Estimation of mercury amount in the components of spent U-type lamp.
Spent U-type lamps are strongly encouraged to be separately managed in Korea, because U-type lamps are categorized as a household waste and thereby could not be managed properly. Determination of mercury amount in the components of U-type lamp, such as plastics, glass tube and phosphor powder from 3 U-type lamp manufacturers (A, B and C), is carried out to estimate the mercury content in spent U-type lamps. Regardless of lamp manufacturers, the portion of mercury in phosphor powder was higher than 90%, but that in plastics and others was less than 1%. At an air flow rate of 1.0 L/min, the range of the initial mercury concentration in vapor phase for U-type lamp was between 849 and 2076 µg/m3from 3 companies. The estimated mercury amount in vapor phase of U-type lamp was in the range from 0.206 mg for company A to 0.593 mg for company B. And the portion of mercury in vapor phase in the total amount of mercury was estimated in the range from 3.0% for company A to 6.7% for company B. Hence, it is desirable to get rid of mercury from phosphor powder in order to perform U-type lamps recycling.
a Department of Environmental Engineering , Kyonggi University , Suwon , South Korea.
Seung-Whee
SW
Rhee
D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D006794:Household Articles; D008029:Lighting; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D014866:Waste Products / Q000032:analysis*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D014866:Waste Products; D008628:Mercury
U-type lamp; component; mercury concentration; recycling; separation