While energy efficient compact fluorescent lamps consume less electricity and lead to less emissions from power plants, they do contain mercury – a hazardous material. Does the mercury they contain pose a risk to consumers? Overall, in terms of mercury emissions, are compact fluorescent lamps beneficial to the environment compared to other lamps?

1. Concerned
about Mercury in
Energy Saving
Lamps ?
Mercury is a hazardous and closely
regulated substance. We can for
In view of the small amount of mercury any risk to the environment. However,
instance be exposed to this heavy
and the exceptional nature of this facilities that collect and recycle them
metal when eating contaminated
event, it is very unlikely that such a could pose a local, environmental risk
fish or using products that contain
breakage would pose any health risks if they do not deal appropriately with
mercury. Accidentally inhaling or
to adults. The risk to a fetus exposed potential mercury releases.
swallowing large quantities of
through its mother is negligible. There
mercury can lead to severe health Therefore the opinion of the EC Scientific
are no specific data on potential risks to
effects. Committee on Health and Environmental
children, but risks are also expected to
Risks (SCHER) is that compact fluorescent
be negligible. As a matter of precaution,
lamps offer a net environmental benefit
1 hat are Compact Fluorescent
W in case children play in a room where a
compared to incandescent and halogen
Light Bulbs? CFL has been broken, it is best to aerate
light bulbs, even when mercury content
the room and to perform a thorough
Energy-efficient compact fluorescent is taken into account.
cleaning to avoid them swallowing
light bulbs, in short CFLs, are a compact
small amounts of mercury when putting
version of the familiar long fluorescent
fingers and objects with contaminated
(“neon”) tubes. They consume about 5 1 What can I do?
dust in their mouth.
times less electricity than incandescent
3 se energy saving lamps and recycle
U
light bulbs, thereby reducing emissions
1 re energy-saving lamps
A them to reduce mercury pollution.
from power plants, but they contain
increasing mercury pollution? Switching from inefficient bulbs to
some mercury – a hazardous metal.
compact fluorescent lamps saves
Over their entire life, and compared
energy and reduces overall mercury
to incandescent light bulbs, compact
1 an the mercury they contain
C emissions even if the bulbs are
fluorescent lamps save significant
harm me? not recycled eventually. Bringing
amounts of energy. As a result, they
these bulbs to collection points for
The mercury contained in CFLs cannot lead to a reduction of mercury emissions
recycling at the end of their useful
escape from the bulbs, except if they linked to power generation. Overall,
life, rather than throwing them
break. This is why old CFLs must be this saving in mercury emissions exceeds
away with unsorted waste allows the
carefully disposed of with hazardous the amount of mercury they contain
mercury to be recovered and reduces
waste for special handling and not and that they could release if broken or
emissions even further.
discarded with unsorted household inadequately discarded with unsorted
waste. waste. 3 imit exposure if a compact
L
fluorescent lamp breaks accidentally
When a CFL breaks, a small amount of Indeed, producing electricity in coal-
by airing the room before cleaning
mercury vapour is released and can be fired power plants leads to the release
the lamp with a wet cloth, avoid skin
breathed in by someone in the room. of mercury to the environment. Since
contact with debris and do not use a
Concentrations in the air can be briefly close to a third of Europe’s electricity
vacuum cleaner.
relatively high, but fall rapidly as the is produced from coal, using any type
vapour turns to small liquid droplets. If of light bulb contributes to mercury 3 ead more on energy saving light
R
the room is not ventilated sufficiently emissions, even if the lamp itself contains bulbs, the phase-out of inefficient
and cleaned thoroughly, this mercury no mercury. lamp types and what European
may stick to surfaces or dust for some legislation is already in place at
It is very unlikely that the use and disposal
time. www.e-lumen.eu
of compact fluorescent lamps poses
This fact sheet is based on the scientific opinion “Mercury in Certain Energy-saving Light Bulbs“, an
opinion adopted on 18 May 2010 by the European Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks
(SCHER) of the European Commission.
The detailed and nuanced view of SCHER on this issue is available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/health/
scientific_committees/environmental_risks/docs/scher_o_124.pdf
EUROPEAN
COMMISSION