BulbEater Mark 2000

Environmental Benefits

Crushing these lamps for disposal or recycling releases the toxic mercury vapour and phosphor dust, and when incineration is used as an alternative disposal method it emits mercury vapours that can travel over 200 miles. Mercury travels easily from landfill soil to ground water. It is highly toxic to the human nervous system and particularly poisonous to the kidneys. Once absorbed by the body, mercury is distributed by the blood to all tissues of the human body, and it easily crosses the placental barrier; prenatal exposure can lead to a variety of health problems including a severe form of cerebral palsy.

• In 1992 there were 26,000 tons of lamp waste disposed of in landfill sites in Canada-which included 2.4 tons of mercury. (Chemical Industry Division-Environment Canada)
• Each year, an estimated 500 million fluorescent lamps are disposed of in U.S. landfills amounting to 30,000 metric tons of mercury waste.
• The EPA reports that 187 incinerators nationwide emit approximately 70,000 pounds of mercury each year.
• In 1992, mercury was added to the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) list of hazardous substances. (The EPA's regulatory threshold of 2 mg/litre is usually exceeded by mercury containing lamps).
• Mercury is number three on the 1997 list of hazardous substances as outlined by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the EPA.

Traditionally, the storage of spent tubes awaiting disposal has leant itself to potential injury with regard to smashing them, either accidentally or by design. A fluorescent tube which is dropped, knocked, smashed with a hammer or thrown into a dumpster explodes with a terrific force and can shower glass fragments up to a twenty foot radius. In addition, temporary packaging of the glass shards and metal fragments in lightweight garbage bags may also subject a person to injury.