Addressing Mercury Vapor Issues

The health risks associated with mercury vapor exposure underscore the importance of safe recycling and disposal of fluorescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Mercury vapor, which can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled, can cause neurological damage in adults, children and fetuses. Efforts to protect consumers and CFL handlers are currently focused on containing the mercury vapor in specially designed mercury storage and shipping containers. Yet when these packages are opened or perforated, dangerous levels of vapor can escape from broken bulbs. To protect against the possibility of vapor exposure, a newly released, patent-pending adsorbent can be included within mercury storage and shipping containers.

This adsorbent was recently announced at the Air & Waste Management Association’s Conference & Exhibition and is placed within a storage and shipping package. Commercially-used packages should be made up of three layers—with a foil-plastic bag positioned between two cardboard box layers. The adsorbent is impregnated with powdered activated carbon and proprietary inert chemicals, and adheres to the interior flap of the box. According to a study by NUCON International, Inc., a world-wide leader in providing gas, vapor and liquid phase adsorption solutions, the adsorbent can effectively capture mercury vapor and reduce vapor levels by nearly 60 percent after only 15 minutes, more than 70 percent within an hour and over 95 percent after 12 hours, protecting consumers and handlers from mercury vapor exposure. A small consumer-size recycling bag, available soon, will feature this technology and allow people to safely store three to four used lamps at home before taking them to a retailer or municipality that accepts CFLs for recycling. View a short animated depiction of the adsorption process at http://www.vaporlokproducts.com/capturedemo

Mercury Vapor: Transitioning from Containment to Capture for Safe Fluorescent Lamp Disposal

The popularity of fluorescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are steadily growing in the industrial, commercial and residential markets, due to their sustainability, energy efficiency and recent federal legislation banning the manufacture of incandescent light bulbs starting in 2012. Fluorescent lamps and CFLs are four to six times more efficient than incandescent bulbs and emit about the same amount of visible light, all while offering a longer working life and significant savings in energy costs. While there are many positive reasons to employ fluorescent lamps, they can also be potentially dangerous because of their mercury content.

Since exposure to mercury vapor can lead to significant safety and health risks for handlers of fluorescent lamps, it is important to take the necessary precautions when handling, storing or transporting used or broken lamps to protect against any potential harm from released mercury vapor.

Recent efforts to protect consumers and handlers against the inherent dangers of mercury vapor exposure from broken lamps have centered around containing the mercury vapor in the storage and shipping container. However, this traditional method does not protect against vapor exposure if the container is opened or leaks with broken lamps inside. New developments demonstrate a method to actually adsorb and capture the mercury vapor within the container mitigating the risks of vapor exposure.

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Capturing Mercury Vapor from Broken CFLs

VaporLokCapture™is a breakthrough adsorbent technology used in fluorescent lamp and compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) storage and shipping containers for capturing mercury vapor from broken lamps and CFLs. VaporLokCapture will be incorporated into VaporLok Products industrial and consumer CFL packaging solutions which include the Mercury VaporLok® zippered, foil-plastic laminate bag and VaporLokCapture adsorbant. Unlike other containers, these enhanced packages are nearly 100 percent effective in containing mercury vapor and more than 95% effective in adsorbing harmful mercury vapor—ensuring the protection of handlers, end-users, transporters and recyclers.

Using a proprietary process, the patent-pending adsorbent is manufactured with powdered activated carbon and inert chemicals. When lamps or CFLs break, the adsorbent immediately begins to capture the mercury vapor. In addition to broken lamps, VaporLokCaptur™ is designed to adsorb mercury vapor from any device or product containing mercury. You can view a short animated depiction of this process at www.vaporlokproducts.com/capturedemo.

VaporLokCapture™: A Breakthrough Adsorbent Technology Used for Broken CFLs

VaporLokCapture™, by VaporLok, is a breakthrough adsorbent technology used in fluorescent lamp and compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) storage and shipping containers for capturing mercury vapor from broken lamps and CFLs. VaporLokCapture is a new feature to be incorporated into the company’s patented Mercury VaporLok® fluorescent lamp shipping and recycling system.

Using a proprietary process, the patent-pending adsorbent is manufactured with powdered activated carbon and inert chemicals. When lamps or CFLs break, the adsorbent immediately begins to capture the mercury vapor. In addition to broken lamps, VaporLokCapture is designed to adsorb mercury vapor from any device or product containing mercury. You can view a short animated depiction of this process at www.vaporlokproducts.com/capturedemo.

VaporLokCapture will be incorporated into VaporLok Products industrial and consumer CFL packaging solutions which include the Mercury VaporLok® zippered, foil-plastic laminate bag and VaporLokCapture adsorbant. Unlike other containers, these enhanced packages are nearly 100 percent effective in containing mercury vapor and more than 95% effective in adsorbing harmful mercury vapor—ensuring the protection of handlers, end-users, transporters and recyclers.

Learn more at www.vaporlokproducts.com