Reducing Heavy Metals

Both lead and mercury are heavy metals that bioaccumulate and have an adverse effect on human health. However, lead is widely used in many lighting manufacturing processes, and mercury has long been an essential component of products such as fluorescent lamps and most HID lamps.

Mercury is found in many rocks including coal. When coal is burned, the mercury is released into the environment where it mixes with rain and ends up in rivers and lakes. Coal-burning power plants, which account for a little more than 50% of US electricity generation, are the largest human-caused source of mercury emissions to the air in the United States, accounting for about 40 percent of all domestic mercury emissions.

Incandescent bulbs contain no mercury per se, but contribute vastly higher amounts of mercury to the environment because of their demands on power output.

Focusing solely on the mercury within a lamp, however, obscures the bigger picture. By analyzing total mercury deposition associated with energy-efficient lamps, which requires taking into account lamp life and number of lamp replacements, performance factors, and mercury released due to disposal or destruction, we can clearly see the significant net gain from energy-efficient lighting.

SYLVANIA offers a wide range of low-mercury, long-life, high performance lamps – including the industry’s only mercury-free high-pressure sodium lamp. The most comprehensive line of environmentally preferable lighting products, ECOLOGIC lamps have little or no lead in their glass or bases, and little or no mercury in the HID and fluorescent lamp types. These products also offer additional features such as energy efficiency and long life, and are packaged using recycled and/or recyclable materials. With more than 800 products meeting strict ECOLOGIC guidelines and bearing the distinct “ECO” designation, SYLVANIA offers more environmentally preferable lamp types than any other manufacturer.

Since 1990, OSRAM SYLVANIA has reduced mercury content by over 92% in many fluorescent lamps. And they are continuing to find ways to further lower the mercury content in these lamps. Beginning in 2005, PENTRON® 4-ft T5 products are being manufactured using 40% less mercury. In addition, the manufacturing process has been redesigned for the OCTRON® T8 800 series to reduce their mercury content by 60%, extend their lamp life, and maintain and enhance their quality and performance.

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