New CFL Bulb Recycling Container from VaporLok Products LLC Protects Consumers Against Toxic Mercury Vapor

A new Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) recycling container can safely hold up to four 13-watt, or up to three 23-watt used CFLs, protecting consumers from hazardous mercury vapors if the fragile bulbs inside are broken from mishandling. With the average CFL containing approximately 4 milligrams of mercury, a single broken bulb can release vapor levels dangerous to consumers’ health. Exposure to mercury can cause neurological, kidney and brain damage in adults, children and fetuses.

Especially significant, this CFL recycling solution is the only one that adsorbs mercury vapor inside the container to protect the consumer from vapors if the bag is opened with broken bulbs inside. It can also be used to collect bulb debris and cleanup materials from bulbs broken in the home by following the EPA’s clean-up procedures. The new recycling container effectively reduces mercury vapor concentrations to levels below the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) to help alleviate consumer concerns about mercury vapor exposure from broken CFLs.

The container features a special foil bag material that prevents mercury vapors from seeping through the bag, and further includes the patent-pending VaporLokCAPTURE™ adsorbent pad technology that captures more than 95% of released mercury vapors inside the bag, protecting consumers from mercury exposure. Consumers and businesses can purchase 3-Paks of  VaporLokCAPTURE™ recycling bags online at vaporlokproducts.com for only $6.99 US, including free shipping within the USA. When full, consumers can visit Earth911.com™ or call 1-800-CLEANUP^_® to easily find retailers or municipalities who accept CFLs for recycling, at no additional cost for most locations.

Read the full release for more information. 

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

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.

Breakthrough Technology Captures More Than 95% of Mercury Vapor From Broken Fluorescent Lamps and CFLs

VaporLok Products, LLC has announced VaporLokCapture™, 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.

VaporLokCapture effectively adsorbs mercury vapors from broken lamps found within lamp storage, shipping or recycling containers. A recent study conducted by NUCON International Inc., a world-wide leader in providing gas, vapor and liquid phase adsorption solutions to the Nuclear Power and other industries, found that mercury vapor levels within packages containing broken fluorescent lamps exceed health and safety exposure limits and guidelines.

Opening a package containing broken fluorescent lamps and/or CFLs presents a significant risk of mercury vapor exposure, potentially rising well above both the OSHA 8-hour permissible exposure limit of 100 ug/m_³ and the NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) IDLH (immediately dangerous to life and health) level of 10,000 ug/m_³. Patent-pending, new VaporLokCapture technology significantly minimizes this risk, effectively adsorbing and capturing the mercury vapor, achieving more than 95 percent mercury vapor reduction within the container. With this design, approximately 60 percent vapor reduction is achieved in as little as 15 minutes after lamp breakage, keeping vapor levels below the NIOSH IDLH guideline.

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 or read the full release here.