Broke a CFL in a bad spot - what to do?

[Absolute]

I live in a college dorm. My roommate just broke a large CFL in a bad spot - right under his chair, and right next to the HVAC air intake. We have carpet in these rooms, but it is fairly short-pile industrial indoor-outdoor type carpet.

How much of a problem is this? I have found conflicting reports online. There was a study the Maine Department of Environmental Protection did that suggests we should replace the carpeting to avoid continued release of mercury vapor.

[wevets]

Here’s an old thread on the topic. From that thread:

And here’s the EPA’s recommendation on how to deal with a broken CFL:

Lamp Recycle – Environmental Responsiblility Starts Here

@U.S. EPA

Safe cleanup precautions: If a CFL breaks in your home, open nearby windows to disperse any vapor that may
escape, carefully sweep up the fragments (do not use your hands) and wipe the area with a disposable paper towel to
remove all glass fragments. Do not use a vacuum. Place all fragments in a sealed plastic bag and follow disposal
instructions above.

The “instructions above” are:

Always Dispose of Your CFL Properly
While CFLs for your home are not legally considered hazardous waste
according to federal solid waste rules, it is still best for the environment to
dispose of your CFL properly upon burnout. Only large commercial users of
tubular fluorescent lamps are required to recycle. If recycling is not an
option in your area (see below on how to find out), place the CFL in a
sealed plastic bag and dispose the same way you would batteries, oil-based
paint and motor oil at your local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
Collection Site. If your local HHW Collection Site cannot accept CFLs
(check Earth911.org to find out), seal the CFL in a plastic bag and place
with your regular trash.

It doesn’t seem like that big a deal.

It sounds like replacing the carpet is not necessarily called for, but since you’re living on someone else’s property, you should notify the owner and let them decide.

[Kevbo]

Dang, I was just sure the OP was going to be seeking medical advice from a doper proctologist when I opened this thread.

And why doesn’t my spell checker know the word proctologist?