One Broken Bulb: The Health and Safety Risks

One broken four-foot fluorescent lamp in a small room or vehicle can release enough mercury vapor to exceed the OSHA mercury exposure eight-hour limit—posing significant health and safety risks to handlers and consumers. Plus, mercury vapor can be emitted for weeks after a single bulb is broken, continually polluting the air in consumers’ homes. When carelessly handled or improperly disposed of, mercury can get 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.

Despite these health concerns, the EPA estimates that approximately 75 to 80 percent of fluorescent lamps are not recycled and are usually placed in dumpsters or trash containers, presenting a considerable risk. One study found that mercury is "strongly and persistently" emitted from dumpsters that contain broken fluorescent lamps.(1) Broken fluorescent lamps need to be properly recycled to prevent the release of mercury vapor. Learn how to clean up a broken bulb or how to safely package and recycle fluorescent lamps by reading our Layers of protection: Packaging used fluorescent lamps post.

1. Lindberg, S.E.; Owens, J. PaMSWaD (Pathways of Mercury in Solid Waste Disposal); Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation (LMER). 1999. 6.

Brad Buscher
Chairman and CEO
VaporLok Products LLC

Origins of the Phrase “Mad As a Hatter”

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Most mercury pesticides have been withdrawn from the U.S. market, and many countries banned ocean dumping of mercury and other pollutants in 1972.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

“Mad As a Hatter”: Truth or Myth

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

Banning Elemental Mercury

A new government regulation that goes into effect in 2013 effectively bans the exportation of elemental mercury—unless it has a legitimate use. The Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008, introduced by Barack Obama when he was an Illinois senator, was signed on October 14, 2008. The act will prohibit the transfer of elemental mercury by federal agencies, ban U.S. export of elemental mercury by 2013, and requires the Department of Energy to designate and manage an elemental mercury long-term disposal facility.

The United States is currently one of the world’s leading exporters of elemental mercury, and large amounts of mercury-containing waste have been shipped over the border to Canada and other countries. The Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 will help prevent other industries and countries that do not have the same protections as we do from receiving the mercury and letting it proliferate right back into the system and the environment.

Brad Buscher
Chairman and CEO
VaporLok Products LLC

Mercury In the Food Chain

Past studies and articles have shown that there is mercury present in the food chain, causing potential health and safety issues when consumed. How does this happen?

Large amounts of mercury become airborne when coal, oil, wood, or natural gas are burned as fuel or when mercury-containing garbage, including improperly discarded fluorescent lamps, is incinerated. This mercury can fall to the ground with rain and snow, landing on soil or in bodies of water, causing contamination. Lakes and rivers are also contaminated when there is a direct discharge of mercury-laden industrial and municipal waste into these waterbodies.

Elemental mercury and mercury salts, although fairly inert when deposited on the bottom of waterways, are converted into organic mercury, typically methylmercury, by microorganisms. Methylmercury then enters the food chain, where it is biomagnified up to 100,000 times in predacious fish. Eagles, turtles, mink, otters and other fish-eating creatures may have mercury introduced into their diets, which can cause early death, weight loss, and problems with their ability to reproduce.

Once mercury accumulates in the tissue of fish and other organisms, it may ultimately reach the dinner table, as most common human exposure to methylmercury is through consumption of contaminated fish or animals that eat fish. This mercury vapor, which can be introduced to human systems through consumption or absorbed through the skin or inhaled, can cause neurological damage to adults, children and fetuses.

Brad Buscher
Chairman and CEO
VaporLok Products LLC

Mercury Exportation Ban

As one of the world’s leading exporters of elemental mercury, the United States has shipped large amounts of mercury-containing waste over the border to Canada and other countries. Mercury can be a huge threat to our quality of life, especially with excessive exposure.

To prevent this, a new government regulation will go effect in 2013, effectively banning the exportation of elemental mercury—unless it has a legitimate use. The Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008, introduced by Barack Obama when he was an Illinois senator, was signed on October 14, 2008. The act will prohibit the transfer of elemental mercury by federal agencies, ban U.S. export of elemental mercury by 2013, and requires the Department of Energy to designate and manage an elemental mercury long-term disposal facility.

The Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 will help prevent other industries and countries that do not have the same protections as we do from receiving the mercury and letting it proliferate right back into the system and the environment.

Brad Buscher
Chairman and CEO
VaporLok Products LLC

One Broken Bulb: The Health and Safety Risks

One broken four-foot fluorescent lamp in a small room or vehicle can release enough mercury vapor to exceed the OSHA mercury exposure eight-hour limit—posing significant health and safety risks to handlers and consumers. Plus, mercury vapor can be emitted for weeks after a single bulb is broken, continually polluting the air in consumers’ homes. When carelessly handled or improperly disposed of, mercury can get 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.

Despite these health concerns, the EPA estimates that approximately 75 to 80 percent of fluorescent lamps are not recycled and are usually placed in dumpsters or trash containers, presenting a considerable risk. One study found that mercury is "strongly and persistently" emitted from dumpsters that contain broken fluorescent lamps.(1) Broken fluorescent lamps need to be properly recycled to prevent the release of mercury vapor. Learn how to clean up a broken bulb or how to safely package and recycle fluorescent lamps by reading our Layers of protection: Packaging used fluorescent lamps post.

1. Lindberg, S.E.; Owens, J. PaMSWaD (Pathways of Mercury in Solid Waste Disposal); Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation (LMER). 1999. 6.

Brad Buscher
Chairman and CEO
VaporLok Products LLC

You May Be Exposed to More Mercury Than You Think

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.

Brad Buscher
Chairman and CEO
VaporLok Products LLC

Origins of the Phrase “Mad As a Hatter”

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

Ban on exportation of elemental mercury

A new government regulation that goes into effect in 2013 effectively bans the exportation of elemental mercury—unless it has a legitimate use. The Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008, introduced by Barack Obama when he was an Illinois senator, was signed on October 14, 2008. The act will prohibit the transfer of elemental mercury by federal agencies, ban U.S. export of elemental mercury by 2013, and requires the Department of Energy to designate and manage an elemental mercury long-term disposal facility.

The United States is currently one of the world’s leading exporters of elemental mercury, and large amounts of mercury-containing waste have been shipped over the border to Canada and other countries. The Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 will help prevent other industries and countries that do not have the same protections as we do from receiving the mercury and letting it proliferate right back into the system and the environment.

Peder Larson
Attorney
Larkin Hoffman