When the glass lamp envelope of a Mercury Vapor (MV) or Metal Halide (MH) lamp is broken, but continues to operate, the quartz arc tube inside emits significant levels of UV radiation that are a danger when there is direct exposure to eyes or skin. Normally, the glass lamp envelope filters the UV radiation and prevents significant emissions, however, if the glass lamp envelope is broken, and continues to operate, there have been cases of serious UV injuries. The aluminum oxide arc tube in a High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamp filters out the UV emissions before it gets to the glass envelope, so broken HPS lamps don’t pose as much risk as broken MV or MH lamps.
More information from the CDC is available here.
Image: https://reefs.com/beware-of-the-broken-halide-bulbs/
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