Accidentally took out a couple fluorescent tubes with a long bar clamp. Probably 30 year old tubes. 60 Watt 8 foot tubes. Any idea how much mercury is in those things and whether I need to do anything special for cleanup? Needed new tubes anyway, but would rather have removed them more gracefully. Oops.
While on the subject, they’re single-pin tubes. When I replace all of them, what flavor should I get for a nice bright natural color?
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In most areas small quanity fluorescent tube disposal is not considered as hazards waste.
"When I replace all of them, what flavor should I get for a nice bright natural color?"
It depends on what you mean by "natural".
There are two rating on fluorescents, color temp and CRI (color rendition index). A CRI of 100 is perfect for a light of that color.
5000K is commonly called daylight, but there is also 6500 and 7500k which I believe match northern sky daylight. More blue
2800-3000k matches incandesncents, which is more yellow. You can also get ones around 3500K and 4100k which are between the daylight and incandenscent.
But whatever color you get you want a CRI of 80 or better. Those have a full spectrum and are better "quality" of light.
It used to be hard to find that info, but a lot of packages and store shelfs are now marked with it.
SPX series and Designer are two names used for the light CRI bulbs.
In the incandencent color range GE Kitchen and Bath Ultras are eazy to find.
Yes, there is mercury in old and new fluorescent bulbs. That's why many landfills prohibit them. Or only take them on toxic clean-up days.
If you are over 5 years old, most of your neurons have already been connected. And while heavy metals are always something to avoid, acute poisoning is your only risk. Lifelong retardation and nervous disorders are the result of childhood exposure to mercury, lead, etc.
If you didn't notice any symptoms (headache, nausea, fuzzy thinking) that day or the next, don't sweat it.
Disposal? I'd open all the doors for ventilation, sweep the bits up, double bag, and put them out with the trash. The practical effect of the landfill restriction is not lots of people paying Haz-Mat firms for disposal. Rather, everyone just slips them into the waste stream.
Retardation, headache, fuzzy thinking. I won't be able to tell the symptoms from how I always feel. Anyway, I won't worry about it. Now I can go to the electrical distributor and see if he knows what a CRI is. I'll bet he doesn't.