How long does it take for mercury vapor to dissipate?Īt room temperature, exposed elemental mercury can evaporate to become an invisible, odorless toxic vapor. Once broken, a compact fluorescent light bulb continuously releases mercury vapor into the air for weeks to months, and the total amount can exceed safe human exposure levels in a poorly ventilated room, according to a new study. People that have been exposed to any level of mercury should seek medical help immediately.Ĭan you get mercury poisoning from a broken lightbulb? Death can also be a side effect of overexposure to elemental mercury. Extended exposure to mercury can result in respiratory or kidney failure. Overexposure to the elemental mercury in certain types of light bulbs can be fatal. Even so, people are encouraged to replace their “old fashioned” incandescent bulbs with CFLs. Mercury can cause poisoning in some circumstances. A small percentage of this mercury can be released into the air if the bulbs are broken.
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