Handle Fluorescent Lighting with Care

Fluorescent lighting offers energy efficiency and savings in energy costs for schools, offices, and many homes. But it's important for those who use fluorescent lighting to understand that these products contain mercury and require special handling and disposal.

The energy savings makes switching from incandescent lighting to fluorescent lighting an easy decision for many. According to energystar.gov, if just one room in every U.S. household used Energy Star labeled lighting, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 1 trillion pounds. The potential savings on electric bills is equally impressive. Switching five incandescent bulbs to fluorescent bulbs can save more than $60 every year in energy costs.

But the disposal concerns remain. All mercury-added lamps manufactured after November 30, 2003 and sold in Vermont must bear a label which states that it "contains mercury," or bear the symbol "Hg" inside a circle on the lamp. ("Hg is the scientific symbol for mercury on the periodic table of elements.) This symbol signifies that the lamp contains mercury.

This labeling marks a victory for consumer advocates and those concerned about human and environmental health. Consumers will now be able to tell definitively if a lighting product contains mercury or not. Anything that contains mercury must be handled carefully and disposed of through a hazardous waste collection. Please don't put fluorescent lighting in the garbage!

The concerns are many. When mercury-containing lamps are broken, the mercury is released into the environment. Even the small amount of mercury-laden phosphor powder contained in lamps can damage lakes and streams and poison fish and wildlife. Lamps disposed of in the garbage will be broken at some point in the disposal process-whether in your garbage can, when they are picked up by a hauler, when they are dumped into a garbage compactor, or when they are dumped into a landfill. The mercury is then released, and can cause immediate health concerns for any people exposed to it, or long term risks for the environment and ourselves as a part of it.

Mercury can accumulate in the ecosystem, increasing in concentration higher up the food chain-from microorganisms, to fish, to fish-eating predators like otters and loons, and to humans who eat fish and other foods contaminated with mercury. Mercury contamination of fish is a growing concern, and women of child-bearing age and children are cautioned to limit consumption of particular types of fish. For information about fish caught in Vermont, see the Vermont fish advisory which can be accessed through the Vermont mercury website-www.mercvt.org-or by calling the Vermont Department of Health at 800-464-4343.

Safe handling and proper disposal of mercury-containing products like fluorescent lamps is critical to prevent the release of more mercury into the environment. Bring all mercury-containing products to a household hazardous waste collection. The District holds hazardous waste collections May through October for residents; small businesses and municipalities may schedule an appointment to utilize the collections. The District can also offer guidance on how to properly package fluorescent bulbs and other mercury-containing products for safe transport to a hazardous waste collection and safe storage in between collections.

Broken Bulb Cleanup

Please handle bulbs carefully. If a fluorescent bulb breaks in your home, follow this cleanup procedure recommended by the VT Department of Environmental Conservation:

1. Keep all people and pets away from the breakage area so that mercury powder is not tracked into other areas.
2. Keep the area well ventilated.
3. Assemble the necessary supplies before cleaning up: Latex gloves, tweezers, tape and a puncture-resistant container.
4. Wearing the latex gloves, carefully pick up any broken glass and place in the puncture-resistant container. Tweezers may be needed to safely pick up broken glass. Tape can also be used to pick up any remaining small pieces of glass and powder residue still located on the spill surface. DO NOT VACUUM.
5. After the cleanup is complete, place the contaminated cleanup equipment along with any other material that came in contact with the mercury powder into the puncture-resistant container or a sealable plastic bag.
6. Contact the District for disposal assistance.

For more information about mercury, please see the VT Department of Environmental Conservation's Mercury Education & Reduction Campaign web site: www.mercvt.org. Contact the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District at 802-229-9383