Management of Fluorescent Lamps for Businesses: Solid Waste Section, August 17, 2015

(2015) Management of Fluorescent Lamps for Businesses: Solid Waste Section, August 17, 2015. Natural Resources, Department of

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Abstract

Fluorescent and high intensity discharge (HID) lamps (including mercury vapor, high-pressure sodium, and metal halide bulbs) are the two most common types of lamps that use mercury. Both of these lamps are typically 3 to 4 times more efficient than incandescent lamps and can last up to 10 times longer. The use of energy efficient mercury-containing lamps can play a significant role in decreasing the nation’s energy consumption. However, fluorescent lamps contain mercury which poses a threat to human health and the environment, even in small amounts. Mercury is a bio-accumulative toxin, which means that it accumulates in the food chain, and does not break down in the environment. While fluorescent lamps offer tremendous environmental advantages through energy savings, the disposal of used fluorescent lamps needs to be carried out properly to eliminate mercury emissions.