No. 104 - Miljøstyrelsen
No. 104 - Miljøstyrelsen
No. 104 - Miljøstyrelsen
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Summary and conclusions<br />
Compact fluorescent lamps contain small quantities of healthhazardous<br />
mercury<br />
Compact fluorescent lamps represent one of the most efficient solutions<br />
available today to improve energy efficiency of house lighting – but compact<br />
and straight fluorescent lamps contain small amounts of the element mercury,<br />
which is hazardous to health. With this project, the Danish Environmental<br />
Protection Agency will examine whether there is a health risk associated with<br />
breakage of a compact or a straight fluorescent lamp in a private home.<br />
Therefore, the following is examined<br />
� types of compact and straight fluorescent lamps on the Danish market<br />
for private use, and<br />
� quantities of mercury and mercury compounds in these fluorescent<br />
lamps.<br />
Based on this information, a theoretical risk assessment is made of a potential<br />
accident with breakage of a fluorescent lamp emitting mercury vapour in a<br />
private home.<br />
The assessment is made partly as a theoretical calculation of quantities of<br />
mercury that expectedly will evaporate, when a compact fluorescent lamp or a<br />
straight fluorescent lamp breaks in a home; and partly through an assessment<br />
of measured concentrations in a home in the weeks after an accident with<br />
breakage of a compact fluorescent lamp. Concentrations are compared with<br />
known values for concentrations where health hazardous effects have been<br />
seen.<br />
The project has been commissioned by the Danish Environmental Protection<br />
Agency and carried out but FORCE Technology in the period from<br />
December 2009 to May 2010.<br />
What is mercury<br />
Mercury is a metallic element appearing as a free metal as well as in inorganic<br />
and metal organic compounds. Furthermore mercury can be mixed with other<br />
metals to form amalgams. Mercury (Hg 0 ) is the only metal which is liquid<br />
under normal pressure and temperature, and it appears as a heavy, odour-free<br />
silver liquid with a relatively high steam pressure at room temperature.<br />
Handling of liquid mercury will therefore mean exposure to invisible and<br />
imperceptible mercury vapours. Mercury vapours are seven times heavier<br />
than air and will disperse along the floor in a room with insufficient<br />
ventilation.<br />
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