So yesterday, I accidentally broke a 26watt Daylight CFL.

I didn't think anything about it and picked it up (it was still in 1 piece) and threw it in the trash (as we have no fluorescent recycling center)

Last night I kept coughing alot and had trouble getting to sleep, but just figured all the coughing was from all the tokin' I do.

Come to find out this morning, there is plenty enough mercury in a CFL (or in a thermometer) to evaporate into the air and contaminate an entire room. Further, I read about a woman who broke a single CFL and had to seal the room until she could find $2000 for a hazardous waste disposal company to clean the room.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning include coughing and sweating, insomnia (explains last night), increased blood pressure, etc, the list continues with lots of terrible stuff, nerve damage, and eventually possible death.

The bulb manufacturing companies say the 5-6mg of Hg in a bulb isn't a big deal and just to ventilate the room (which doesn't have any windows, just my luck) but many other websites including the poison control center, encyclopedias etc say quite otherwise.

I am a bit worried...

Anyone else broken any CFL's?
melodious fellow Reviewed by melodious fellow on . Broken CFL, Mercurcy Poisoning... PLEASE HELP! So yesterday, I accidentally broke a 26watt Daylight CFL. I didn't think anything about it and picked it up (it was still in 1 piece) and threw it in the trash (as we have no fluorescent recycling center) Last night I kept coughing alot and had trouble getting to sleep, but just figured all the coughing was from all the tokin' I do. Come to find out this morning, there is plenty enough mercury in a CFL (or in a thermometer) to evaporate into the air and contaminate an entire room. Rating: 5