Study documents mercury vapor emission levels and need for safer packaging, storage and transportation of used fluorescent lamps

Results of a recent study conducted by my 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 our measurements of mercury vapor from single broken fluorescent bulbs, we 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.

Lisa Brosseau, ScD, CIH
Associate Professor
University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences

Preventing health and safety hazards from fluorescent lamps

As rising energy costs and environmental concerns become increasingly important factors in consumers’ and businesses’ purchasing selections, fluorescent lamps have increased in popularity. However, fluorescent lamps are fragile and, upon breaking, these lamps 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.

Mercury vapor, which can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled, can cause neurological damage to adults, children and fetuses. (1) It is considered a persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemical, since it doesn't degrade in the environment. (2) When mercury vapor gets into water, it is converted to methyl mercury and can enter the food chain through fish. Methyl mercury causes damage to the central nervous system and it is also thought to be a possible human carcinogen. (3)

While a variety of containers are marketed for transportation of fluorescent lamps, many don't provide sufficient protection against mercury vapor emitted from broken lamps. Using a proven packaging design is vital to ensuring the safety of people who handle these lamps, as well as maintaining their green benefits.

1. Mercury Fact Sheet; Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 1999; available at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts46.pdf (accessed October 1, 2007).
2. Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) Chemicals; Final Rule. Fed Regist. 1999, 64, 58666-58753.
3. Mercury Compounds Hazard Summary, 2000. Technology Transfer Network Air Toxics web site; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; available at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/mercury.html (accessed November 20, 2007).

Brad Buscher
Chairman and CEO
VaporLok Products LLC

What is mercury and what are the risks?

Mercury—also know as quicksilver—is a naturally occurring element that does not break down. It is found in very small amounts in oceans, rocks, and soil. Mercury becomes airborne when rocks break down, volcanoes erupt and the soil decomposes. It then circulates and is redistributed throughout the environment.

Mercury metal has many uses. Because of its high density, it is used in barometers and manometers. Due to its high rate of thermal expansion, which is fairly constant over a wide temperature range, mercury is commonly used in thermometers and thermostats. Mercury is used as an electrical contact for switches, and it conducts the charge in fluorescent lamps. Plus, 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.

Although mercury is one of the most useful heavy metals found in our daily lives, it is also one of the most deadly. When carelessly handled or improperly disposed of, mercury gets into drinking water, lakes, rivers and streams, posing a critical threat to human health, as well as the environment. Recent studies have linked mercury exposure to increased risk of heart attack in men, to mental retardation and neurological disorders in children, and dangerous levels of mercury in the blood of women of childbearing age.

If not properly recycled, mercury is not only a threat to our quality of life, but it can also be a significant threat to the overall health of your business. Local and state environmental regulations and EPA enforcement of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), regulate the generation, treatment, storage, handling, clean-up, transportation and disposal of hazardous wastes, including products which contain mercury. Additionally, we must all take the initiative to properly recycle mercury-containing products.

Brad Buscher
Chairman and CEO
VaporLok Products LLC