Everlights

Mercury containing lamps are federally regulated under the “Resource Conservation and Recovery Act” (RCRA) and are managed under the Universal Waste Rule.  Recycling lamps is mandatory in all 50 states and a company may be fined up to $25,000 per occurrence for throwing lamps in the trash. Under federal regulations, a lamp is considered a hazardous waste if it exhibits the characteristic of hazardous waste toxicity. A Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) is used to determine whether or not a lamp exhibits this characteristic. This test measures the leachability of certain metals including mercury. Under this procedure, the waste leachate must contain less than 0.2 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of mercury in order to pass the test (see 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 261.24).  Lamps that pass the TCLP are not hazardous and therefore are not subject to federal regulations. The average “Green Tip” low mercury fluorescent lamp contains about 4.0 mg of mercury and therefore would not pass a TCLP test.

Mercury is detrimental to human health because it attacks the central nervous system, causes brain damage, and creates respiratory defects. It can also hurt the ability of children to learn, remember, and pay attention. More than 1 in 10 pregnant women are exposed to harmful levels of mercury. Mercury can get into our body through bioaccumulation. Bioaccumulation is when mercury gets into our water ways, works itself up the food chain, and then is consumed by humans. Click for Info