I accidentally broke a small light bulb today. apparently if it contained mercury it can give you gastroenteritis. am i going to get sick now ?

No: did you ingest it if not it will not cause any problem now Mercury is cumulative and builds up in your body. I think this small exposure will not cause you any harm

Unlikely: If you didn't ingest the light bulb, and just had skin exposure, you should be fine. Wash your hands well and clean up the remainder of the bulb with a dust pan.

Poison Control: Hopefully all products were handled carefully and disposed of and hands were washed. It is unlikely from this one exposure you will develop toxicity. Mercury poisoning occurs more often from chronic exposure such as the concern related to eating tuna. Ask for advice from poison control but I think you will be fine. They will also let you know what symptoms to watch for.

? mercury poisoning.: Very very unlikely that the tiny amount of mercury will cause anything. Mercury is a heavy metal that accumulates in the body over years. Unless the exposure was a large amount (mercury is the only metal at room temperature to exist as a liquid) no ill effects will occur - Best to clean up a mess like this with gloves and wash your hands. mercury beads can be scooped up with index cards

Probably not: Mercury is contained in the newer CFL bulbs, the ones that look like this picture. It is not present in significant amounts in older bulbs. If you got it on your hands, you should wash them well with water and follow the clean-up instructions here: http://www2.epa.gov/cfl/cleaning-broken-cfl Mercury can harm young children and unborn babies. It's generally harmful to others only in large amounts.

Mercury: I very much doubt that you will have any toxicity from your lightbulb, having broken my share in the past.without problems. Inorganic mercury ingested will not harm you as it is inert. Inorganic Mercury vapor on the other hand can cause pulmonary, GI and neurologic problems. Organic Merc found in some fish -sword fish, tuna, tile- accumulates in the CNS and can cause problems, especially in preg