Mercury in US Products

Some people are greatly concerned by the fact that lighting products contain mercury. This concern has come to the forefront with increased distribution of compact fluorescent light bulbs. The fact is all fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury and have for years. The fact that mercury containing bulbs are in our groceries, schools and hospitals does not present a danger. In fact mercury containing light bulbs help reduce the single most important source of mercury pollution -- power generation.

The amount of mercury in lighting is low, going lower, and can be recycled for use in making new product. Take a look at the relative importance of mercury in lighting products compared to other products in the US.

Mercury in Products totaled 117 tons according to a study.

  • Lighting accounted for 8.5% of the total
  • Fluorescent lamps used 79% of the lighting total
  • Compact fluorescent lamps 7% according to another report

Of the 117 tons, all lighting products used 9.95 tons, 8.5% of the total. Fluorescent lamps used 79% of the 9.95 tons used by lighting and only 0.7 tons was used in compact fluorescent lamps. The remaining 21% of mercury used in lighting products went to high intensity discharge lamps and neon lighting.

Some other uses, based on data from 2004:

  • 70% (51 tons) Switches, relays, and dental amalgam capsules
    • 59% (30 tons) was in dental amalgam
  • 13% (15 tons) in thermostats
  • 4% (4.7 tons) barometers, manometers, sphygmomanometers
  • 2.2% (2.6 tons) button cell batteries

Mercury is a hazardous substance but it is clear that people in the US put three times as much mercury in their mouths than in their light bulbs.

Philips Lighting has taken special measures to achieve the lowest mercury content in linear fluorescents, 1.7 mg, compared to 5 mg allowed by an Energy Star rated compact. There is clearly room for improvement but the fact remains mercury from a broken fluorescent bulb does not pose a health hazard if reasonable care is exercised.

Mercury Rules for Lighting

  • All Fluorescents (CFL, Linear, Shapes)
  • All HID (Mercury, Sodium, Metal Halide)

The rules for disposing of mercury containing lamps is pretty straightforward but there are differences between national and state rules. The national rule is that fluorescents may be treated as universal waste, sent to landfills with the normal trash but not to incinerators. The national rule provides for more strict state rules if the states so desire and many do.

At state level there are no rules defaulting to the federal rule, specific state rules or rules adopted regionally with the support of the EPA's ten regional offices. The most strict is the Northeast Region.

Regardless of the rules in effect the sustainable course of action is to recycle all lighting products containing mercury. Typically 100% of the mercury can be reclaimed and reused in new products in cradle to cradle fashion. Philips Lighting, for example, uses 100% recycled mercury in their fluorescent products.

Additional information on recycling is available from Service Lamp. Our recommendation is to recycle locally but if there are no recyclers available we have a national program.