What to do if an energy-saving light bulb breaks

Energy-saving light bulbs (ESL) are very popular for a number of reasons: they are economical and have a longer service life. However, not every user knows that their glow occurs due to the mercury vapor they contain.

During normal use, no harmful fumes are released, so they are absolutely harmless to our health and the environment. But if the integrity of the light bulb is compromised, for example, it breaks, then mercury vapor can enter the air, and this can already have a negative impact on humans. Let's find out what to do and what to do if the integrity of the light bulb has been compromised.

Is a broken energy-saving light bulb dangerous?

Inside the ESL there is a mercury amalgam, i.e. mercury vapor. This substance belongs to hazard class 1 and is located inside the tube. Accordingly, it can only get out if the light bulb itself is broken or its integrity is compromised.

Reference. Mercury vapors cause poisoning. Its severity will depend on how long the person inhaled these vapors and in what quantities.

The first signs of poisoning are hand trembling and dysfunction of the nervous system. After some time, gingivitis may develop. But these signs are characteristic only of chronic poisoning.If acute poisoning occurs, i.e. If a person inhales a high concentration of mercury amalgam, he becomes weak, dizzy, begins to experience abdominal pain, nausea, and in some cases, bleeding gums.

Symptoms usually appear a couple of hours after poisoning. With direct contact with mercury, a person will begin to feel a metallic taste in the mouth, and it becomes difficult for him to swallow. Later, diarrhea begins, sometimes even mixed with blood. An inflammatory process may also develop and the temperature may rise - sometimes it can reach 40 degrees. In an adult and a child, the symptoms of poisoning will be the same, but in children they appear much faster. For this reason, help should be given to children first.

To avoid negative consequences, you need to remember what to do if you accidentally break an energy-saving light bulb.

What to do if an energy-saving light bulb at home breaks

If you suddenly break an ESL, then you should not panic, but you should immediately call specialists. However, proper disposal depends on the circumstances under which it crashed. In general, you need to adhere to the following set of rules:

• first of all, you need to remove children and animals from the room - the door must be closed immediately so that mercury vapor does not spread throughout the house;
• perform all actions carefully, as there is a risk of cutting yourself with a splinter;
• if the ESL was screwed into the lamp, then it must be immediately disconnected from the power supply;
• open the window in the room where the emergency occurred;
• close the windows and doors in all other rooms - this will help avoid drafts and, accordingly, the spread of mercury vapor;
• the room where the light bulb was broken should be ventilated for about a day - no one should enter it;
• pour water into a jar and add potassium permanganate there, put on rubber or other gloves: you cannot collect fragments with your bare hands;
• you need to place all the fragments in a jar with a solution of water and potassium permanganate;
• Collect very small glass particles with a wet cloth or adhesive tape;
• after all the fragments have been collected, close the jar and call the Ministry of Emergency Situations - they will tell you where you can take the waste for further processing;
• after that, wash the floor with detergent;
• take a shower;
• the shoes and clothes you were wearing when you collected the glass need to be washed.

If you followed these rules, then there is no danger. It is also worth remembering that if there was a carpet in the room, then it needs to be put away where there are no people, and then thoroughly shaken and knocked out. After this, it should be left to ventilate outside for 24 hours.

Why can't you throw it away with regular trash?

It is worth remembering that under no circumstances should a broken energy-saving light bulb be collected with regular garbage, since the mercury vapor will simply settle in the trash can and you will still breathe it. We talked about the possible consequences earlier.

To ensure your health is not at risk, you need to consider the following:

1. Do not pick up debris with a vacuum cleaner. The mercury will end up inside and settle on the walls of the bag. Moreover, its vapors can escape while the vacuum cleaner is running and spread throughout the house.
2. The air conditioner cannot be turned on. If it was turned on and the light bulb broke, turn it off immediately.
3. It is prohibited to use a broom. Excessively intense movements cause mercury particles to fly throughout the room.
4. Do not dispose of broken pieces or a can of broken pieces in a regular garbage disposal. The jar may break and the harmful substance will begin to spread throughout the house.
5. It is prohibited to pour the contents into the sewer.

How to properly dispose of

Also, you should not throw away used light bulbs with regular trash. They must be handed over to specialized collection points. Information about them can be found in stores that specialize in selling energy-saving light bulbs. Some of them have specialized reception points.

If there are no such points, then you can get all the necessary information from the employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.