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Light bulb malfunction sends 18 to hospital with radiation burns
ajc.com/news ^ | 09/14/05 | Associated Press

Posted on 09/15/2005 6:50:46 AM PDT by rawhide

COLUMBIA, Tenn. — A malfunctioning light bulb in an elementary school gym exposed more than 100 people to short-wave radiation for an hour, sending 18 to the hospital with severe sunburns and swollen eyes.

The incident occurred during a 9/11 memorial service held Friday afternoon at the Baker Elementary School in Columbia. Attendees, many of whom were veterans, said that they started to feel symptoms soon after the event began.

"While I was sitting in the auditorium, my forehead started itching real bad," said Fred Young, 73. "When I got home I looked into the mirror and my face looked real red."

By Saturday morning, Maury Regional Hospital had treated nine patients suffering from unexpected sunburns and burning eyes. Dr. Michael Richardson, an emergency room doctor working Friday night, realized that they all attended the same event, but he could not immediately determine the cause of the symptoms.

Most of the patients were older adults who were sitting together under the broken lamp. No children were admitted to the hospital for exposure, according to Dr. David Turner, emergency room physician.

"The symptoms looked like problems that welders often come in with," said Turner.

After some research, Richardson decided the symptoms, similar to overexposure from a tanning bed, were produced by a radiation leak from a halide bulb. The bulbs, commonly used in gyms, are designed with a special membrane that blocks the UV rays, but occasionally these membranes can break or puncture....

(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: halide; halogen; light; lightbulb; radiation; sunburn; tennessee; uv; uva; uvb
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How would you ever know if you were sitting under a broken light like this? Makes you think.
1 posted on 09/15/2005 6:50:47 AM PDT by rawhide
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To: rawhide

I wonder how often this happens...first I've ever heard of it.


2 posted on 09/15/2005 6:52:31 AM PDT by scott7278 (Before I give you the benefit of my reply, I would like to know what we are talking about.)
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To: rawhide

Sunburn? From a lamp? In a school gym???? What's up with this? Can you say: "7 figure lawsuit"?


3 posted on 09/15/2005 6:55:05 AM PDT by manwiththehands
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To: rawhide

Odd. And a little creepy.

Thanks for posting. I have family in Columbia.


4 posted on 09/15/2005 6:55:20 AM PDT by pa mom
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To: rawhide

Something doens't sound right. I have been in tanning beds and you are within 6 to 8 inches of the bulbs. I would say 20+.

I find it hard to beleive that someone got sunburn from a single lamp that would be 8 to 10 feet overhead. Probably higher since this is in a gymn.


5 posted on 09/15/2005 6:57:51 AM PDT by FearlessFreep (It's a dog eat dog world. And I'm wearing milk bone underwear.)
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To: rawhide

> ... the symptoms, similar to overexposure from a tanning
> bed, were produced by a radiation leak from a halide bulb.

Yet another reason to eschew halogen bulbs.

They also run extremely hot (fire hazard), and are not
especially energy efficient. After many of our fixtures
were subject to a recall, we switched from halogen to
fluorescent.


6 posted on 09/15/2005 6:59:41 AM PDT by Boundless
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To: rawhide

7 posted on 09/15/2005 7:02:13 AM PDT by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: FearlessFreep
That must be some big lightbulb.

Burn your damn head right off.

8 posted on 09/15/2005 7:02:50 AM PDT by Williams
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To: rawhide

I don't think so.


9 posted on 09/15/2005 7:05:42 AM PDT by claudiustg (Vote for one Democrat, vote for them all...)
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To: rawhide

This strains the imagination.

Bulbs in gyms are typically quite high off the floor. And while they may be several hundred watts, it hard to believe they could induce noticeable burning - even after several hours.

Look how close you are to the bulbs in a tanning bed and how many of them there are.

I'm skeptical...


10 posted on 09/15/2005 7:08:30 AM PDT by Pessimist
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To: Williams

That must be some big lightbulb.


Yeah, sounds like a deathray or something used to keep fast food warm.


11 posted on 09/15/2005 7:08:55 AM PDT by FearlessFreep (It's a dog eat dog world. And I'm wearing milk bone underwear.)
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To: rawhide
Must have been a halo generator bulb.
12 posted on 09/15/2005 7:09:43 AM PDT by azhenfud (He who always is looking up seldom finds others' lost change.)
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To: FearlessFreep

You type faster than me! (See #10 below)

Great minds think alike!


13 posted on 09/15/2005 7:10:08 AM PDT by Pessimist
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To: cjshapi

A "burning issue" ping.


14 posted on 09/15/2005 7:11:02 AM PDT by Junior (Just because the voices in your head tell you to do things doesn't mean you have to listen to them)
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To: rawhide

Probably Bush's fault since he didn't have a plan in effect to prevent the unauthorized and devasting attack on people of pale color.


15 posted on 09/15/2005 7:11:23 AM PDT by FearlessFreep (It's a dog eat dog world. And I'm wearing milk bone underwear.)
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To: Pessimist

---Ultraviolet from Halogen Bulbs

There is some common concern about the ultraviolet output of halogen bulbs, since they operate at high filament temperatures and the bulbs are made of quartz instead of glass. However, the filament temperature of halogen bulbs rated to last 2,000 hours or more is only slightly greater than that of standard incandescent lamps, and the UV output is only slightly higher. Halogen fixtures typically have a glass or plastic shield to confine any possible bulb explosions, and these shields absorb the small traces of shortwave and mediumwave UV that gets through the quartz bulb.
Higher temperature photographic and projection bulbs are different. The much higher filament temperature of shorter life bulbs results in possibly significant hazardous UV. For maximum safety, use these bulbs in fixtures or equipment designed to take these bulbs, and in a manner consistent with the fixture or equipment instructions.---

http://members.misty.com/don/bulb1.html#huv


16 posted on 09/15/2005 7:13:05 AM PDT by claudiustg (Vote for one Democrat, vote for them all...)
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To: Junior

Wonder how many people it too to change the lightbulb?


17 posted on 09/15/2005 7:13:15 AM PDT by cjshapi
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To: Pessimist
I'm skeptical

And yet there were 18 people, all of whom attended the same event, who showed up with the very same sunburn-type symptoms.

Are you perhaps suggesting that they did some illicit welding instead?

18 posted on 09/15/2005 7:14:27 AM PDT by r9etb
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To: rawhide
"After some research, Richardson decided the symptoms, similar to overexposure from a tanning bed, were produced by a radiation leak from a halide bulb."

I seriously doubt that this was a "halide bulb". More likely it is a mercury vapor lamp (like a high-intensity street light). If the outer glass shell breaks on one of those, they can emit LOTS of short-wavelength UV.

19 posted on 09/15/2005 7:15:22 AM PDT by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel)
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To: Williams

Yeap, 1000 watt metal halide.


20 posted on 09/15/2005 7:15:43 AM PDT by zek157
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