Energy-saving lamps contain toxic gaseous mercury, recycling becomes a major challenge
His home was gradually switched entirely to energy-saving lamps, which broke after just over two years. Mr. Fan of Nanping didn't dare throw them away: "Energy-saving lamps contain gaseous mercury, and improper disposal is especially harmful to the environment and the human body." He feared harming his body by holding them, and feared polluting the environment by throwing them away—so how can they be recycled?
For energy-saving lamps, the market offers no effective recycling channels. Therefore, when purchasing energy-saving lamps, consumers should try to choose products with stronger quality assurance.
Energy-saving lamps used for over two years, broken
According to reports, energy-saving lamps produce 5 times the light of incandescent bulbs, saving 80% in electricity and lasting 6 to 10 times longer. The rated lifespan of ordinary fluorescent lamps is 2,000 hours, while energy-saving lamps have a rated lifespan of 3,000–5,000 hours, with some reaching 8,000–10,000 hours. If used 5 hours a day, they can last about 4 years. However, Mr. Fan's energy-saving lamp broke after just over two years of use.
When energy-saving lamps were promoted the year before last, Mr. Fan's family first replaced three. Since they found the energy-saving lamp light very good, over the past two years they gradually replaced all the incandescent lamps in the house. Starting last year, the two energy-saving lamps that had been replaced first gradually dimmed, until finally there was no light at all.
On the 7th, the author visited several lighting fixture stores on Xinhua Road in Jiefangbei. Most energy-saving lamps have a replacement warranty of 1 to 2 years. Mr. Fan's lamp has exceeded 2 years, so it cannot be replaced with a new one.
1 milligram of mercury can pollute 360 tons of water; there is no channel for recycling energy-saving lamps
While looking through materials once, Mr. Fan accidentally discovered that energy-saving lamps contain gaseous mercury, and that most of the currently used high-efficiency electric light sources contain mercury. Data shows that, depending on the size and specifications of the energy-saving lamp, one energy-saving lamp contains 0.5–5 milligrams of gaseous mercury. If handled carelessly, mercury vapor escapes, and if a person inhales mercury vapor, once the mercury in the body exceeds the standard, it will harm the central nervous system, liver, kidneys, and other human organs.
When mercury vapor solidifies into liquid, it will also cause harm to nearby soil and water sources—1 milligram of mercury can pollute 360 tons of water. Whether to throw it away or keep it is a dilemma that troubles Mr. Fan.
"You can often see fragments of fluorescent lamps in garbage dumps," said Mr. Chen, who has been selling lamps at Jiefangbei for 7 or 8 years. There has never been an official recycling channel for lamps, so people usually just throw them away when they break.
It is understood that in recent years, Japan, Europe, the United States and other countries have actively participated in recycling light bulbs, with a recycling rate of 90%, while Taiwan's recycling rate has also reached 80%.
Some experts suggest that a complete recycling system for discarded energy-saving lamps should be established. Subsidies should be provided to energy-saving lamp manufacturers, and enterprises should be encouraged to carry out pilot programs for trade-in and recycling of discarded energy-saving lamps. The collected used energy-saving lamps should be sent to hazardous waste treatment centers for harmless treatment.
Quality varies; choose carefully
On the 7th, the author learned from several lighting stores on Xinhua Road in Jiefangbei that a 10+ watt Philips energy-saving lamp sells for more than 20 yuan, while OPPLE's is around 15 yuan, and brands such as Foshan Lighting and Cnlight are slightly cheaper at around 12 or 13 yuan. The cheapest ones can be bought for just a few yuan.
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A shop owner specializing in Philips energy-saving lamps said that there are many energy-saving lamps on the market now, but the quality varies considerably, ranging from a few yuan to 20-30 yuan each.
How do you distinguish the quality of energy-saving lamps? "You can't tell just by looking, but branded products offer better quality assurance." The owner said that most lighting stores allow trial use, and you must try them out before buying, comparing them with similar products of other brands on site. If the light isn't bright enough, or the lamp flickers, you should ask to try again or request a replacement.
Last December, the Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce conducted sampling inspections on the quality of energy-saving lamps in circulation. The results showed that among energy-saving lamps from 11 manufacturers in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shanghai and other regions, 5 groups of samples were unqualified, with the unqualified item being lamp power, including brands such as AOKETE and Dameifengxing.
It is understood that the main energy-saving lamp brands in China include OPPLE, Philips, and NVC. For household energy-saving lamps, OPPLE energy-saving lamps are recommended. OPPLE focuses on household lighting and offers a higher cost-performance ratio. Philips energy-saving lamps are more expensive with an average cost-performance ratio, while NVC focuses on commercial lighting.
When purchasing energy-saving lamps, please note the following points:
1. Check the manufacturer name, address, trademark, contact number, rated current, rated power, and other markings on the product packaging.
2. When selecting, pay attention to the part of the lamp you hold. You should hold the lamp housing, not the lamp tube directly with your hands, and then check the appearance. The housing should clearly indicate the lamp's registered trademark or manufacturer's name, rated voltage and voltage range, rated power, rated frequency, etc.; check whether the glass shell of the lamp tube is clean and free of bubbles, whether the phosphor coating inside the lamp tube is fine, free of particles, and uniformly white; the lamp cap and the lamp tube should be in a vertical position without tilting; the soldering platform of the lamp cap should be flat; finally, check whether the connection between the lamp cap and the lamp housing is firm and reliable — you can apply force to tighten the connection parts between the lamp cap and the lamp housing; when shaking the entire lamp by hand, there should be no sound.
3. Request to test the lamp. The light emitted by a quality lamp is very comfortable, but it may feel stimulating when looked at directly. The light from non-qualified products is like a layer of gray covering, and the colors on objects will appear distorted. The glass shell of the lamp tube should be clean and free of bubbles. The phosphor coating inside the lamp tube should be fine, free of particles, and uniformly white. The lamp cap and the lamp tube should be in a vertical position.
4. Self-ballasted fluorescent lamps (commonly known as energy-saving lamps) cannot be used in all dimmable luminaires. Since self-ballasted fluorescent lamps contain ballast circuits, it is best not to use them in places where the light source needs to be switched on and off frequently.
(Editor responsible: zl)