CLEVELAND -- The newest thing in energy conservation are those squiggly fluorescent light bulbs.

The government is encouraging consumers to buy them. But some consumers worry about the risks.

A woman in Maine was recently hit with a $2,000 hazardous waste cleanup bill after she dropped a CFL bulb. That's because the bulb she dropped contained mercury.

Environmental engineering professor Dr. Kim Dietrich said fluorescent bulbs must contain mercury to work, even though its banned in thermometers due to its effect on the human nervous system.

He ran a test to see if just one bulb would be a hazard. The test concluded that the energy-saving CFL bulb contained a measurable amount of mercury.

But Dietrich said the amount found in the test is minuscule compared to thermometers we used to put in our mouths.

"It would take 100 shattered CFL bulbs to equal the amount of mercury in an older thermometer," Dietrich said.

The Environmental Protection Agency has a list of steps you should take if you break a bulb. First, open a window and ventilate the room for 15 minutes. Then use cardboard to sweep up the remains of the bulb. Use a wet paper towel to wipe the area. Finally, seal it all in a plastic bag, and dispose.

The EPA said do not vacuum, or you could spread mercury dust around.

Cleanup is only an issue if these CFL light bulbs break. In normal use, they don't give off any vapors.