Earlier this month, members of NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) announced that they are voluntarily reducing the maximum allowable mercury content in compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).
Under the new voluntary commitment, effective October 4, 2010, NEMA members will cap the total mercury content in CFLs of less than 25 watts at 4mg (milligrams) per lamp. The total mercury content of CFLs that use 25 to 40 watts of electricity will be capped at 5mg per lamp.
This agreement builds upon the companies’ March 2007 voluntary commitment and is consistent with NEMA’s initiative to reduce use of hazardous substances whenever feasible.
“NEMA lamp companies acknowledge the importance of reducing mercury content of fluorescent lamps while continuing to achieve the high performance and quality consumers expect,” said NEMA Lamp Section Chair Pam Horner. “NEMA’s update of the voluntary commitment today is made possible by research and engineering innovation in the lamp industry.”
While these lighting innovation initiatives are just reaching the residential market, trace mercury fluorescent lamps have been available for some time now for use in commercial applications. Previously in commercial applications we saw the use of metal halides, HID fixtures, and T12 lamps, but we are seeing a phase out of these fixtures as they are both inefficiency and contain higher mercury levels, with levels as high as 10mg per lamp. While metal halides may be suitable in some commercial applications, such as outdoor lighting, there are certainly more energy efficient alternatives available for indoor commercial and warehouse settings that are designed specifically for use in retail, property management, commercial, and industrial segments.
The most commonly used lamps in lighting retrofits are T8 & T5 linear fluorescent lamps, which are highly efficiency, TCLP-compliant, and at the highest have 5mg of mercury and at the lowest 1.4mg. Many manufacturers offer low mercury T8 lamps that contain approximately 3.5 mg per lamp, and some even offer an extra low mercury T8 lamps with less than 1.7 mg of mercury per lamp. Newly designed T5 lamps are also more versatile, offering increased lighting flexibility, especially in tight spaces and low profile applications.
All the more reason to retrofit your existing lighting system: energy efficiency, better lighting, safer, and more environmentally friendly
TCLP stands for Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure. Fluorescent bulbs that are TCLP compliant reduce the amount of pollutants released into the environment. Mercury’s greatest threat comes when it is vaporized and can be inhaled, like when a bulb containing mercury is broken, shatters or ruptures in your place of business. Lamps with reduced mercury content pass the EPA’s TCLP tests, and pose less danger to the environment, your employees and your patrons in the event of breakage.
(Sources: NEMA & http://www.zeromercury.org/)
