One possible way of dealing with the mercury scare

Recently, there has been mounting criticism and concerns expressed on whether compact fluorescent lamps (or CFLs) are the most viable energy-saving lighting solution. Several articles even claimed that CFLs cause adverse effects to human beings and to the environment, such as mercury leakage when the bulb breaks or fire hazards when the lamp reaches its end of life. But are CFLs genuinely the evil-doer? The following should give a better idea of how Megaman is working towards the creation of genuine eco-friendlier and user-friendlier bulbs by resorting to a liquid mercury-free manufacturing process.

Since April 2007, CFLs have been considered to be one of the major culprits contaminating the environment because of the mercury used. The truth is CFLs require mercury to illuminate. However, technological advancements have allowed modern CFLs to provide high-quality illumination performance with lower mercury levels of about three to five milligrams. A general Megaman lamp, for example, contains mercury levels of about 2mg or less. A standard Megaman 11W Classic A60 contains only 1.3mg of mercury.

Nowadays, amalgam has become an increasingly popular ingredient used in CFLs. It provides a greener alternative to liquid mercury because mercury vapour is only released when it reaches a certain temperature, say, 65°C (an intolerable temperature for the human body), but this would depend on the specifications of the lamp. Amalgam is eco-friendlier to employ because the mercury content is entirely concealed inside the metal alloy and does not escape even if the lamps break or are disposed of improperly. This makes the lamp both easier and safer to handle and it will not lead to land and water contamination. Consequently, Megaman has been employing liquid mercury-free manufacturing process in the manufacture of its lamps since January 2008.

Despite the advantages of using amalgam, the majority of CFLs in the market are still employing liquid mercury to lower production costs. This, in turn, poses a high risk of intoxication if the lamp is accidentally smashed, which leads to mercury leakage. Studies have shown that a room should be evacuated for at least 15 minutes if a bulb is broken. This is to ensure that the mercury has been completely vapourised before re-entry.

Apart from the mercury spill, brushing up the bits and pieces of shattered glass is also awfully irritating. This is why Megaman lamps are armoured with a silicone protection to avert all this. This durable heat-resistant material is enveloped over the glass cover of the bulbs to shield against shattered glass and other components when the bulb breaks accidentally. Even if the mercury does vapourise from the amalgam, the mercury content remains enclosed within the silicone protection. This ensures that everything stays integral before proper disposal and treatment.

However brutal the accusations may be, CFLs actually work to minimise mercury from entering our air, where it most affects our health. According to statistics provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency, the highest source of mercury in our air comes from burning fossil fuels, such as coal. Seventy per cent of power plants are coal fired and, hence, burn fossil fuel to produce energy. These power plants in general emit 10mg of mercury to produce the electricity to run an incandescent bulb compared to only 2.4mg of mercury required to run a CFL for the same time. In other words, CFLs are responsible for less mercury than incandescent bulbs.

Other common household items also contain far more mercury than the energy-savers. Examples include lithium watch batteries (25mg), thermometers (2,000mg), steam irons (3,500mg) and even dental fillings (500mg), just to name a few.

(The author writes on behalf of Megaman Malta, ESS Ltd)