What Do Fluorescent Light Bulbs Contain

When a fluorescent bulb breaks in your home some of this mercury is released as mercury vapor.

What do fluorescent light bulbs contain. The facts about light bulbs and mercury july 11 2011 noah long compact fluorescent lights cfls use about a quarter of the electricity of traditional incandescent light bulbs reducing energy. To minimize exposure to mercury vapor epa recommends that residents follow the cleanup and disposal steps described on this page. Virtually all components of a fluorescent bulb including metal end caps glass tubing and phosphor powder can be separated and recycled. An electric current in the gas excites mercury vapor which produces short wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor coating on the inside of the lamp to glow a fluorescent lamp converts electrical energy into useful light much more efficiently.

The broken bulb can continue to. The facts about cfls and. Cfls can help you save money use less energy reduce light bulb changes and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Mercury is an essential element in the operation of fluorescent lighting.

Because cfls contain trace amounts of mercury it is important to educate yourself on proper use recycling and disposal of these products. If you only have a few fluorescent light bulbs needing recycling you may be able to take advantage of your local county s household hazardous waste hhw drop off site. Cfls and the other light bulbs listed above contain a small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. It is a necessary component to make the bulb work and is the reason fluorescent bulbs should not be.

Recycling cfls and other fluorescent bulbs allows the reuse of the glass metals and other materials that make up fluorescent lights. Incandescent halogen and led bulbs do not contain mercury. It allows the bulbs to be an efficient light source. A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a low pressure mercury vapor gas discharge lamp that uses fluorescence to produce visible light.

Read a full list of which bulbs contain mercury. Compact fluorescent light bulbs cfls and mercury. What to do if a compact fluorescent light cfl bulb or fluorescent tube light bulb breaks in your home1 fluorescent light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. Fluorescent tubes compact fluorescent germicidal blacklight metal halide and other hid light bulbs all contain mercury compounds.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs cfls the recommendations on these pages apply to all mercury containing light bulbs. Recyclers often sell the metallic portions as scrap metal.