Study of Mercury-containing lamp waste management in Sub-Saharan Africa

1Introduction

1.1Mercury Lamp technologies

A mercury-containing lamp is an artificial light source that uses mercury in an excited state. The arc discharge is usually situated in a small arc tube made of fused quartz which is put in a larger glass bulb. This outer bulb is used for a protection from ultraviolet radiation and for thermal insulation. Mercury vapor lamps are wide spread in different regions of the world, as they can serve for a long time and they produce an intense lighting needed for many industrial and domestic purposes¹.

The most common lamps containing mercury and available on the international market are listed below.

High pressure mercury-vapor lamps. This is the oldest type of high pressure lamp, and is being replaced in most applications by metal halide and high pressure sodium lamps.²

High-intensity discharge (HID) lamps. The first generations of these lamps used mercury vapor. Mercury vapor lamps are falling out of favor and are being replaced by sodium vapor and metal halide lamps.¹

Fluorescent Lamps (FL). Nowadays, those are the most widely available technology to replace inefficient Incandescent Lamps (IL). They came into use in the mid-1970s in response to the 1973 oil crisis. The quality of FLs has been improving for both lifespan and mercury content. Two types of FLs are to be considered:

1. 
   Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL). For residential lighting mostly.
   
2. 
   Fluorescent Tubes or Tubular Lamps (TL). Used mostly by industries (warehouses, factories…), with a higher wattage than CFLs.
   

Figure : composition of a generic mercury-containing fluorescent lamp³TLs and CFLs account for most of the volume of mercury lamps today, but reliable market data for TLs were not readily available. Only data on the CFL market were collected and used for the market study.

On the global market, CFLs are rapidly replacing ILs, although ILs are still dominant compared. China is the world leader in lighting manufacturing, while distribution is dominated by OSRAM and Philips (see box below).

Box: Key figures for the international lighting and CFL market

In 2006, Worldwide CFL production was 3 billion units. 80% of these were produced in China. In 2006, IL worldwide production was around 13 billion units. China made 33% of these IL. 2010 CFL worldwide production is set to reach 4 billion units (perhaps more). A ban on IL in Europe (2012) and the USA (2014) suggests that production will be over 10 billion units in 2020. Philips and OSRAM account for more than 40% of the worldwide lighting market today.

1.1.1Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL)

There is no international label, standard or testing program on CFL to guarantee quality, but certification exists, such as the scheme promoted by the Efficient Lighting Initiative. But in general, no data were identified on the average quality of CFLs, which would require in-depth research.

CFLs can be classified according to their quality in 4 different groups of products (hereafter called market categories). High quality CFLs last longer and are therefore disposed of later, which implies lower annual amounts of mercury to be managed from End-of-Life bulbs. ⁴

Figure (Source: USAID): Categories of CFLs

Most programs financed by International Financial Institutions (IFIs), such as the World Bank, distribute high-quality CFLs⁵, which contain less mercury, thus limiting the potential impact on human health. But apart from these large promotional programs, lower quality technology is so far the most commonly available from retailers in developing countries.

The mercury content is not considered as a technical specification for Fluorescent Lamps, but the main manufacturing companies (OSRAM, Philips, etc.) aim, as a voluntary environmental-friendly measure, to reduce mercury use to the lowest technically feasible amount. In the United States, the mercury content in a 4 feet FL was reduced by four, from 48 mg to 11.5 mg, between 1985 and 1999⁶, and a CFL usually contains nowadays less than 3 mg of mercury.

1.2Promotion of energy efficient lighting

There has been a significant effort by the World Bank to promote energy efficiency in response to the recent power crisis, oil price volatility and climate change, with the ultimate goal of increasing access to electricity, making energy affordable to the poor and ensuring the financial sustainability of utility companies.

One important intervention supported by the Bank includes the large-scale deployment of energy-efficient lighting considered as offering the best returns, with fast-track measures to reduce electricity consumption and peak load.

Despite their undoubted benefits, fluorescent lamps may raise concerns regarding their End-of-Life, as they contain mercury. The issue of mercury in CFLs has been raised many times by decision makers and partners in the course of Bank operations. The Bank has been asked for advice on how to deal with the proper disposal of mercury. So far, the limited experience in developing countries has not been sufficient to identify best practices or to offer relevant advice or replicable experiences.

In addition, information has begun to circulate through the media and civil society about the dangers of CFLs, raising concerns among the end-users and generating negative publicity for this energy-efficient lighting technology. But this information does not appear to be backed up by reliable studies and data, so that proper statements on the actual dangers of CFLs are therefore necessary.