Effects of Using Fluorescent and Compact Fluorescent Lamps on Environment and Health-A Critical View

Atif Iqbal*, Amith Khandakar**, Mohammad Shafiul Islam***, Nasser Basheer Ahmad****
* Full Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India.
** Faculty Member, Department of Electrical Engineering, Qatar University, Qatar
*** Electrical Engineer, MEP Company, Qatar
**** Senior Under Graduate Student, Department of Electrical Engineering, Qatar University, Qatar.
Periodicity:May - July'2015
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jfet.10.4.3476

Abstract

Wide spread adoption of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) as lighting lamps in residential and industrial sectors are posing challenges to the environment and also carries some health issues and risks. This paper presents a critical overview on related environmental factors and health risks due to lighting lamps especially Fluorescent lamps and CFL. Although CFLs are increasingly popular in the household and industrial lightings due to significant energy savings, however, these issues such as power quality, environment and health risks need to be analyzed critically. The aim of this paper is to make people aware about risks of using FLs and CFLs and not to stigmatize the utilization of these light sources. The CFLs hold very tiny quantities of mercury per lamp. Production plants and disposal facilities of CFLs are releasing mercury to the environment and hence posing environmental challenges that require proper management. In addition, it is found that people working in the CFLs manufacturing facilities suffer from some diseases. Due to the massive number of CFLs used around the world, it is considered as a major source of mercury. If CFLs are not recycled in an ecologically sound manner, after the breakage of CFLs, the inhalation of mercury vapor would cause health risks to human beings, especially infants and children. A detailed discussion on these issues is presented in this paper.

Keywords

Lighting systems, Compact Fluorescent lamps, Power Quality, Mercury Concentration, Health Risks due to Mercury

How to Cite this Article?

Iqbal, A., Khandakar, A., Islam, M. S., and Ahmad, N. B. (2015). Effects of Using Fluorescent and Compact Fluorescent Lamps on Environment and Health-A Critical View. i-manager’s Journal on Future Engineering and Technology, 10(4), 28-37. https://doi.org/10.26634/jfet.10.4.3476

References

[1]. Wagner, T. (2011). “Compact fluorescent lights and the impact of convenience and knowledge on household recycling rates”. Waste Management, pp.1300-1306.
[3]. Rhee, S., Choi, H., & Park, H. (2014). “Characteristics of mercury emission from linear type of spent fluorescent lamp”. Waste Management, pp.1066-1071.
[4]. Sarigiannis, D., Karakitsios, S., Antonakopoulou, M., & Gotti, A. (2012). “Exposure analysis of accidental release of mercury from compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)”. Science of the Total Environment, pp.306-315.
[5]. Alvarez-Caicoya, J., Cosme-Torres, A., & Ortiz- Rivera, E. (2011). “Compact Fluorescent Lamps, an Anticipatory Mind to Mercury”. IEEE Potentials, pp.35-38.
[6]. Hu, Y., & Cheng, H. (2012). “Mercury risk from fluorescent lamps in China: Current status and future perspective”. Environment International, pp.141-150.
[7]. Zimmermann, F., Lecler, M., Clerc, F., Chollot, A., Silvente, E.,& Grosjean, J. (2014). “Occupational exposure in the fluorescent lamp recycling sector in France”, pp.1257-1263.
[8]. Risher, J., Nickle, R., & Amler, S. (2003). “Elemental mercury poisoning in occupational and residential settings”. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, pp.371-379.
[9]. Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency 2011. (2011). “ Ultraviolet Radiation Emissions from Compact Fluorescent Lights”.
[10]. Nance, P., Patterson, J., Willis, A., Foronda, N., & Dourson, M. (2012). “Human health risks from mercury exposure from broken compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)”. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, pp. 542-552.
[11]. Stahler, D., & Ladner, S. (2008). “Maine compact fluorescent lamp study ”. Augusta, Me.: Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
[12]. Apisitpuvakul, W., Piumsomboon, P., Watts, D., & Koetsinchai, W. (2008). “LCA of spent fluorescent lamps in Thailand at various rates of recycling”. Journal of Cleaner Production, pp.1046-1061.
[13]. Rey-Raap, N., & Gallardo, A. (2012). “Determination of mercury distribution inside spent compact fluorescent lamps by atomic absorption spectrometry”. Waste Management, pp.944-948.
[14]. Bose-O'Reilly, S., McCarty, K. M., McCarty, M., & Lettmeier, B. (2010). “Mercury Exposure and Children's Health”, pp.186-215.
[15]. Johnson, N., Manchester, S., Sarin, L., Gao, Y., Kulaots, I., & Hurt, R. (2008). “Mercury Vapor Release From Broken Compact Fluorescent Lamps And In Situ Capture By New Nanomaterial Sorbents”. Environmental Science & Technology, pp.5772-5778.
[16]. Li, Y., & Jin, L. (2011). “Environmental Release of Mercury from Broken Compact Fluorescent Lamps”. Environmental Engineering Science, pp.687-691.
[17]. Durão, W., Castro, C., & Windmöller, C. (2008). “Mercury reduction studies to facilitate the thermal decontamination of phosphor powder residues from spent fluorescent lamps”. Waste Management, pp.2311- 2319.
[18]. Aucott, M., Mclinden, M., & Winka, M. (2003). “Release of Mercury from Broken Fluorescent Bulbs”. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, pp.143-151.
[19]. Cheng, H., & Hu, Y. (2010). “Curbing Dioxin Emissions From Municipal Solid Waste Incineration In China: Rethinking About Management Policies And Practices”. Environmental Pollution, pp.2809-2814.
[20]. Salthammer, T., Uhde, E., Omelan, A., Lüdecke, A., & Moriske, H. (2012). “Estimating human indoor exposure to elemental mercury from broken compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)”. Indoor Air, pp.289-298.
[21]. Shao, D., Liang, P., Kang, Y., Wang, H., Cheng, Z., Wu, S.,Wong, M. (2011). “Mercury species of sediment and fish in freshwater fish ponds around the Pearl River Delta, PR China: Human health risk assessment”. Chemosphere, pp.443-448.
[22]. Yang, H. (2010). "Historical mercury contamination in sediments and catchment soils of Diss Mere, UK." Environmental Pollution, pp.2504-2510.
[23]. Best, H. (2009). “Structural and Ideological Determinants of Household Waste Recycling: Results from an Empirical Study in Cologne, Germany”. Nature and Culture, 167-190.
[24]. Eckelman, M., Anastas, P., & Zimmerman, J. (2008). “Spatial Assessment of Net Mercury Emissions from the Use of Fluorescent Bulbs”. Environmental Science & Technology, pp.8564-8570.
[25]. Jang, M., Hong, S., & Park, J. (2005). “Characterization and recovery of mercury from spent fluorescent lamps”. Waste Management, pp.5-14.
[26]. Wang, X., Sato, T., Xing, B., & Tao, S. (2005). “Health Risks Of Heavy Metals To The General Public In Tianjin, China Via Consumption of Vegetables And Fish”. Science of The Total Environment, pp.28-37
[27]. Lee, K., Chon, H., & Jung, M. (2008). “Contamination level and distribution patterns of Hg in soil, sediment, dust and sludge from various anthropogenic sources in Korea”. Mineralogical Magazine, pp.445-449.
[28]. Lin, Y., Larssen, T., Vogt, R., & Feng, X. (2010). “Identification of fractions of mercury in water, soil and sediment from a typical Hg mining area in Wanshan, Guizhou province, China”. Applied Geochemistry, pp.60- 68.
[29]. Zhou, H., & Wong, M. (2000). “Mercury accumulation in freshwater fish with emphasis on the dietary influence”. Water Research, pp.4234-4242.
[30]. Qiu, G., Feng, X., Wang, S., Fu, X., & Shang, L. (2009). “Mercury distribution and speciation in water and fish from abandoned Hg mines in Wanshan, Guizhou province, China”. Science of the Total Environment, pp.5162-5168.
[31]. Carpi, A., & Chen, Y. (2001). “Gaseous Elemental Mercury as an Indoor Air Pollutant”. Environmental Science & Technology, pp.4170-4173.
[32]. Salthammer, T., Uhde, E., Omelan, A., Lüdecke, A., & Moriske, H. (2012). “Estimating human indoor exposure to elemental mercury from broken compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)”. Indoor Air.
[33]. Cheng, H., & Hu, Y. (2010). “China Needs to Control Mercury Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Incineration”. Environmental Science & Technology, pp.7994-7995.
[34]. Corazza, A., & Boffito, C. (2008). “Mercury dosing solutions for fluorescent lamps”. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, pp.144007-144007.
If you have access to this article please login to view the article or kindly login to purchase the article

Purchase Instant Access

Single Article

North Americas,UK,
Middle East,Europe
India Rest of world
USD EUR INR USD-ROW
Pdf 35 35 200 20
Online 35 35 200 15
Pdf & Online 35 35 400 25

Options for accessing this content:
  • If you would like institutional access to this content, please recommend the title to your librarian.
    Library Recommendation Form
  • If you already have i-manager's user account: Login above and proceed to purchase the article.
  • New Users: Please register, then proceed to purchase the article.