Today, mercury continues to be used in many products, primarily in fluorescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in offices, stores and homes. Because of its high density, it is also used in barometers and manometers. Due to its high rate of thermal expansion—which remains fairly constant over a wide temperature range—mercury is also used extensively in thermometers and thermostats. Mercury-vapor lamps, which emit light rich in ultraviolet radiation, are used for street lighting, in water treatment plants as a disinfectant, and in tanning beds. Mercury is used as an electrode in the production of chlorine and sodium hydroxide and in certain electric batteries. Mercury is important as an electrical contact for switches, and mercury conducts the charge in fluorescent lamps.

Exposure typically comes from inhaling mercury vapors. For most of us, fluorescent lamps present the single greatest risk of mercury exposure in the work place. A recent study of exposure to broken “low mercury” lamps by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection entitled “Release of Mercury from Broken Fluorescent Bulbs” demonstrated that “elevated airborne levels of mercury could exist in the vicinity of recently broken lamps, and “could exceed occupational exposure limits.”

There is currently significant risk in transporting fluorescent lamps and CFLs, as there are no packaging standards and few regulations in place requiring proper packaging for storage and transportation. To protect against mercury vapor exposure from used fluorescent lamps and other mercury-containing devices, these products should be stored and transported in a packaging configuration proven to contain mercury vapor. One current design includes a vapor resistant and zip seal bag and is the only design that has proven effective in containing mercury vapor.

Read more at the VaporLok Blog.

As fluorescent lamps and CFLs increasingly become businesses and consumers’ primary lighting choice, more states are taking action to address the health and safety issues associated with their use. While fluorescent lamps are considered as a more energy-efficient bulb than traditional incandescent bulbs, these lamps are fragile and, upon breaking, release mercury vapor that can be detrimental to handlers’ health—from those involved with handling new bulbs to people involved with storing, packaging and shipping used lamps.

To address the potential dangers of unsafe packaging and transportation of used fluorescent lamps and mercury containing devices, many states are taking a stand to increase awareness by enforcing their own legislation. In March 2010, Washington took the first step in creating a law that requires lights and other mercury-containing devices to be packaged and shipped in material that will minimize the release of mercury into the environment. The law also states that packages should include mercury vapor barrier materials if lamps are transported by the United States postal service or a common carrier or collected via curbside programs and mail-back businesses.

Additional states have addressed this health issue with their own, more specific regulations regarding lamp disposal, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Massachusetts, California, Vermont, New York, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Florida and Rhode Island. To read about these laws and find out more information regarding state regulations, read our “Additional State Regulations” post.

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On average, CFLs and fluorescent lamps contain about 4 milligrams of mercury. Mercury is dangerous and can be a threat to our safety and health when exposed to it. It is important for consumers to take the necessary precautions when handling, storing or transporting used or broken lamps to protect themselves against any potential harm from released mercury vapor.

According to a study conducted by the University of Minnesota, there is only one proven packaging configuration that effectively contains mercury vapor from broken fluorescent lamps below permissible workplace exposure levels, as defined by state and federal authorities. This configuration consists of an outer cardboard layer, a bag to contain the mercury vapor and an inner layer of cardboard to prevent broken glass from puncturing the bag.

Read more at the VaporLok Blog.

Universal waste containers that could be transported by common carrier were first introduced in 1998. The first containers were primarily used to ship fluorescent lighting. Initially, these containers were simple corrugated boxes, with some including a plastic bag inside the box. Since the contents were made of glass, they were designed primarily to contain the contents within the shipping container. However, since mercury begins to vaporize at 70 degrees F, packaging improvements were needed to address the issue of potential mercury vapor release in the event of breakage during accumulation and transport. Read more about packaging designed to contain mercury vapor.

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As a result of a growing green movement and new government regulations—including an Act of Congress to cease the manufacture of incandescent lamps by 2013—the use of more energy efficient lights, such as CFLs, continues to increase. Like all fluorescent lights, CFLs contain hazardous mercury vapor, which is emitted when these fragile bulbs break and causes significant health and safety issues, as well as environmental concerns.

What should you do if a CFL breaks in your home? A Maine Compact Fluorescent Lamp Breakage Study found that mercury concentration in a room can exceed permissible exposure levels, even from the breakage of a single CFL. For a clean-up guide, click here: http://www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/homeowner/cflreport/appendixe.pdf

Read more at the VaporLok Blog.

While the federal government doesn’t require recycling of all fluorescent lighting, several states have addressed this health issue with their own, more specific regulations regarding fluorescent lamp disposal. Minnesota, Massachusetts, California and Vermont are among states that prohibit disposal of all mercury-product waste in landfills. New York has a similar ban, with an exemption for households and businesses with 100 or less employees disposing of 15 or less non-hazardous waste lamps per month. Many other states prohibit non-household generators from disposing of any mercury containing fluorescent lamps in solid waste landfills regardless of TCLP test results, including Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Florida and Rhode Island.

Read more at the VaporLok Blog.

Results of a recent study conducted by a research team at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences suggest that most containers used for storage and transportation of used fluorescent lamps to recycling centers do not provide necessary levels of protection against mercury vapors emitted from broken lamps.

The study, published in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, found that of the five packages tested in the study, just one configuration—consisting of a zip-closure plastic-foil laminate bag layered between two cardboard boxes—minimized exposure levels below acceptable occupational limits, as defined by state and federal regulations and guidelines.

Based on the measurements of mercury vapor from single broken fluorescent bulbs, it was determined the need for additional research to quantify emissions from various types of packaging. The results indicate that emissions from packages not designed to contain mercury vapor represent a real health and safety concern.

Read more at the VaporLok Blog.

Fluorescent lamps and CFLs are four to six times more efficient than their incandescent counterparts and emit about the same amount of visible light, all while offering longer working life and saving significant energy costs. Further, energy-efficient lighting is one of the lowest-cost ways for the nation to reduce electricity use and greenhouse gases. Although incandescent light bulbs may seem like the cheaper option at the counter, consumers will actually save money on CFLs in the long run. While a CFL may cost about $2.00 per bulb, compared to about $0.50 cents for an incandescent bulb, a CFL is four to six times more efficient than an incandescent and lasts an estimated 8 to 15 times as long as an incandescent.

While all of this is positive, there is one major con to fluorescent lamps: mercury. Fluorescent bulbs and CFLs contain small quantities of mercury—which can cause environmental, safety and health consequences. While the amount of mercury used in an individual fluorescent bulb has decreased over the past years, one broken 4-foot fluorescent lamp in a small room or vehicle can release enough mercury vapor to exceed the OSHA mercury exposure 8-hour limit—posing a significant occupational health risk. Plus, mercury vapor can be emitted for weeks after a single bulb is broken.

Due to their mercury content, disposing of fluorescent lamps and CFLs is an important issue. It is important for consumers to realize that CFLs and fluorescent bulbs require special handling and disposal. They should be properly stored, transported and recycled to prevent these fragile bulbs from breaking and emitting hazardous mercury vapor. Learn how to safely clean up a broken bulb or safely package a used bulb to send to a recycling facility.

Read more at the the VaporLok Blog.

Mercury has long been known to be toxic. The phrase “mad as a hatter” refers to the 19th-century occupational disease that resulted from prolonged contact with the mercury used in the manufacture of felt hats. Along with felt hats, mercury has been taken out of many manufacturing processes and products—as the dangers of mercury exposure become more well known.

Most mercury pesticides have been withdrawn from the U.S. market, and many countries banned ocean dumping of mercury and other pollutants in 1972. Production of mercury-containing interior and exterior paints in the United States was phased out in 1991. Mercury, which has been used in medicines for hundreds of years, continues to be used in various folk remedies that can cause mercury exposures. The use of mercury in dental amalgam for tooth fillings has stirred escalating controversy in recent years. Most other medical uses have been banned or are being phased out.

Despite these changes, some workers today, especially laboratory technicians, nurses, and machine operators, continue to be exposed to mercury on the job. Elemental mercury (the silver liquid familiar in thermometers) is a common occupational source of exposure. Fragile fluorescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps if broken represent another mercury exposure risk as they are handled by manufacturers, transporters, distributors, retailers, consumers and installers, as well as recycling or waste handlers. There are currently no universally enforced packaging standards designed to protect these people. There now exists a proven packaging design with a vapor resistant and zip seal bag that should be mandated to protect people who work with or near fluorescent lamps, as well as for protecting the surrounding environment.

Brad Buscher
Chairman and CEO
VaporLok Products LLC

We all know that mercury vapor can be detrimental to the health and safety of not only ourselves, but also to the environment. But how much is too much? The Federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) set a mercury permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.1 mg/m3 (8-hr time-weighted average [TWA]). Some state OSHA programs regulate a stricter mercury vapor limit of 0.05 mg/m3 (8-hr TWA). Additionally, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommends an a guideline of 0.025 mg/m3; this is the same value regulated by California OSHA.

One broken 48-inch fluorescent lamp in a small room or vehicle can release enough mercury vapor to exceed the Federal OSHA PEL. Mercury vapor concentrations could exceed occupational exposure levels when working with or near broken bulbs, especially when multiple bulbs are stored or shipped in bulk to recycling facilities. Based on measurements of mercury vapor from single broken fluorescent bulbs, there is a need for additional research to quantify emissions from various types of packaging. The results indicate that emissions from packages not designed to contain mercury vapor represent a real health and safety concern to those involved in its storage, transport and disposal, as well as a legal hazard for any businesses that do not adhere to these stipulations. Recent research has shown that only one current package design which includes a vapor resistant and zip seal bag has proven effective in containing mercury vapor.

Read more at the VaporLok Blog.