CFLS (COMPACT FLUORESCENT

LAMPS)

PRESENTATION BYKAMALVIR KAUR SID :13207005

ME ELECTRONICS

CONTENTS

Introduction

Study by ToxicsLink

Objectives of the study

Findings of the study

Recommendations

Conclusions

Contents….

International Scenario

Indian Scenario

Introduction

What is CFL?

A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), also called energy-saving light, is a fluorescent lamp designed to replace an incandescent lamp.The lamps use a tube which is curved or folded to fit into the space of an incandescent bulb, and a compact electronic ballast in the base of the lamp. Source: Wikipedia

CFLs vs Incandescent lamps

About 90% of the energy from an incandescent bulb is emitted as heat, and only about 10% of that energy is emitted as light.

Only about 30% of energy consumed by a compact fluorescent bulb is converted to heat. (Source: Progress energy, Florida ,Student Environmental Standard:Report on Mercury lighting)

Inside the CFL…

Inside CFL

The central element in a fluorescent lamp is a sealed glass tube.

The tube contains mercury and an inert gas, typically argon, kept under very low pressure.

The tube also contains a phosphor powder, coated along the inside of the glass.

The tube has two electrodes, one at each end, which are wired to an electrical circuit.

The electrical circuit, is hooked up to an alternating current (AC) supply.

Source: How Stuff works

Process Flow

Lamp turned on

Current flows through the electrical circuit to the diodes

Cathode emits electrons

Source : How Stuff Works

Process Flow

This energy changes the liquid mercury to a gas

As electrons and charged atoms move through the tube, some of them will collide with gaseous mercury atoms

Mercury atoms excited to a higher energy levels

Source : How Stuff Works

Process Flow

On de-excitation, these atoms release photons in UV range

The photons excite the phosphor atoms to higher levels

On de-excitation, phosphor atoms emit light photons in visible range (visible

to us) Source : How Stuff Works

ToxicLinks study

Toxics Link had undertaken a study in September 2011 to assess the total quantity of mercury present in CFLs in India with an objective to reduce mercury levels in CFLs and promote the issue of its end-of-life management.

Objectives of the Study

To detect the total mercury content in

CFL lights sold in India

To assess exceedance in mercury

levels in Indian CFLs as compared to

the global standards

To make recommendations to

regulators for mercury standards in

CFLs and end of life management for

CFLs.

How the study was done?

The study was done in New Delhi, India

Twenty-two samples of CFL lights of well-known brands were purchased from authorized dealers (brand names not disclosed)

Wattages vary randomly between 5 and 20 watts.

The CFL samples were sent to Delhi Test House

(NABL accredited lab – ISO/ IEC 17025:2005),

Azadpur, Delhi for analysis of mercury content.

There has been no universally acceptable

Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) for analyzing

mercury content in CFLs. ToxicsLink and Delhi

Test House have jointly developed the SOP for

this study

Findings of the Study

Average mercury content per CFL bulb was found to be 21.21mg (global standards at 5 mg)

Fifty percent of the samples analyzed were found to have a high average mercury content ranging between 12.24mg and 39.64mg

Findings..

A large variation of mercury content across different wattage even within a single brand was found.

In most brands the mercury content decreased with increasing wattage.(Reason : High light output (lumens) with lesser wattage implies more mercury)

Conclusions made by the Study Average mercury dosing in India is four to

six times the standards followed in some of the developed countries.

With the present growth rate,

approximately 8.5 tonnes of mercury would

be consumed on an annual basis

Such an amount would to be managed when

these units burn out or are discarded.

Conclusions..

There is no disposal mechanism or

infrastructure to deal with the

discarded and used-up lamps

No voluntary action being taken by

manufacturers to cap mercury dosing

in CFLs

Recommendations by the Study

The Government must come up with a

maximum limit for the mercury dosing

in CFLs.

At present, there are no regulations

(neither for consumer nor producer) for

proper disposal and recycling of CFLs

Recommendations…

The end-of life management must be

the joint responsibility of

manufacturers, regulatory agencies

and executive bodies

Consumers, too, have a responsibility

for the proper disposal of broken and

used-up lamps.

For recycling etc. the best-suited

technology must be decided based on

a collective dialogue between various

manufacturers.

Recommendations…

Cautionary (Hg) mark must be made

mandatory with specific amount

present in CFL.

Proper instructions on managing

broken CFLs also be provided.

International Scenario

The amount of mercury in CFLs is strictly

regulated in many countries

On February 26, 2011, Environment

Canada proposed a regulation that CFLs

will be subject to a maximum mercury

content limit of 3.5 mg.(Source: Ministry of Natural

Resources, Canada: Office of Energy Efficiency)

International Scenario…

In the European Union, it is restricted

to 5 mg under their RoHS regulations.

(ToxicsLink Study)

Waste collection agencies are set up in

US for collection of broken CFLs by EPA

(Environmental Protection Agency)

Indian Scenario

In India , CFLS have been exempt from

recent regulations .

Efforts undertaken (as reported by Central Pollution

Control Board) to reduced mercury dosing in

CFLs to an optimum level using

internationally best available technology

Indian Scenario…

But CPCB has not prescribed an

upper limit.

ToxicsLink study finds that CFLs in

India contain more than 10 times the

current 5 mg limit.

Indian Scenario..

The introduction of massive amounts of CFLs

in the market has led to broken and

discarded CFLs with nowhere to go.

These are dumped, lie around or are

sometimes scavenged for glass, metals and

electronic chips.

They cause exposure to wastepickers, also

leads to environmental contamination.

Indian Scenario..

The "Bachat Lamp Yojana" launched by the

Indian Government in Feb 2009 aimed at

the large scale replacement of incandescent

bulbs in households by CFLs.

But no initiatives for making the Indian

consumer aware of deadly effects and

proper disposal of mercury-containing CFLs

CFL and Mercury

There is currently no substance that

can serve as an alternative to

mercury to produce light in

fluorescent lamps .(Source: Ministry of Natural

Resources, Canada: Office of Energy Efficiency)

But the developed nations have

successfully regulated the amount of

mercury in CFLs

Philips

Only Televisions, Mobile phones and Monitors are

taken back at authorized collection centres.

The packaging of a CFL from Philips contains no

specific information on disposal or risks associated

with mercury contained in the bulbs. The information

on the packaging details the life expectancy,

wattage, a recycling symbol and an A rating.(Source:

VaporLok™ Products LLC is a company dedicated to providing

environmentally safe packaging solutions for mercury containing

materials, at Mankato, USA)

Havells

Havells is the first Indian electrical company to manufacture CFL with Pill Dosing Technology.

With help of pill dosing technology Havells have achieved mercury content of just 0.5 mg

What is Pill Dosing Technology

Most of the CFL manufacturers worldwide use

liquid mercury

It is extremely difficult to limit the weight of

liquid mercury.

In PDT, amalgamated mercury pills are used

instead of liquid mercury. Precise and controlled

amount of mercury is thus filled in CFLs

Health Effects

CFLs may pose an added health risk due to

the ultraviolet and blue light emitted. This

radiation could aggravate symptoms in

people who already suffer skin conditions

that make them exceptionally sensitive to

light.

(Source: European Commission

Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Heal

th Risks

(SCENIHR) in 2008 )

To be Continued….