Those curly CFL light bulbs that we all will be forced to adopt are incipient environmental disasters. Should a table or floor lamp be knocked over by a dog or child, for instance, if the bulb breaks, you have a mercury contamination problem, one that requires great care in cleaning up.
Writing in the Washington Times, Terrence Jeffrey exposes some of the contradictory advice the EPA is offering:
The first section is titled: "What Never to Do With a Mercury Spill." It says: "Never use a vacuum cleaner to clean up mercury (but see the 'What to Do if a Fluorescent Light Bulb Breaks' section below for more specific instructions about vacuuming broken fluorescent light bulbs). The vacuum will put mercury into the air and increase exposure."
But the EPA also tells us:
But what if a fluorescent bulb breaks on the wall-to-wall carpet where your toddler crawls? What then? Suddenly, it is OK to use a vacuum on a mercury spill.
You got that straight??? Me neither.
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