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PROTECT PERSONNEL AGAINST EXPOSURE TO HAZARDOUS MERCURY VAPOR FROM USED FLUORESCENT LAMPS
After use, fragile lamps should be stored and transported to recycling facilities in a package proven to effectively contain mercury vapor

Mercury a naturally occurring element that is a byproduct of many ore streams is one of the oldest and most useful elements. It is used in a variety of products, including batteries, thermometers, thermostats, relays and switches. Fluorescent lamps ¾ employed in many education and healthcare facilities ¾ also contain mercury. While these lamps provide significant energy and long-term cost savings, broken lamps emit hazardous mercury vapor, which creates health and safety issues for personnel involved with storing, packaging and shipping used lamps.

To protect people and the environment from the hazards of mercury vapor, used lamps should be sent to a recycling facility where the mercury can be safely extracted for eventual reuse. However, mercury lamps are fragile and, inevitably, some break during storage and transportation to these facilities ¾ negating the environmental benefits of recycling and exposing workers to unhealthy levels of mercury vapor exposure. Because of this, used lamps should be stored and transported in packages designed to effectively contain mercury vapor.

Yet, a recent study I conducted with a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health suggests that most containers used for storage and transportation of used fluorescent lamps to recycling centers do not provide necessary levels of protection against mercury vapor emitted from broken lamps, as defined by state and federal authorities.1

Packaging used fluorescent lamps
Many maintenance and custodial workers reuse the original manufacturer’s package to store used lamps and transport them for disposal or recycling. To test the effectiveness of these packages, we conducted ten replicate experiments for a single-layer cardboard box that represented manufacturers’ packages. We additionally tested two other categories of packages. The second consisted of two configurations that added a plastic bag to the single layer of cardboard, and the third group also added a second layer of cardboard to the design—with a bag located between the two cardboard layers. This third group contained two package varieties: a double-box with a thicker, tape-sealed plastic bag, and a double box with a foil-plastic laminate bag containing a zip closure.

We found that the single-layer cardboard box was the least effective in containing mercury vapor emitted from broken fluorescent lamps. Both of the configurations in the third group performed better than those in the first two, but only the double-box with the foil-plastic laminate bag delivered the necessary levels of protection. Results from the study were published in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

These results indicate that all three layers of the last packaging configuration are critical to the effective containment of mercury vapor. The first cardboard layer offers structure to the configuration, also protecting contents from external elements. The bag—which must feature a suitable material and tight seal—contains the mercury vapor, and the inner layer of cardboard ensures the bag’s integrity by preventing broken glass from puncturing it.

State and federal packaging rules and regulations
Federal regulations do not currently mandate the use of packaging designed to prevent the loss of mercury vapor. However, this may not continue to be the case. As the awareness of the dangers of mercury vapor increases, so have the federal and state rules that regulate its disposal.

In 1999, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established environmental and transportation regulations, including packaging requirements for fluorescent lamps. They require lamps to be managed in containers designed to prevent breakage. However, they do not require the container to be designed to prevent the loss of mercury vapor. In 2005, the EPA added a requirement mandating that packaging be designed to prevent mercury from escaping into the environment. While fluorescent lamps are not included in this rule, the University of Minnesota study points directly at the need for much stricter legislation regarding the release of mercury vapor.

Some states have recently taken steps in this direction. Governor Chris Gregoire of Washington recently signed Senate Bill 5543, making this state the first to address the dangers of unsafe packaging and transportation of used fluorescent lamps, as well as other mercury containing devices. Due to the ineffective nature of most packaging configurations utilized for shipping used fluorescent lamps, the new law mandates that these devices are packaged and shipped in material that will minimize the release of mercury into the environment. The law additionally requires packages to include mercury vapor barrier materials if lamps are transported by the United States postal service, a common carrier, or collected via curbside programs and mail-back businesses.

Additionally, the state of Wisconsin recently considered legislation that would apply newer mercury-containing equipment packaging standards to used lamps from households.  If adopted, the law would require those lamps to be managed in containers designed to prevent the escape of mercury into the environment by volatilization or other means.

Consequences of mercury vapor pollution and exposure
Despite increasing awareness of the safety and environmental hazards of mercury vapor emitted from used fluorescent lamps, most are still not recycled. In fact, the EPA estimates the recycling rate of fluorescent lamps at only 20 to 25 percent, with the rest ending up in dumpsters and, eventually, in landfills—where they may continue to emit hazardous mercury vapor into the environment.

Mercury does not break down over time. It can get into drinking water, lakes, rivers and streams, posing a critical threat to human health, as well as the environment. Mercury is a known neurotoxin and it can bioaccumulate as it goes up the food chain. Recent studies have linked mercury exposure to increased risk of heart attack in men, mental retardation and neurological disorders in children, and to dangerous levels of mercury in the blood of women of childbearing age.

Though fluorescent lamps are a valuable resource for large facilities, they must be disposed of properly to provide a truly environmentally conscious solution. Some states are taking steps to regulate mercury-containing wastes, but facility managers at schools and hospitals can act now to protect their personnel and the environment from these hazards. By taking the initiative to ensure that all used lamps are properly stored, transported and recycled, managers can protect against potential hazards while taking advantage of the benefits fluorescent lamps provide.

REFERENCES

• Glenz, Tracy T., Lisa M. Brosseau, and Richard W. Hoffbeck. "Preventing Mercury Vapor Release from Broken Fluorescent Lamps during Shipping." Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association 59 (2009): 266-72. Print.

Dr. Lisa M. Brosseau has conducted research and published in the areas of respiratory protection, aerosol exposures, hazardous materials and safety interventions in small businesses. She serves on the editorial review board of the /Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene/ and is currently the Vice Chair of ACGIH, a globally-recognized organization committed to developing scientific guidelines for workplace safety and health.

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