CFL broke over my plants... should I worry?

TheDude0007

Active Member
A CFL broke in my hands and some of the reflective material went onto the leaves. I cleaned it but I am not sure if I should worry. :weed:
 

mattman

Well-Known Member
Yes I would be... Heres What I would do.

Spray the whole plant down with distilled water, this should collect any of the water soluble mercury atoms. Then respray with regular water, I'd do this process 3-4 times... but thats just me... hell Id flush your soil too.
 

TheDude0007

Active Member
Yes I would be... Heres What I would do.

Spray the whole plant down with distilled water, this should collect any of the water soluble mercury atoms. Then respray with regular water, I'd do this process 3-4 times... but thats just be... hell Id flush your soil too.

I thought of that, but all I did in the end was to wipe the reflective stuff off with my hands, it did not seem to mess alot. So you say I should worry.

this is why it happened. -> https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/442589-240w-cfls-400w-hps-flowering.html
 

mattman

Well-Known Member
Mercury is highly toxic, so Id take the necessary precaution and clean the area accordingly, I dont think wiping it down will really do the job. As far as your other thread, sure use your cfls for sidelighting, great for that.
 

80degreez

Well-Known Member
Yes, very bad. On CFL packaging it actually states that if one should break it is recommended that it is reported and cleaned up by a hazmat team
uhhh
 

C.Indica

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't consume any material that made contact with it.
If the stuff got on fan leaves, leave them be, but don't make tea out of them when they're done doing their job.
And if it hit yer buds, well I just plain wouldn't smoke them.
Don't sell them either.
 

Hoenhiem

Active Member
i agree with c. indica and carnage, mercury isnt anything to play with. and even though there are only trace amounts in cfl bulbs its still dangerous as fux to handle a broken bulb, id play it on the safe side and trash it bro. i know it suck like killing an adopted child but its better than smoking a joint that will kill you or sumbody else. Goodluck
 

budman111

Well-Known Member
seriously dude, get an air purifier in their, even the cheap ones around 20 quid with the water bowl def works, you even get ones with an ioniser built in ;)
 

MrEDuck

Well-Known Member
Throw out the plant. Mercury is not something to fuck with. I don't know the fatal dose for metallic mercury off hand but it's pretty low, and even sub lethal doses can cause permanent brain damage. CFLs have 3-5mg in the 23-26W size, I don't know if that varies based on size but that's a fair amount of Hg. Google Karen Wetterhahn and ask yourself if that sounds fun.
 

yesum

Well-Known Member
I say throw it. I doubt it will even hurt you, but the risk is not worth it. Sorry for your loss, but there will be plenty more plants to smoke in your healthy future.
 

sheapdog420

Active Member
Not worth the risk, as everyone else has said. The sad thing is, with all the warnings of how dangerous and toxic these CFL's potentially are, the government is mandating their use by banning normal incandescent light bulbs that aren't toxic.
 

pr0fesseur

Well-Known Member
Just an FYI mercury is readily absorbed and stored by plants. Hg IS transported through the roots into the plant...and absorbed directly by plant matter. it may be a small amount but were talking mercury here... ANY amount is dangerous..Elemental mercury can also pass through the skin and into the blood stream....

All those hippys that tell us that CFL are more GREEN ARE LIARS!! theres 0 toxic chems in an incandecent :/

SCRAP THE PLANTS or your health pick one....
http://www.plantstress.com/articles/toxicity_i/Mercury.htm

Mercury affects both light and dark reactions of photosynthesis. Substitution of the
central atom of chlorophyll, magnesium, by mercury in vivo prevents photosynthetic light-
harvesting in the affected chlorophyll molecules, resulting in a breakdown of photosynthesis.
The reaction varies with light intensity. A concentration and time dependent protective effect
of GSH seems to be mediated by the restricted uptake of the metal involving cytoplasmic
protein synthesis.
 

pr0fesseur

Well-Known Member
Not worth the risk, as everyone else has said. The sad thing is, with all the warnings of how dangerous and toxic these CFL's potentially are, the government is mandating their use by banning normal incandescent light bulbs that aren't toxic.
damn you beat me to my post!!!! scrap the plants wash everything!!!!!! with gloves and respirator...start over...
PS i have CASES OF INCANDESCENT bulbs!!! F**K THE EPA those lying greedy bastards.. they have not done 1 good thing since their inception except stuff pockets of politicians and special interest groups
 
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