest into the earth. Water it down good and cover the area with emails from climate scientists until dry.

 

[rsanter]

they do not have as much lead and stuff in them as they used to.
as said before, do your best not to breath the vapor and clean up as much as you can.
water the area dont to cary the remaining dust down from the surface.
I would also give a rinse to the inside of the shop vac you use so you do not blow that dust out on later uses.
most important of all, do not lick the gravel in that area...ever
other areas are OK to lick

bob

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

Bob, you are funny, I got my first good hard laugh of the day...

 

[Gary S]

Like already said, don't breathe the fumes, and clean up the mess. Broken florescent bulbs are better for your health than attending a Greenpeace meeting.

 

[mattwgrizwald]

check this out
http://cellar.org/iotd.php?threadid=21542

 

[Falcon67]

check this out
http://cellar.org/iotd.php?threadid=21542

OSHA would never approve.

 

[tcianci]

The tubes contain a minute amount of mercury and some inert gas and the inside of the glass is coated with phosphors. It is the phosphors that actually glow and give off the visible light. When the tube is off, the mercury is not vaporous. You should be fine with not breathing the phosphor dust and avoiding cuts from the glass.

 

[Scotto]

most important of all, do not lick the gravel in that area...ever
other areas are OK to lick

bob

LMAO

check this out
http://cellar.org/iotd.php?threadid=21542

Genius, lol

 

[ironroad 9c1]

Being outside I'm sure any little bit of fumes wasn't any risk.

 

[Cryptic1911]

honestly, people waaaaaaay overreact about the toxicity of flourescent tubes.. yeah they have mercury and some other stuff, but its not enough to do any lasting damage. you probably ingest more mercury eating a tuna sandwich... just some food for thought

 

[nate379]

Same here, though I still do it with the dead ones. Spear them into the dumpster or into the woods

As a kid we used to play "Star Wars" with tubes as light sabers. Who knows how many we busted. AFAIK, we're all alive and healthy still (20 years later).