The PARCOM-decision 90/3 from 14 June 1990 recommends that all chlorine-alkali electrolysis plants (CAPs) in Western Europe utilizing the amalgam process shall be phased out for reasons of environmental protection at the latest by 2010. This recommendation was followed strictly in the re-united Germany (Buna Schkopau, Bitterfeld, Waldshut-Tiengen etc.), but also in various other countries and cost billions of Euro. - After fluorescent tubes contain nowadays exactly only that amount of mercury to bend US EPA toxicity criteria a new thread is now generated by mercury-containing energy saving lamps.
In the U.S., the mercury emissions of coal burning power plants are very high. Using energy efficient fluorescent lamps reduces these emissions. The quantity of mercury that is not released into the atmosphere due to the lowered consumption is much greater than the mercury that is present in the fluorescent lamps. Thus, on the whole, less mercury contaminates the environment. This is perhaps true in Europe as well, but perhaps it is not.
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Dear David,
Thank you for your interesting answer. - I have understood, that energy saving lamps are the lesser of two evils. That is an explanation, but economically it is maybe a naïve fallacy (see below).
As mining engineer I am aware that coal contains mercury and in case that it is burnt it will be released to the off-gas. The problem is, that the off-gas treatment obviously is not state-of-the-art in order to deal with that, because it is a cost factor. Another large emitter in the US is cement factories using fly ash as an additive, which also comes from power stations.
In case that all US coal-fired power stations would up-grade their off-gas systems to mercury emissions the economic damage would be less than that what maybe future generations will have to pay.
kind regards
Ruediger
There is a current push in the US to remove coal fired power plants and replace them with natural gas based power among other types of power.
Even if the coal fired power plants were not being removed, the power companies will fight any attempt to upgrade their facilities with better filters, etc. The law suits will take years, if not decades. In the mean time, they will be allowed to continue with what they were doing. So, using energy saving light bulbs and more efficient is a better option than waiting on industry to do the right thing.
Although the total environmental emission of Hg is lower using energy saving fluorescent lamps and by this the Hg immission [ng/m³] and the population exposure by inhalation, the risk of of a temporary high exposure in case of a broken hot bulp in the indoor environment increases.
Using a scenario with 2 (realistic estimates: 2-15 mg) mg Hg emission in a small (childrens) room with 15 m³ (pitch roof area) results in 133 [µg Hg / m³] . For a child (age 4 years, BW=20 kg, breathing rate 12 [m³/day]) this would result in an intake of about 20 mg Hg in a quarter of an hour. This corresponds to about 0.85 µg/kg for this event. The TWI for methylmercury of 1.3 [μg/kg b.w./week], expressed as total mercury (EFSA 2012). Without any consideration of other sources 65% of the weekly dose would stem from one broken lamp (containing 2 mg Hg).
Environmental aspects and a public heath view to the average exposure (not the high exposure situations) seems to have dominated the political decision makting, together with other interests.
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