Hummm…..that chart you posted….the bolding and underlining mine.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mrls/index.asp
Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs) for Hazardous Substances
That’s right “minimal” not max exposure.
“An MRL is an estimate of the daily human exposure to a hazardous substance that is likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse non-cancer health effects over a specified duration of exposure. These substance specific estimates, which are intended to serve as screening levels, are used by ATSDR health assessors and other responders to identify contaminants and potential health effects that may be of concern at hazardous waste sites. It is important to note that MRLs are not intended to define clean up or action levels for ATSDR or other Agencies.”
And
“ATSDR uses the no observed adverse effect level/uncertainty factor (NOAEL/UF) approach to derive MRLs for hazardous substances. They are set below levels that, based on current information, might cause adverse health effects in the people most sensitive to such substance-induced effects. MRLs are derived for acute (1 14 days), intermediate (>14 364 days), and chronic (365 days and longer) exposure durations, and for the oral and inhalation routes of exposure. Currently MRLs for the dermal route of exposure are not derived because ATSDR has not yet identified a method suitable for this route of exposure. MRLs are generally based on the most sensitive substance-induced end point considered to be of relevance to humans. ATSDR does not use serious health effects (such as irreparable damage to the liver or kidneys, or birth defects) as a basis for establishing MRLs. Exposure to a level above the MRL does not mean that adverse health effects will occur.”
The section on Mercury shows Route = Inh. (Inhalation); Duration = Chr. (Chronic which according to the above = 365 days); MRL (minimal risk level) = 0.0002 mg/m3 (mg/M3= Milligram Per Cubic Meter).
That means you would have to be inhaling mercury vapor at a level of more than 0.0002 mg/m3 (at a concentration of that per cubic meter) over the course of 365 days in order to exceed the minimal risk levels.
This MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) shows an OHSA exposure limit in air for mercury vapor PEL (Permissible Exposure Level) of .5 mg/m3.
http://www.virginmercury.com/pdf/MSDS.pdf
If you are, as you stated earlier, a chemical engineer (or is that a power quality engineer certified by Elspec (and yes I looked them up – they manufacturer of electrical power quality analyzers, they are headquartered in Israel with offices in Illinois, Portugal and India, and they do not “certify” engineers ), I would think you would be able to read and understand a MRL and MSDS, no?
ONE FOUR FOOT T8 LAMP HAS ~ 164 MILLION times this concentration inside it….ONE CFL LAMP HAS ~ 165 BILLION times this concentration inside it
But on this thread it’s: “In fact most folks don’t know fluorescents contain about 100000000 times the concentration of mercury gas you should ever be exposed to”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3076141/posts?page=26#26
So which is it?
No. You are not only wrong but spectacularly wrong. I’d like you to show the math or provide a reputable link for those statements. You are full of hysteria and falsehoods and I won’t even get into the crap you never answered Fresh Wind about (florescent bulbs destroying electronics) and saying that you’ve been here at FR since 1995.
Compact Fluorescent Bulbs and Mercury: Reality Check
How much mercury is contained in a CFL?
Each bulb contains an average of 5 milligrams of mercury, “which is just enough to cover a ballpoint pen tip,” says Leslie, associate director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer. “Though it’s nothing to laugh at, unless you wipe up mercury [without gloves] and then lick your hand, you’re probably going to be okay.”
What is the proper way to handle a broken CFL?
Open the windows and let the room air out for 15 to 30 minutes, then remove as much material as possible without a vacuum cleaner. Using disposable gloves, scoop the glass onto a piece of cardboard and wipe the area with a wet paper towel. For smaller pieces of glass and powder, use duct tape to pull up the fragments and wash your hands after cleaning up the debris.
OMG! The horror! WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE! ELEVENTY! And
That’s right. You are exposed to much more mercury by eating fish than what you would be exposed to from a broken CFL bulb, assuming that you clean it up properly, which BTW, does not require a HAZMAT team, just a little common sense. You are also exposed to much more mercury vapor driving by a coal burning power plant (and you are not going to die from that either). For that matter there is much more mercury in amalgam dental fillings, glass thermometers, household thermostats, light switches and watch batteries than there is in a CLF bulb. And again the only mercury vapor exposure from a CLF bulb comes from breaking it.
And interestingly, while you are going apoplectic over alleged horrible dangers of CFL light bulbs, on this thread you are advising people to take colloidal silver. “You can make it for fee and NEVER get sick again.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3075578/posts?page=6#6
I think you are a troll. I think you are a liberal troll who recently signed up here to make ridiculous claims to see how many gullible people you can get to believe your crap in order to laugh at them. The bad grammar and misspellings and wildly inconsistent posting styles from post to post is a big tip off. Trust me I’ve already defeated whole forums of industry shills
I smell ozone (a ZOT) in your very near future.
Sir (or ma’am)
Your long winded post is simply off base and irrelevant
More attempts to obscure the TRUTH which again for people who aren’t stupid or deliberately lying because of some commercial interest
#1. Fluorescent lamps are filled with mercury gas and will horribly poison you and permanently ruin wherever they are spilled with no odor
#2. These stupid awful crappy looking mercury vapor lamps. SERIOUSLY HARM sensitive people and just plain bug most folks so much that they turn them off and exist in whatever ambient light is available rather than Suffer under them
Plain and simple you can’t argue with these facts.
So argue minutia of mercury toxicity and post irrelevant nonsense but that ain’t gonna get ya a Nobel prize buddy
My advice to all Freepers
Get these damn things out of your house or shop immediately
Cheers.
Big daddy
Oh and by the way.
Colloidal silver does work and once again you are proving what lobs out here say about conservatives. Stuck in a dark age. Won’t listen
I think it’s funny as you are trying to backtrack and insult me simultaneously
I must have struck a nerve.
The bottom line is my name
TRUTH. Over POWER
The EPA folks and pge the utility here use the SAME DAMN arguments that you are trying to push
Well guess what ?
Prove me wrong in any way. Using standard statements that regular people can understand.
Is mercury GAS really not bad?
Stare at a CFL. Tell me that doesn’t hurt your eyes?
Do you really want to prove how smart and tough you are or do you care about people ?
Methinks the first statement
Anyhow thanks for your thoughtful responses although I defer with them I will not choose to insult you or call you names
That is for the Loser of arguments. Not the winner.
And you know I am the winner here
Warn Freepers on this crap
Warn Freepers on the negativity and awful nature of mercury lamps
You cannot undo or obfuscate the TRUTH. I will always come back
( when I’m finally off work ! Woo. Hoo !)
Cheers.