So say I tossed my CFL bulbs in the trash and dropped one at work a long time ago......what does that mean
Yeah i just toss mine in the work dumpster
Mercury is highly toxic to humans and very small amounts can cause severe neurological damage and damage the kidneys. I have read that levels of mercury in the air can reach unhealthy levels from the mercury in a single broken thermometer. I'm sure that is also true of a broken CFL so certainly the area should be carefully and thoroughly cleaned and ventilated.
And that CFL tossed in the dumpster in and of itself isn't going to matter much in the grand scheme of things. But multiplied hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, millions of times, and I can see some pretty hazardous landfills and risk for people working with the waste.