Energy-saving lamps are so popular today that they are found in almost every apartment, this is due to cost-saving considerations. However, the design of these luminaires requires special disposal rules if the energy-saving lamp breaks indoors. The fact is that light bulbs contain mercury, and the neutralization of possible harm to the health of others becomes a paramount task.
The principle of operation of energy-saving lamps requires the use of vaporous mercury elements inside the bulb. After voltage is applied to the electrodes of the device, electrons are released, the interaction of which with mercury atoms produces ultraviolet radiation. Mercury amalgam is hazard class 1.
It should be noted that the inner coating of the white bulb, which sometimes spills out of broken lamps, is not mercury, but a phosphor. It serves as a filter for ultraviolet radiation.
Mercury in energy-saving lamps can cause a range of moderate to severe health effects. Instantly spreading around the apartment, it enters the body and affects, first of all, the work of the nervous system.
Symptoms of mild human mercury poisoning:
If a person has received severe mercury poisoning, the following symptoms appear:
Children and pregnant women are most vulnerable to the negative effects of mercury vapor. One broken lamp, of course, is not capable of bringing a person to death, however, slight deterioration in the condition may occur. Therefore, it is important to know what to do in such a situation in order to minimize damage.
The exact amount of mercury that is filled into the lamp during production depends on the specific model and is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging. As a rule, devices for household lamps in an apartment contain no more than 5 mg of a chemical element. Russian manufacturing companies add the metal itself to the flasks, while European ones add a mercury alloy to the amalgam. Mercury is harmless to humans in its solid and liquid state, but it has an extremely low boiling point and quickly turns into vapor.
Energy-saving lamps are produced not only for domestic use, and their flasks have different volumes, so the mercury content is different:
To understand how dangerous the spread of toxic mercury vapor in a room is to health, you need to assess the degree to which their concentration goes beyond the permissible limits. They are established by hygienic standards 2.1.5.1338-03 "MPC" of pollutants in the atmospheric air of settlements. The document states that mercury vapors and compounds do not harm human health and do not affect his descendants if the concentration of the substance does not exceed 0.0003 mg/m 3 .
Thus, if an energy-saving lamp breaks in an apartment with an area of 50 m 2 with a ceiling height of 3 meters, in the flask of which there were 5 mg of mercury, its concentration will be:
5 mg / 60m 2 * 3m \u003d 0.02778 mg / m 3.
This figure is almost 93 times higher than the limit established by the norms. Of course, the concentration decreases very quickly if you quickly start to ventilate the room.
To ensure the safe operation of the room in which the energy-saving lamp was broken, it is necessary to carry out a set of measures to clean it from vapors and mechanical residues of the product:
At this stage, measures have been taken to mechanically clean the premises. All fragments and the materials with which they were collected must be disposed of in a special container, which must be installed in each settlement. Disposal of mercury waste into ordinary trash cans worsens the environment and increases the risk of injury to people and animals.
After mechanical cleaning, the room in which the energy-saving light bulb has broken must be demercurized. This means the neutralization of mercury compounds and vapors. The procedure involves cleaning the room using special solutions. You can prepare them at home according to one of the following recipes:
The resulting mixtures are used to treat surfaces in the room where the accident occurred. Especially carefully you need to wipe hidden cavities and hard-to-reach areas such as cracks between floorboards. It is recommended to keep the solution on the surface for several hours, and the mercury neutralization procedure should be carried out daily for 3-4 days. Naturally, to maintain health, you need to protect your hands with rubber gloves.
If a fluorescent lamp has broken, after disposing of the fragments, you can apply for a demercurization service to a company that deals with this professionally. Moreover, specialists will use special means for processing that are more effective in neutralizing. In addition, such companies help to measure the concentration of mercury vapor in the air after processing and determine whether objects that have been hit by lamp fragments after the lamp has broken are suitable for use.
Energy-saving light bulbs have long been firmly established in our lives. They are convenient, economical, easy to use, and even more aesthetically pleasing. In almost every apartment, there is at least one such lamp. But, as in the past, glass is still a fairly fragile material. One careless movement, and the object falls out of the hands - the lamp is broken. People are accustomed to immediately grab a broom and remove the fragments, considering them the main source of danger. Sharp glass can indeed cause harm, but what is contained inside is much more dangerous.
Energy-saving light bulbs are divided into 2 types:
A discharge lamp can be without a choke and a starter, as well as a fluorescent lamp with a choke and a starter (such lamps are usually used in industrial premises).
The LED lamp in terms of environmental friendliness is safer than a fluorescent lamp, since mercury is not present in the LED lamp. At the same time, fluorescent lamps contain mercury.
They glow precisely due to its presence in the gaseous state. But people are more likely to buy mercury lamps, they are more popular, since they cost less than LED ones.
Mercury fluorescent lamps.
Mercury fluorescent lamp with throttle.
What should be done if an energy-saving light bulb in an apartment breaks? How dangerous is it? We mean - a mercury lamp has broken. If one mercury lamp breaks, there is no need to panic. Now, if 10 pieces of them crashed, then it would be dangerous. Just read how to properly dispose of leftover light bulbs.
What is the main danger from a broken light bulb? Mercury in the form of a gas immediately combines with air, and upon contact with the respiratory system can cause poisoning. A mercury lamp has broken - it contains up to 5 mg. mercury, and this is quite enough to cause a slight deterioration in the health of any person.
An industrial lamp can contain up to four hundred milligrams of mercury. Chinese light bulbs contain the most dangerous chemical compounds, unlike European ones, where the danger is somewhat reduced. The content of mercury is considered dangerous - 0.25 milligrams per 1 cubic meter of the room.
The first thing that is felt during poisoning: dizziness, nausea, headache, general weakness. With prolonged inhalation of mercury vapor, a person can lose consciousness, even death. Vapors cause a disease such as chronic poisoning, which is characterized by trembling in the hands, disruption of the central nervous system. There is blood in the gums and pain in the abdomen. You should not confuse mercury in a lamp with mercury from a thermometer. Remember, when a thermometer breaks, mercury appears in the form of balls, and can roll into cracks and hard-to-reach places. If a light bulb breaks, you don’t need to look for balls.
Everyone knows that energy-saving lamps should not be thrown into ordinary garbage containers. Most people do not pay attention to these recommendations. In addition, unfortunately there are not many places where broken or worn-out lamps can be taken. These problems cause high concentrations of mercury in the air.
Even in garbage cans, polluted air poses a danger to humans. Substances accumulate in the body, affecting all systems. That is why it is strongly recommended to dispose of the lamps in special places.
Let's figure out what to do if an energy-saving lamp breaks. The removal of mercury from a room is called demercurization.
One of the most effective treatments is to wash the room with a manganese solution.
When buying another energy-saving light bulb, carefully read the recommendations on the box. The information gives a complete description of the lamp and its contents. Perhaps your light bulb does not contain mercury at all and is not as dangerous to health as it could be, and it is not afraid to break it. Today, lamps are actively produced, where the mercury content is minimal, or it is completely absent. The purchase will cost more, but it will save you from health problems and troubles in case of damage to the lamp.
Do not be afraid of peeling off the luminescent coating of the lamp. Very often, non-working or long-used lamps lose their appearance, and the coating remains inside the glass tube. This phenomenon is completely harmless to health. Serious harm to health brings only broken fragments.
It is important that a broken light bulb is not a reason to seriously panic. A competent approach to this issue is quite enough. Proper cleaning, ventilation and disposal will eliminate all hazards. If it so happened that several mercury-containing lamps broke at once, this is a serious reason to call specialists and entrust them with cleaning the premises.
In the modern world, energy-saving lamps (ESL) in lighting devices have almost completely replaced incandescent lamps. Due to their active use as sources of lighting, in everyday life and at work, there is a serious energy saving (about 20-25%).
Currently, the industry produces the following types of energy-saving lighting fixtures:
Energy saving occurs due to the fact that an energy-saving or energy-efficient lamp has a higher efficiency. So, for an incandescent device, this figure is 4%, for an LED - 30-40%, and for a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) it is at the level of 20%.
The arc lamp consists of a sealed glass bulb, a high-frequency converter and a base. The high-frequency converter is made on the basis of an electronic board. The flask is filled with a gas containing mercury vapor. At the ends of the bulb are filaments.
When the lamp is connected to an electrical circuit, a discharge occurs in the bulb. In this case, electromagnetic waves in the ultraviolet range are emitted. To convert ultraviolet radiation into visible light, a phosphor is applied from the inside of the flask.
Thus, according to their principle of operation, fluorescent lamps belong to the gas-discharge type of radiation sources.
They can be performed in two versions:
The linear arc lamp is a traditional fluorescent lamp with a cylinder-shaped bulb.
The compact version is arranged in exactly the same way as the linear one, but the bulb has a curved shape, which allows it to be made in smaller sizes with the same electrical parameters.
Since energy-saving lamps contain mercury vapor inside, care must be taken when handling such a lighting fixture.
If the glass bulb of the lamp is intact, then the mercury contained inside it does not pose any danger to humans.
Even if the flask has fallen off the base, but its tightness is not broken, the mercury in it cannot enter the air and such a lamp also remains safe.
However, if the arc lamp is nevertheless broken, then the contents inside the energy-saving lamp enter the surrounding air and may be dangerous to people in the room.
Mercury belongs to the group of toxic substances. At high concentrations, it can cause the following effects in the body:
Exposure to mercury vapor is most dangerous for pregnant women and children.
If one light bulb is broken in the room, then the harmful effects may not be immediately noticed, since the concentration of the toxic substance in one device is small. But, according to experts, mercury tends to accumulate in the human body, while gradually poisoning it. The result of the work of the poison can be felt after five, ten or more years. Moreover, scientists argue that the consequences of exposure can be varied and quite serious. These include vision problems, dementia, various diseases of the nervous system, etc.
The consequences for the human body depend on how much mercury is in the energy-saving lamp. The content of mercury in one device is 1-400 mg. The highest concentration is found in industrial type lamps. In a compact device, its concentration is less than 5 mg.
If the flask of an energy-saving lighting device is broken in the room, then it will be necessary to do preventive cleaning of the room.
Attention! Energy-saving lamps, as well as fragments from them, are waste related to the first hazard class.
What to do if a mercury-containing lamp breaks:
If an energy-saving lamp breaks in a room on the floor of which there is a carpet, then the carpet must be carefully rolled up and knocked out on the street. If possible, it is best to leave it outside to air for a few days.
Attention! It is not environmentally safe to dispose of a burnt mercury-containing lighting fixture, even if it has an intact bulb, in the trash in the usual way. This can lead to the fact that the glass flask will be broken during disposal, and the toxic vapors that make up the gas will enter the air. Lamps are handed over only to special collection points intended for this purpose.
From the collection points, they are sent to factories intended for the disposal of mercury lighting devices.
If not one, but several lamps are broken, then it is not recommended to clean the room yourself. In this case, the concentration of mercury in the air will be quite high. Therefore, to perform this work, it is better to contact specialists who have special protective equipment.
For the disposal of energy-saving lamps, special collection points are equipped. Their addresses can be found in the ZhEKs, in the district administration or on the Internet.
What not to do if an energy-saving light bulb breaks:
Currently, energy-saving lamps are commercially available, which include an amalgam of mercury or its alloy with other metals. This substance contains mercury in a bound state. This prevents mercury from evaporating at room temperature, so if this type of energy-saving light bulb breaks, no mercury vapor is released into the surrounding air.
You can determine whether there is mercury in the lighting device or not, as follows. Lamps made using this technology must be labeled "Mercury Free" (in the English version "Amalgam technology") on the packaging.
Using energy-efficient HID lighting fixtures containing mercury will help you save energy in your home. Only in the process of their transportation, installation and operation, it is necessary to strictly observe the safety regulations.
Energy-saving light bulbs (ESL) are in demand, as they are very economical and have a long service life. But not all users know that the glow is due to the mercury vapor contained in it. And, if an energy-saving light bulb breaks, security measures must be taken. Otherwise, health damage is done.
If it happened that the energy-saving lamp at home burst or broke, then you should not panic, but take action:
Ventilation should not be confused with draft. Draft is unacceptable!
The concentration of mercury inside an energy-saving light bulb depends on its type and power. Each manufacturer indicates the indicator on the individual packaging of the lamp.
For example, the following lamp options are considered:
It takes into account the fact that the dangerous content of mercury in the air for the body is 0.25 mg / cu. So, one broken light bulb will not have much seriousness on health. But there is no need to avoid precautionary measures, prevention.
There is a list of actions that do not need to be performed if an energy-saving light bulb is cracked or broken:
According to statistics, up to 70 million ESLs stop their work every year. Half of them are thrown into household waste bins, and the other half are handed over to specialized disposal points. Incorrectly disposed of waste end up in landfills, where toxic substances are released into the air and enter the body.
The threat of mercury vapor is that it has a cumulative effect in the body. When a dangerous level of content in the body is reached, a person receives a toxic effect on the nervous system, liver, lungs and other organs.
To avoid such situations: burnt out or broken lamps must be handed over to specialized collection points. Or in designated containers for mercury-containing items.
The problem in some localities is that they do not have non-special containers, non-nearby collection points. For such cases, it is necessary to call on volunteers who will periodically receive lamps.
There are almost 50 enterprises that are engaged in the processing of such lamps. On them, initially, there is a separation of parts, elements, and then processing begins. The result is glass, mercury, aluminum. Such recycling is not only economically beneficial, but also prevents environmental pollution.
To minimize the consequences of the spread of mercury after a broken energy-saving light bulb, a number of measures must be taken:
Any light bulb can break. But special attention is paid to mercury-containing lamps. Since such a situation can affect human health. If a person does not engage in special disposal of such lamps, then he should refrain from buying this type, but buy other models that are disposed of in a regular trash can.
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Energy-saving lamps today can be found in every apartment. Many, in pursuit of savings, completely abandon simple incandescent lamps and install only energy-saving ones. However, not everyone knows what is inside these lamps and why they are dangerous. And inside them is mercury, and in a gaseous state. When sealed, the lamp is safe for health and operation. But as soon as you accidentally break it, all the mercury will be in the air, inside your apartment.
In high-quality foreign lamps, mercury is usually contained in a special bound state, in the form of the so-called amalgam. And when the lamp breaks, mercury, when in contact with air, should not spread in space. Chinese counterparts, when damaged, pose a real danger. One light bulb can contain up to five milligrams of mercury. For comparison, in a thermometer, for example, there is only 2 mg of mercury. And since in the lamp it is in a gaseous state, it spreads in the air very quickly.
The minimum safe daily dose of mercury for one person is 0.0003 mg/m3.
Thus, if an energy-saving light bulb containing 5 mg of mercury breaks in a room of 20-30m2, the concentration of this hazardous substance in the room will exceed the permissible value hundreds of times!
Types of lamps with mercuryHere are some types of lamps containing mercury:
With prolonged inhalation of mercury vapor, damage to the nervous system can occur, and deaths are not excluded at high doses of poisoning. The most dangerous case is when the light bulb depressurized, but did not break, and you considered it just burned out and threw it in the trash can.
As a result, your body will gradually accumulate mercury over a long period of time, the vapors of which will be present in the air of your apartment.
Therefore, all overheated, broken, non-working energy-saving lamps should be immediately thrown into specially designed containers, and not stored at home.
What to do if you break an energy-saving lamp?
Put on a damp gauze bandage and use rubber gloves, paper towels, an old sponge, that is, everything that you don’t mind throwing away with the glass later. Do not remove fragments with a vacuum cleaner.
If the fragments fell on the carpet or carpet, then it must be taken out into the street, an oilcloth should be laid under the carpet and then knocked out. Of course, oilcloth with fragments is thrown away, and the carpet will need to be aired for a long time.
Now it is necessary to neutralize the effects of mercury on the place where the lamp was broken - this process is scientifically called demercurization. To do this, it is necessary to make a disinfecting composition from the means at hand in the household. You can use what is in your home: potassium permanganate, ordinary baking soda, whiteness and iodine.
Option 1 - In a liter jar of water, dilute 2 grams of potassium permanganate. Wet the resulting solution with the place where the broken lamp fell. After 7 hours, wash off the solution with soapy water.
Option 2 - Add 40 grams of soda to 1 liter of water and mix with soapy water. Treat the surface with this composition.
Option 3 - If the surface area is large, use bleach. Take a liter of "Whiteness" and stir in 5 liters of water. Treat the infected area with this liquid.
Option 4 - If the surface area on which the lamp crashed is small, you can use iodine. In a liter jar of water, dilute 100 ml of iodine and moisten the surface with this composition.
It is better not to drain the used solutions into the toilet, and also dispose of them together with the lamp.
By wetting the place of damage to the lamp with a solution, you thereby neutralize the volatile properties of mercury. Such processing must be done within a few days. Be sure to wear protective rubber gloves when cleaning.
If you have not one, but several lamps broken at the same time, for example, packaging due to careless handling or falling from a height, then it is already necessary to contact specialists and do not hesitate to call the Ministry of Emergencies. 
As discussed above, broken and unusable energy-saving lamps should not be thrown into ordinary household trash. In large cities today, there are already enough special containers for the disposal of such waste. What to do if there is no such container near the place where you live? In this case, you can be advised to seek help from some large, nearby enterprise. Usually, environmental supervision obliges such offices to enter into mandatory agreements for the disposal of mercury-containing lamps and to have specialized containers on their territory. Ask them to use this container.
