Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!psuvax1!psuvm!psuecl!peg
From: peg@psuecl.bitnet (PAUL E. GANTER)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Zap, fry, and sizzle (carefully)
Message-ID: <88722@psuecl.bitnet>
Date: 22 Feb 90 16:17:41 GMT
References: <799@gold.GVG.TEK.COM> <1990Feb22.021702.24662@cs.rochester.edu> <1990Feb22.033429.21504@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Organization: Engineering Computer Lab, Pennsylvania State University
Lines: 25

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.
>

QUESTION FOR THE EXPERIMENTERS:

  Do you folks CLEAN UP the broken glass, tube parts, xformer wire,
  etc. that you scatter in ditches, storm drains, manholes, streets,
  etc?  I don't want to spoil your fun (I have fried some parts, too)
  but you may be endangering other people (drivers, telephone repair
  people who go into manholes, children...) while you have fun.

  As for the vacuum cleaner/gasoline trick:  think I'll pass.  After
  having a container of flash powder blow up in my hands, I am wary
  of extreme burn hazards...

Paul