Dear Reader:

Those fluorescent lamps you’re considering replacing with new LED are a toxic bomb, so we suggest you think carefully about their handling and disposition as you plan out your retrofit project.

They’ve got to be handled properly, because improper handling puts your employees and their families – particularly young children – at risk. Reason number two is because it’s the law. It’s hazardous waste, falling under the auspices of federal EPA guidelines, and your state’s EPA laws.

The World Health Organization explains the effects of Mercury on human health very well:

“Elemental and methylmercury are toxic to the central and peripheral nervous systems. The inhalation of mercury vapor can produce harmful effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys, and may be fatal. The inorganic salts of mercury are corrosive to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract, and ...