The most commonly cited fluorescent lighting hazard is mercury. Fluorescent and CFL bulbs contain a small amount of mercury and are identified with the elemental symbol Hg.
Philips PAR38 dab5d63ck When these bulbs are cold, some of the mercury in the lamp is in liquid form, but while the lamp is operating or when the lamp is hot, most of the mercury is in a gaseous or vapor form.
Mercury vapor is extremely toxic. Even in liquid form, contact with mercury is considered life-threatening or a "severe" risk to health. Even very small doses of mercury can cause severe respiratory tract damage, brain damage, kidney damage, central nervous system damage, and many other serious medical conditions.
CFLs average less than 4 milligrams of mercury, about the amount that would cover the tip of a ballpoint pen. By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams, an amount equal to the mercury in 125 or more CFLs. Although the amount of mercury in each fluorescent lamp is small, it is always important to avoid breaking fluorescent lamps, and used bulbs must be delivered to a hazardous waste handler.
A19 LED Light Manufacturer Never place fluorescent lamps in trash compactors or incinerators, since this will release the mercury and contaminate the surrounding area.
Disposed of improperly, mercury can contaminate buildings, landfills, lakes, animals, fish, birds, humans, crops and rivers. In the US, the EPA has ordered waste handlers to treat fluorescent lamps as hazardous waste. With such a classification, fluorescent lamps are not to be sent to landfills, but instead are to be sent to recycling centers that break the lamps under special conditions and safely recover the mercury. Up to 95 percent of the mercury contained in CFLs can be recovered if the bulbs are recycled properly.
Mercury-containing lamps generated by households and small businesses are not always subject to legal restrictions regarding their disposal. State laws vary and some states, such as California, Maine, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Vermont and Massachusetts, prohibit all mercury-containing lamps, including CFLs, from being discarded in the solid waste stream. In addition, many local ordinances require recycling of mercury-containing products, including lighting.
www.counselinghk.com/wp/archives/19 It is best to check with your municipality to understand whether there are local requirements addressing mercury-containing waste disposal.
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