U.S.

EnvironmentalProtectionAgency

April7,2014

WhattoDoifaCompactFluorescentLight(CFL)Bulbor
FluorescentTubeLightBulbBreaksinYourHome1

Fluorescentlightbulbscontainasmallamountofmercurysealedwithintheglasstubing.Whenafluorescent
bulbbreaksinyourhome,someofthismercuryisreleasedasmercuryvapor.Thebrokenbulbcancontinueto
releasemercuryvaporuntilitiscleanedupandremovedfromtheresidence.

Tominimizeexposuretomercuryvapor,EPArecommendsthatresidentsfollowthecleanupanddisposalsteps
describedbelow.Thiscleanupguidancerepresentstheminimumactionsrecommendedtocleanupabroken
CFL,andwillbeupdatedasEPAidentifiesmoreeffectivecleanuppractices.

CLEANUPANDDISPOSALOVERVIEW

Themostimportantstepstoreduceexposuretomercuryvaporfromabrokenbulbare:

1. Beforecleanup
a. Havepeopleandpetsleavetheroom.
b. Airouttheroomfor510minutesbyopeningawindowordoortotheoutdoor
environment.
c. Shutoffthecentralforcedairheating/airconditioningsystem,ifyouhaveone.
d. Collectmaterialsneededtocleanupbrokenbulb:
stiffpaperorcardboard;
stickytape;
damppapertowelsordisposablewetwipes(forhardsurfaces);and
aglassjarwithametallidorasealableplasticbag.

2. Duringcleanup
a. DONOTVACUUM.Vacuumingisnotrecommendedunlessbrokenglassremainsafterall
othercleanupstepshavebeentaken.Vacuumingcouldspreadmercurycontainingpowder
ormercuryvapor.
b. Bethoroughincollectingbrokenglassandvisiblepowder.
c. Placecleanupmaterialsinasealablecontainer.

3. Aftercleanup
a. Promptlyplaceallbulbdebrisandcleanupmaterialsoutdoorsinatrashcontaineror
protectedareauntilmaterialscanbedisposedof.Avoidleavinganybulbfragmentsor
cleanupmaterialsindoors.
b. Next,checkwithyourlocalgovernmentaboutdisposalrequirementsinyourarea,because
somelocalitiesrequirefluorescentbulbs(brokenorunbroken)betakentoalocalrecycling
center.Ifthereisnosuchrequirementinyourarea,youcandisposeofthematerialswith
yourhouseholdtrash.
c. Ifpractical,continuetoairouttheroomwherethebulbwasbrokenandleavethe
heating/airconditioningsystemshutoffforseveralhours.

1 of4

U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency

April7,2014

BeforeCleanup

Havepeopleandpetsleavetheroom,andavoidthebreakageareaonthewayout.
Openawindowordoortotheoutdoorsandleavetheroomfor510minutes.
Shutoffthecentralforcedairheating/airconditioning(H&AC)system,ifyouhaveone.
Collectmaterialsyouwillneedtocleanupthebrokenbulb:
o Stiffpaperorcardboard
o Stickytape(e.g.,ducttape)
o Damppapertowelsordisposablewetwipes(forhardsurfaces)
o Glassjarwithametallid(suchasacanningjar)orasealableplasticbag(s)

CleanupStepsforHardSurfaces

Carefullyscoopupglassfragmentsandpowderusingstiffpaperorcardboardandplacedebrisand
paper/cardboardinaglassjarwithametallid.Ifaglassjarisnotavailable,useasealableplasticbag.
(NOTE:Sinceaplasticbagwillnotpreventthemercuryvaporfromescaping,removetheplasticbag(s)
fromthehomeaftercleanup.)
Usestickytape,suchasducttape,topickupanyremainingsmallglassfragmentsandpowder.Place
theusedtapeintheglassjarorplasticbag.
Wipetheareacleanwithdamppapertowelsordisposablewetwipes.Placethetowelsintheglassjar
orplasticbag.
Vacuumingofhardsurfacesduringcleanupisnotrecommendedunlessbrokenglassremainsafterall
othercleanupstepshavebeentaken.[NOTE:Itispossiblethatvacuumingcouldspreadmercury
containingpowderormercuryvapor,althoughavailableinformationonthisproblemislimited.]If
vacuumingisneededtoensureremovalofallbrokenglass,keepthefollowingtipsinmind:
o Keepawindowordoortotheoutdoorsopen;
o Vacuumtheareawherethebulbwasbrokenusingthevacuumhose,ifavailable;and
o Removethevacuumbag(oremptyandwipethecanister)andsealthebag/vacuumdebris,
andanymaterialsusedtocleanthevacuum,inaplasticbag.
Promptlyplaceallbulbdebrisandcleanupmaterials,includingvacuumcleanerbags,outdoorsina
trashcontainerorprotectedareauntilmaterialscanbedisposedof.Avoidleavinganybulbfragments
orcleanupmaterialsindoors.
Next,checkwithyourlocalgovernmentaboutdisposalrequirementsinyourarea,becausesome
localitiesrequirefluorescentbulbs(brokenorunbroken)betakentoalocalrecyclingcenter.Ifthereis
nosuchrequirementinyourarea,youcandisposeofthematerialswithyourhouseholdtrash.
Washyourhandswithsoapandwaterafterdisposingofthejarsorplasticbagscontainingbulbdebris
andcleanupmaterials.
ContinuetoairouttheroomwherethebulbwasbrokenandleavetheH&ACsystemshutoff,as
practical,forseveralhours.

CleanupStepsforCarpetingorRugs

Carefullyscoopupglassfragmentsandpowderusingstiffpaperorcardboardandplacedebrisand
paper/cardboardinaglassjarwithametallid.Ifaglassjarisnotavailable,useasealableplasticbag.
(NOTE:Sinceaplasticbagwillnotpreventthemercuryvaporfromescaping,removetheplasticbag(s)
fromthehomeaftercleanup.)

2 of4

U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency

April7,2014

Usestickytape,suchasducttape,topickupanyremainingsmallglassfragmentsandpowder.Place
theusedtapeintheglassjarorplasticbag.
Vacuumingofcarpetingorrugsduringcleanupisnotrecommendedunlessbrokenglassremainsafter
allothercleanupstepshavebeentaken.[NOTE:Itispossiblethatvacuumingcouldspreadmercury
containingpowderormercuryvapor,althoughavailableinformationonthisproblemislimited.]If
vacuumingisneededtoensureremovalofallbrokenglass,keepthefollowingtipsinmind:
o Keepawindowordoortotheoutdoorsopen;
o Vacuumtheareawherethebulbwasbrokenusingthevacuumhose,ifavailable,and
o Removethevacuumbag(oremptyandwipethecanister)andsealthebag/vacuumdebris,
andanymaterialsusedtocleanthevacuum,inaplasticbag.
Promptlyplaceallbulbdebrisandcleanupmaterials,includingvacuumcleanerbags,outdoorsina
trashcontainerorprotectedareauntilmaterialscanbedisposedof.Avoidleavinganybulb
fragmentsorcleanupmaterialsindoors.
Next,checkwithyourlocalgovernmentaboutdisposalrequirementsinyourarea,becausesome
localitiesrequirefluorescentbulbs(brokenorunbroken)betakentoalocalrecyclingcenter.Ifthereis
nosuchrequirementinyourarea,youcandisposeofthematerialswithyourhouseholdtrash.
Washyourhandswithsoapandwaterafterdisposingofthejarsorplasticbagscontainingbulbdebris
andcleanupmaterials.
ContinuetoairouttheroomwherethebulbwasbrokenandleavetheH&ACsystemshutoff,as
practical,forseveralhours.

FutureCleaningofCarpetingorRugs:AirOuttheRoomDuringandAfterVacuuming

Thenextseveraltimesyouvacuumtherugorcarpet,shutofftheH&ACsystemifyouhaveone,close
thedoorstootherrooms,andopenawindowordoortotheoutsidebeforevacuuming.Changethe
vacuumbagaftereachuseinthisarea.
Aftervacuumingiscompleted,keeptheH&ACsystemshutoffandthewindowordoortotheoutside
open,aspractical,forseveralhours.

ActionsYouCanTaketoPreventBrokenCompactFluorescentLightBulbs
Fluorescentbulbsaremadeofglassandcanbreakifdroppedorroughlyhandled.Toavoidbreakingabulb,
followthesegeneralpractices:

YoucanswitchoffandallowaworkingCFLbulbtocoolbeforehandling.
YoucanhandleCFLbulbscarefullytoavoidbreakage.
o Ifpossible,screw/unscrewtheCFLbyholdingtheplasticorceramicbase,nottheglasstubing.
o GentlyscrewintheCFLuntilsnug.Donotovertighten.
o Neverforcefullytwisttheglasstubing.
YoucanchoosenottoinstallCFLsintablelampsandfloorlampsthatcanbeeasilyknockedover,in
unprotectedlightfixtures,orinlocationswheretheycaneasilybebroken,suchasplayspaces.
o Otheravailableoptionsfortheseareas:LEDs(superefficient,withverylowenergycosts;
pricey,althoughpricesaredroppingrapidly),andhalogens(inexpensive,moreefficientthan
incandescents,butnotasefficientasCFLsorLEDs).
YoucanpurchaseCFLbulbsthathaveaglassorplasticcoveroverthespiralorfoldedglasstube,if
available.Thesetypesofbulbslookmorelikeincandescentbulbsandmaybemoredurableifdropped.

3 of4

U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency

April7,2014

Youcanconsiderusingadropcloth(e.g.,plasticsheetorbeachtowel)whenchangingafluorescent

lightbulbincaseabreakageshouldoccur.Thedropclothwillhelppreventmercurycontaminationof
nearbysurfacesandcanbebundledwiththebulbdebrisfordisposal.

Thisdocumentcontainsinformationdesignedtobeusefultothegeneralpublic.Thisdocumentdoesnotimposelegally
bindingrequirements,nordoesitconferlegalrights,imposelegalobligations,orimplementanystatutoryorregulatory
provisions.Thisdocumentdoesnotchangeorsubstituteforanystatutoryorregulatoryprovisions.Thisdocument
presentstechnicalinformationbasedonEPAscurrentunderstandingofthepotentialhazardsposedbybreakageof
mercurycontainingfluorescentlamps(lightbulbs)inatypicalhouseholdsetting.Finally,thisisalivingdocumentand
mayberevisedperiodicallywithoutpublicnotice.EPAwelcomescommentsonthisdocumentatanytimeandwill
considerthosecommentsinanyfuturerevisionsofthisdocument.

4 of4