Fixit: Broken fluorescent bulb needs special care

Q The cat knocked a lamp onto the floor and a piece of the spiral compact fluorescent light bulb broke off. The bulb was burning and continued to glow an orange-yellow until I was finally able to unplug the lamp. I had to use a cloth to remove the bulb as it was too hot to touch. Have you heard of this causing a fire? How serious is this?

By Karen Youso, Star Tribune

Last update: October 16, 2006 - 9:03 AM

A The continued glowing is not typical, according to energy specialist Phil Smith at the Minnesota Energy Agency.

The fire hazard from compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) is less than with incandescent lamps.

The big issue is not fire, but mercury exposure. CFLs contain the toxic metal mercury. Carl Herbrandson, a toxicologist with the Minnesota Department of Health, recommends this course of action if a CFL breaks in your home:

• Open nearby windows to disperse any vapor that may be released.

• Carefully sweep up the fragments (with something disposable -- do not use your hands).

• Wipe the area with a disposable paper towel to remove all glass fragments. Do not use a vacuum cleaner.

• Use duct tape or something similar to clean up the remaining powder and residue.

• Place all fragments and cleanup utensils in a sealed plastic bag and dispose of them at a hazardous waste processing center.

Don't trash an important resource

Quick, what is the nation's largest export by volume? Grain? Steel? Neither of these. It's waste paper: old newspapers, boxes, office paper, magazines, catalogs and junk mail.

The nation exported $4.5 billion worth of waste paper in 2004, according to the Recycling Association of Minnesota. This valuable commodity went to developing nations such as China, but also to established economies such as Canada to meet increasing demand.

Lucky for us, we're rich in this resource; the United States has been called the "Saudia Arabia of paper." But we squander much of it by throwing it away. Even in Minnesota, with one of the nation's highest rates of recycling, 24 percent of the garbage in landfills and incinerators is recyclable paper. For information on capturing this valuable resource -- at home or work -- go to www.greenguardian.com.

Send your questions to Fixit in care of the Star Tribune, 425 Portland Av. S., Minneapolis, MN 55488, or call 612-673-9033, or e-mail fixit@startribune.com. Past columns are available at www.startribune.com/fixit.