Does Lowe’s or Home Depot recycle fluorescent tubes?

Lowes accepts compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) for recycling in 1,700 US stores. Their permanent recycling centers offer a free, convenient and easy way for customers to recycle rechargeable batteries, cell phones, CFLs and plastic shopping bags.

Can light bulbs be stored in garage?

Light Bulbs. A common item that can be safely stored in the garage is light bulbs. Temperature does not affect the performance of the light bulb, making the garage a great place to store these.

Will Home Depot take fluorescent tubes?

Recycling Compact Fluorescent Bulbs at The Home Depot

Locate the recycling bin at the entrance of any Home Depot. Place your bulbs in the plastic bags provided and drop them in the bin. There is no charge for recycling.

Where do you store light bulbs?

Plastic storage bins are very effective in storing light bulbs, and they come in different shapes and sizes. You can easily find them in dollar stores, big box stores, or home improvement stores. These boxes have a lot of space, and you can store a massive quantity, especially larger light bulbs.

Can you get mercury poisoning from a broken fluorescent bulb?

Persons in rooms after breakage of a CFL may be exposed to mercury by inhalation and by oral intake. After inhalation, more than 80% of inhaled Hg0 vapour is absorbed by the lungs. Ingested Hg0 is poorly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract (less than 0.01%).

How long does mercury vapor stay in the air?

They can go through small cracks or become strongly attached to certain materials. At room temperature, exposed elemental mercury can evaporate to become an invisible, odorless toxic vapor. This vapor has a very long life (up to one year) in the air.

What is the white powder in fluorescent tubes?

A: The white powder that you see inside a fluorescent light bulb is called phosphor, which is a substance that emits visible light whenever it absorbs ultra violet energy waves. The phosphor used in a fluorescent light bulb is what determines both the color temperature and the color rendering index.

What if I vacuumed up a broken CFL?

Additional advice can be found at http://www.michigan.gov/mercury. * If you already vacuumed a broken CFL: For a recent break (within a couple of days of the break): Air out the house for up to several hours to get rid of any remaining mercury vapor and change your vacuum cleaner bag or wipe out the dust cup.

Are fluorescent lights toxic when broken?

When broken, mercury vapors may be released into the air. The mercury released from broken bulb is mostly in vapor form. If properly cleaned up, broken bulbs or CFLs do not pose a serious health risk.

How much mercury is in a fluorescent tube light bulb?

A typical fluorescent bulb discarded today is likely to contain an average of approximately 20 mg mercury.

How much mercury is toxic to humans?

For elemental mercury vapour, several studies show that long-term workplace exposures– at around 20 µg/m³ of air or higher – have subtle toxic effects on the central nervous system.

How do you detox your body from mercury?

If you have mercury poisoning with a very high level of mercury in your blood, your doctor will probably recommend chelation therapy. This method involves using medications, called chelators, that bind to mercury in your body and help it to exit your system. Chelators can be taken as a pill or injected.

How do you get rid of mercury in your body?

The traditional treatment for mercury poisoning is to stop all exposures. In many cases, chelation therapy is also used. This involves giving a medication (the chelator) which goes into the body and grabs the metal (chelos is the Greek word for claw) then carries the metal out of the body, usually into the urine.

Is mercury poisoning reversible?

There’s no cure for mercury poisoning. The best way to treat mercury poisoning is to stop your exposure to the metal. If you eat a lot of mercury-containing seafood, stop immediately.

What mercury poisoning feels like?

Symptoms of mercury poisoning depend on the form of the mercury that was the source of the exposure. Early symptoms of mercury poisoning can include a metallic taste in the mouth and numbness and tingling in the hands, feet and face.

Which human organ system is most affected by toxic levels of mercury?

Elemental and methylmercury are toxic to the central and peripheral nervous systems. The inhalation of mercury vapour can produce harmful effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys, and may be fatal.

How long does mercury stay in the brain?

The biological half-life of mercury is estimated to be approximately 30 to 60 days in the body [4]. The half-life of mercury in the brain is not entirely clear, but is estimated to be as long as approximately 20 years.