Safety of CFLs?

[rattus]

Has anyone ever heard of someone getting a major infection from stepping on broken glass from a CFL barefooted? Blamed it on mercury poisoning, but I think it would that the fluorescent phosphor would be the more likely culprit, if the story is true that is.

 

[gadfly56]

Has anyone ever heard of someone getting a major infection from stepping on broken glass from a CFL barefooted? Blamed it on mercury poisoning, but I think it would that the fluorescent phosphor would be the more likely culprit, if the story is true that is.

The amount of mercury vapor present is miniscule, and if you managed to ingest every bit of it you couldn't wind up with acute or even chronic heavy metal poisoning. You certainly wouldn't get an infection (mercury used to be the standard treatment for syphilis, with frequently less that stellar results). Any true bacterial infection would be the result of organisms being carried into the wound as the glass punctures the foot. They might be on the surface of the glass or present on the bottom of the foot.

 

[Jraef]

The amount of mercury vapor present is miniscule, and if you managed to ingest every bit of it you couldn't wind up with acute or even chronic heavy metal poisoning. You certainly wouldn't get an infection (mercury used to be the standard treatment for syphilis, with frequently less that stellar results). Any true bacterial infection would be the result of organisms being carried into the wound as the glass punctures the foot. They might be on the surface of the glass or present on the bottom of the foot.

I agree, it's not going to be mercury. When I was a kid, the most common disinfectant was Mercurochrome, a red liquid that contained Mercury and Chromium. No way that would CAUSE an infection.

It's probably the phosphor. Read this website, but here is the salient point:

Breakage Safety
Fluorescent lamps have several hazards if broken. Depending on the type, there may be a partial vacuum or the lamp may be under pressure. Breaking the glass can cause shrapnel injuries, along with the release of mercury and other hazardous compounds.
The biggest immediate injury threat from a broken lamp is from the phosphor-coated glass. If cut with fluorescent lamp glass, any phosphor that gets into the wound is likely to prevent blood clotting and will interfere with healing. Such injuries should be treated seriously and immediate medical attention should be obtained for people or pets that are cut. Medical personnel should be informed that the injuries were caused by a broken fluorescent lamp, and that mercury was present.

 

[K8MHZ]

I agree, it's not going to be mercury. When I was a kid, the most common disinfectant was Mercurochrome, a red liquid that contained Mercury and Chromium. No way that would CAUSE an infection.

Mercurochrome was a topical antibiotic, still available outside the US. One of the atoms in the chemical's molecule is Hg. There is no Chromium.

View attachment 6006

What about old thermostats?

There is probably more Hg in one old T-stat than in all the fluorescent tubes and bulbs of hundreds homes and businesses combined.

 

[Besoeker]

Has anyone ever heard of someone getting a major infection from stepping on broken glass from a CFL barefooted? Blamed it on mercury poisoning, but I think it would that the fluorescent phosphor would be the more likely culprit, if the story is true that is.

Something of an urban myth in my opinion.
It's a criticism specifically leveled at CFLs. Conventional tubes also contain mercury. But that gets no coverage.
The flicker phenomenon is also one I have seen raised. Yet the electronic ballasts operate in the tens of kHz range. Even if the human eye and brain could detect that, the persistence of the phosphors filter it out.

What I had noticed from other forums is that, for those who object to them, any bit of negative publicity is seized upon regardless of it's veracity or provenance.

 

[Jraef]

... There is no Chromium.

Funny thing, it's one of those "factoids" that I thought I knew. Live and learn I guess, thanks for straightening me out. From reading about it now, maybe the "chrome" came from "chroma" by virtue of it originally having been a color dye.