According to an article in the Baltimore Sun on March 19, 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends taking the following precautions when cleaning up broken compact fluorescent bulbs because they contain small amounts of mercury---much less than a standard thermometer.

Send people and pets out of the room. Open windows and air the room our for 15 minutes. Shut off forced-air heating and air conditioning systems.

Scoop up glass fragments and powder with a stiff paper or cardboard and seal them in a glass jor or plastic bag.

Use sticky tape to pick up any remaining debris. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or wet wipes, and place them in the jar or bag.

If vacuuming is necessary, removethe bag after you're done, or wipe the canister and dispose of everything in the plastic bag with other debris.

Immediately place the debris bag or jar outside and dispose of them as required by your state or local government-at a recycling center if necessary. This may be hard to do for Chartley residents as Baltimore County does not have a recycling policy or requirement.

The next few times you vacuum, open the windows and shut off the forced air systems before you start, and for 15 minutes after you're through.

Some additional suggestions from some Chartley residents who have experienced exposure to mercury are:

Remove all jewelry prior to attempting to clean up any mercury exposure. The mercury could adhere to expensive jewelry and require expensive cleaning by a jeweler in order to remove.

Wear a protective mask to eliminate breathing in the mercury vapor.

Wear protective headgear to help prevent the mercury dust/powder from getting into your hair.

Wear gloves to prevent exposure to the hands and wash hands thoroughly when finished.

Thoroughly wash all the clothing you were wearing after cleaning up the CFL.

Chartley Homeowners Association
215 Chartley Drive P.O. Box 408 Reisterstown, MD 21136
Email Us at chartley@marylandtowns.com