Despite the growing popularity of energy-saving fluorescent lamps, little has been done to address the issue of the safe disposal of the dangerous waste they generate.
Steady release of mercury into the air, soil and water poses a significant health risk. But, it appears, not for policymakers in India. Annually, a large amount of this toxic, complex metal is simply dumped into municipal landfills or released into the air from a “green” source — the millions of fluorescent lamps that are at the forefront of efforts to reduce power demand and carbon emissions.
Yearly, India's domestic production of fluorescent tube lights (FTL) and compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) involves the use of about eight tonnes of mercury, and imported CFLs, another three tonnes. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) agrees that despite the growing popularity of these lamps, little has been done to safely dispose of the toxic waste.
Higher mercury content in India
The Ministry decided to look into the issue and appointed a Task Force on Environmentally Sound Management of Mercury in the Fluorescent Lamp sector five years ago. The report of this panel is clear. The issue should not be allowed to drift, and both industry and government must take responsibility for the toxic waste element in end-of-life lamps. It is well known that when mercury turns into methyl mercury, it accumulates in fish. Human health, particularly that of foetuses, is greatly harmed when such fish is consumed. Inhalation of vapour also produces a variety of symptoms, and research on other health effects continues.
The lamp disposal problem is confirmed by the Ministry's Task Force when it says a part of the mercury from discarded units is released into the air, and the rest goes into the soil, contaminating surface and sub-soil water. The problem is acute in large cities, which absorb a large portion of about 400 million CFLs and 250 million FTLs that come to market.
There is one other sobering factor to take note of: the lamps made in India have a higher mercury content than those in the developed world, a point made by independent researchers and the Ministry's Task Force.
Under the rules, India does not specifically identify fluorescent lamps either as municipal waste, or hazardous waste. Mercury and mercury compounds are listed as a Class A substance under Schedule II of the Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008, but when they are contained in lamps primarily used in homes and offices, they inevitably end up in municipal waste.
Unlike the more diffused problem of mercury released into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels, especially coal, fluorescent lamps represent a secondary source of man-made contamination. This smaller but growing channel is more manageable, compared to, say, tackling mercury from coal-fired power plants or the chlor-alkali industry.
Recycling units
Surprisingly, the MoEF, and the State governments have not really confronted the problem for long. In December 2011, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Jayanthi Natarajan replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, said the Ministry and the Central Pollution Control Board had written to State Governments asking them to encourage establishment of recycling units so that fused CFLs and FTLs are properly collected, the mercury recovered and recycled scientifically. It is evident that not much progress has been made, although the report of the Ministry's technical committee on which the Minister relies is now four years old.
RTI in Chennai
State governments, which have not been able to properly implement the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 even under contractual PPP arrangements, appear clueless on how to deal with the fluorescent lamps question. The Corporation of Chennai, a civic agency handling a few thousand tonnes of waste everyday and disposing of it in two extensive dumps on the city's periphery, is one such. In reply to a Right to Information petition filed by this writer on the practices it adopts for collection, handling and disposal of fused fluorescent lamps (and batteries), the civic body responded as follows: “the said items are not falling under the category of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and hence it is not the responsibility of the Corporation of Chennai.” Yet, the lamps go into Corporation bins everywhere.
What this exposes is governmental indifference to a significant public health issue. Despite periodic monitoring of environmental questions by the courts, the States and their Pollution Control Boards have not acted to stop the release of this neurotoxic pollutant into the atmosphere. The mercury question provides an opportunity to cities to not just address one problem, but to adopt the Municipal Solid Waste rules in their entirety. Any move to segregate waste at the level of the consumer and remove recyclable materials can build the full chain of waste handling measures. This will reduce pressure on the environment from various waste sources such as batteries, plastic, glass and metal and help in resource recovery. This is exactly what the MSW rules envisage, but India has not been able to implement them for a decade now.
In the case of fluorescent lamps, the solution lies in providing a cash incentive to consumers to hand them over to civic or authorised recycling industry workers, with the recovery paid for by the manufacturers as part of the extended producer responsibility principle.
anant@thehindu.co.in
Comments:
The study is quite interesting. Panchayat and Municipalities have to do 'Saaf Safai' work (Collection, Transport & proper disposal) first but they have slowly abandoned this primary task and involved in a proactive way in approving plans of multistoreyed bldgs., fogging operations etc.. in view of bonanza of bribes involved. It is hightime for state governments to ponder seriously & assign only cleaning & sanitation works to these establishments and assign other activities to another agency so that things are improved.
I agree with the suggestion the author has, and I appreciate him for bringing an ignored issue to the fore.
The article would have made lot of sense if there were "concrete" suggestions on the way forward adressing weak areas in the current management practices. Cases describing how it is better managed is also useful, for example USEPA has declared 'Mercury-Containing Light Bulbs (Lamps)'as hazardous waste.I am surprised at the statement "diffused problem" of mercury from coal based power, especially if the research is pointing towards linking mercury/ mercury compounds exposure to IQ levels in children. The file photo displays logo of a specific organization involved in CFL manufacture - which I feel should be avoided.
Half of the atmospheric mercury emission is from natural resources like Volcanoes and half by human being which is mostly by core industry production. And now here is mercury containing light bulbs. Out of human generated mercury in atmosphere three percent is by waste disposal.
If municipal corporations says it(Fluorescent Lamps) is not in the category of Municipal Waste Material then at least it can seggregate and can transfer it to the concerned department. I am with author to pay in to people in lieu of giving the Mercury containig lamps for recyle. In my view Companies producing this light can offer discount on new lamp on returning the old/damaged/fused fluorescent lamp to any shop. later this can be collected by companies to recycle or for disposal in safe manner.People should also co-operate do keep their environment and surroundings clean and their children and their own health good.
This is a real eye opening article. This also expose the reality behind
how ignorant and short sited we are when it comes to environmental
issues. Yes I really think Pushpendra kumars suggestion "Shops taking
back used bulb and handing it over to companies for "safe" disposal or
possible recycle.
The Government, that may be central or state is empowered to restrict any type of new innovations even if it is benefitable to the public. In case of fluorescent lamps, early stage of authorisation of invention, the pros and cons of the product would have been discussed. And also the materials used in the product, whether it is hazardous to health of the public in long use.hence it is the problem created by the Government and It should be eradicated by the Government. Money waste, energy waste time waste etc., In this, my opinion is that if ever new innovations to be authorised it should be analysed in all aspects and should allow to be released with assurance that it does not affect the public in any way. If ever it effects the public, the production of the same should be stopped all over the country at the same time.``
The information shared is both interesting as well as alarming.Great job
done and thanks for that. We all see/realize the apathy of the Govt. / rule framers, executors and their supporters (judiciary and media as a whole) in toto, in all such small/insignificant looking issues but of immensely vital importance for mankind. Let us raise our voice in different places/ forums as a conscious human being.
This Article indicates how state & central govt ignore safety of country. The Environmental Ministry and Department always sleeping, when issue have overheat. The main Object to introduce of CFL is protection heat.
Mercury from CFLs is a really serious health hazard. In most Western countries, the
retailers are required to provide a free return service for such lamps even if these were purchased elsewhere. The whole thing is financed by a small surcharge imposed at the time of sale. In India where the concept of garbage disposal is practically non-existent, a stronger initiative would be required, e.g. by imposing a significant surcharge at the time of sale which would then be refunded at the time of returning an intact bulb. For it to be effective, one would need to set this surcharge to be really high, e.g. 25-50% of the price of the bulb. Otherwise, we will surely have our own Minamata scandal sooner or later where the poor doing garbage disposal by hand suffer and die miserably by the hundreds.
It is a very interesting article, government across the world are shifting to LED which is a better source of power saver option than compared to CFL / HPSV. A lot of large corporate in the field of light manufacture are not shifting to LED as they have already sitting on huge inventory of traditional lights. It is time govenment takes initiative to move to LED
Don't eat fish is the moral of the story...
A very interesting and eye-opening article. It is not only the safe disposal of bulbs that we are
lacking in..the vendors who collect newspapers refuse to collect cardboard or torn
paper..whereas, they are also recyclable. God knows why they refuse to take bits of paper
along with newspapers..anyway in the factory machine the papers are not going to remain
the way they are..they are going to get crushed..this is also a serious issue that has to be
give attention to. And regarding bulbs, perhaps some companies like greenpeace or exnora
can bring a solution...the government/civic body seems to be highly negligent.
Dhwani>it was Greenpeace, which endorsed these Bulbs when the objections started 5 years back regarding the hazard of CFLs. Some of us have been constantly nagging ELCOMA, BEE, TERI and the Ministry of Environment for the past 3 years, but they have been saying that they are still working out on the plans...
We are yet to recover from the tragedy of Bhopal.. and our Governments have not learnt anything from it... but this is a Million Bhopals waiting to happen soon...
and TV Channels like Times Now, NDTV and CNN will only start talking after 100s of ppl get sick from some contaminated pond.. no time for views, just sensational News
Mr. Santosh Raghavan>why not a Brand photo? that company does not print proper warnings on their cartons. call them and ask them what to do with your fused bulbs;they dont have a clue.. they are also LED Lighting manufacturers who can sell them at much lower prices, but have kept the prices high just to capitalise on the booming CFL market...
Mercury containing lamps should be disposed by implementing EPR(Extended Producer Responsibility). Government shall levy tax from OEM industy at point of sale. This tax amound would be utilized for Lamp Recycling Unit.