Energy saving fluorescent lamps contain very small amounts of mercury in order to obtain optimum energy conversion in the light generation process. No mercury is emitted from lamps when in use which is why they are safe, both in regard to human health and the environment.

No other material has been found to replace mercury and reach comparable energy efficiency. Energy saving lamp technologies do not all need mercury. For instance, energy saving halogen lamps as well as most LED based lamps do not contain mercury.

Over the past 25 years innovative ways have been developed to increase lamp performance while minimizing the use of mercury. The mercury content of lamps has therefore been reduced by more than 90%. Its presence is regulated by national and international legislation. For instance in the European Union context the European Restriction of Hazardous Substances or RoHS Directive , which currently limits the amount of mercury used in energy saving fluorescent lamps to 5mg. This will reduce to 2.5mg in 2012 if current proposals for a reduction are agreed.

Over the past 25 years innovative ways have been developed to increase lamp performance while minimizing the use of mercury. The mercury content of lamps has therefore been reduced by more than 90%. Its presence is regulated by national and international legislation. For instance in the European Union context the European Restriction of Hazardous Substances or RoHS Directive , which currently limits the amount of mercury used in energy saving fluorescent lamps to 5mg. This will reduce to 2.5mg in 2012 if current proposals for a reduction are agreed.

n the US, effective as of January 1, 2010, the California Lighting Efficiency and Toxics Reduction Act applies RoHS to general purpose lights, i.e. "lamps, bulbs, tubes, or other electric devices that provide functional illumination for indoor residential, indoor commercial, and outdoor use.

If you break a CFL, do not panic. CFLs contain very small amounts of mercury. Breathing in mercury vapor is the main avenue of entry into the human body. At room temperature, elemental mercury is a liquid which evaporates slowly. This evaporation quickens in higher ambient temperatures. If a lamp is broken while burning, some of the mercury is already in vapor form and will get into the atmosphere. After lamp breakage, most of the mercury will cling to the fragments, and evaporates over time. Ventilating the affected area considerably reduces mercury vapor levels.

The following steps are recommended:

• Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
• Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
• Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
• Be careful not to cut yourself on glass parts.
• If the lamp was broken in a luminary, always make sure to disconnect the power to avoid the risk of electric shock before removing the remaining lamp components!
• Gather up the fragments of the lamp, sweeping them up if possible and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
• Use a disposable towel or sticky tape to remove small pieces or dust. Place towels in the glass jar or a sealed plastic bag.
• Use a vacuum cleaner only if the surface leaves no alternative (like a carpet). After that, dispose of the vacuum bag containing the lamp fragments. Do not continue using the vacuum bag.
• Remove the fragments of the lamp from the inside of your home, carrying them outside and disposing them as appropriate (Check with your local government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some areas do not allow normal trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center)
• Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
• Ventilate the room as long as possible.

No mercury is emitted from lamps when in use and they are safe with regard to human health and the environment. However, recycling is essential for lamps containing mercury. Mercury emissions from lamps can only be prevented if end-users separate end-of-life lamps from household waste and use established take-back structures.

Across Europe for instance and in some states in the U.S., industry and regulators have set up systems to collect and recycle all discharge lamps, including CFL. In the EU following the WEEE Directive , lamps are taken back free of charge for end users. All CFL lamps are marked with a crossed-out wheeled dust bin logo, indicating that they should not be disposed of with regular household waste but should be returned making use of existing local waste deposits according to national legislation.

In the recycling process mercury is removed from gas discharge lamps, materials like glass or metals are recovered. More than 80% of the material in lamps is recycled.

Today society uses a huge variety of electrical equipment to make life more comfortable. However, every piece of electrical or electronic equipment creates an electromagnetic field (EMF) in the close surrounding area of the equipment within which it operates. This also applies to electric lamps. EMF emitted by energy saving lamps is well within safety limits. Scientific experts identified no health impacts from EMF emitted by energy saving lamps.

Energy efficient lighting savings potential: