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From: forbes@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (Jeff Forbes)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Zap, fry, and sizzle
Keywords: TRUTH
Message-ID: <1990Feb22.154040.17341@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 22 Feb 90 15:40:40 GMT
References: <799@gold.GVG.TEK.COM> <1990Feb22.021702.24662@cs.rochester.edu> <1990Feb22.033429.21504@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <25E3F9E6.6FFA@deimos.cis.ksu.edu>
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Reply-To: forbes@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (Jeff Forbes)
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Organization: School of Chemical Sciences, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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In article <25E3F9E6.6FFA@deimos.cis.ksu.edu> mac@harris.cis.ksu.edu (Myron A. Calhoun) writes:
>In article <1990Feb22.033429.21504@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> forbes@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (Jeff Forbes) writes:
>>In article <1990Feb22.021702.24662@cs.rochester.edu> ken@cs.rochester.edu writes:
>>>>Fluorescent tubes:  Best if thrown like a javelin. Very loud if stood
>>>>		       upright and allowed to fall on hard surface.
>
>>>Be careful with these, they contain poisonous compounds of mercury in
>>>the coating.
>
>>The tube contains metallic mercury. The coating sometimes contains
                                                  ^^^^^^^^^
>>beryllium compounds, which are very toxic.
>
>I JUST NOW called the General Electric Lighting Information Center in
>Cleveland, Ohio, (216) 266-2121, which is open 8-5 on normal business
>days, and spoke with William Scully to learn the truth; most of the
>above is NOT true.
>
>Legally, a fluorescent bulb is ** NOT ** considered to be a hazardous
>item.  If you break one and cut yourself while picking up the pieces,
>it is NO more dangerous than if you break a drinking glass and cut
>yourself while picking up the pieces.  There has NOT been ** ANY **
>beryllium in a fluorescent bulb for MANY, MANY ** YEARS **, but people
>who don't bother to ask keep spouting false "facts" decade after decade!

I suspect he only speaks for GE fluorescent bulbs, besides if you noticed
I said SOMETIMES contain beryllium. 

>
>In a four-foot fluorescent bulb there is an average of 100 MILLIgrams
>(0.1 grams; there are about 28.35 grams in an ounce, so this is about
>0.0035 ounces) of elemental mercury, but it is NOT in the coating.  When
>the bulb is hot, the mercury is in vapor form and, if a hot bulb is
>broken, the mercury dissapates in the atmosphere.  If a cold bulb is
>broken, one MAY be able to find one or two pinhead-size droplets.  So
>what?  A thermometer contains considerably MORE mercury, and they some-
>times break, too.  Just sweep either up and discard in a wastebasket.

Mercury does evaporate at room temperature and a small drop is enough
to exceed OSHA's mercury vapor limit.
>
>[Actually, I'd probably smear it on a dime as we often did years ago!]
Spread sulfer on it and sweep it up with a broom and a dustpan. Do not
use a vacuum cleaner
>
>The phosphor coating is NOT poisonous.  He wouldn't tell me just what
>is in it because the actual contents are proprietary, but he did say
>"it is a clay-like substance" roughly equivalent to talcum powder.

Once again I presume he speaks for GE. I personally don't care to
come in contact with any modern phosphor. Many contain heavy metals, which
are rarely good to come into repeated contact. It is a question
of being poisonous or toxic. 
>
>There you have it, straight from the horse's mouth.
Once again GE's mouth.
>--Myron.


Jeff Forbes, Ph.D.   Chemistry