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Most discarded MCLs (about 80%) and MCDs come from commercial
and governmental facilities, while the rest are generated from households and
other residential buildings. Many commercial and governmental facilities do
periodic relamping to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings and to
save on energy costs. These efforts are to be encouraged as reductions in energy
use may also have benefits in respect to lower emissions (including mercury)
from certain fossil fuel power plants.
Mercury Containing Lamps (MCLs): Using US
EPA and manufacturer data, the annual discards of fluorescent
lamps, which make up the vast majority of MCLs, and MCDs for
Florida have been estimated since 1995. About 39 million
fluorescent lamps were estimated to be discarded in Florida in
2002. Four-foot fluorescent lamps, the most common type of
fluoresent lamp sold, were estimated to have an average mercury
composition of about 10 milligrams (mg) per lamp based on the lamp
manufacturing industry’s data. Prior to 1994, new fluorescent
lamps sold in the US were reported by this industry to contain an
average of about 41.6 mg. Beginning in 1994, this average dropped
to about 22.8 mg of mercury per this lamp type. . Fluorescent lamp
manufacturers have continued to reduce the amount of mercury their
lamps contain through source reduction, and the average mercury
content in four-foot fluorescent lamps dropped to about 8 mg in
lamps made in 2001. This would be about an 80% reduction in the
mercury content of these lamps over the last ten years. Based on
an average lamp life of four years, fluorescent lamps that are
discarded beginning in 2005 will be assumed to have an average
mercury concentration of about 8 mg.

Mercury Containing Devices (MCDs):
Florida’s current estimates of discarded MCDs and the mercury they
contain comes from a variety of sources including US EPA reports
and manufacturer-reported information. The types of MCDs included
in Florida’s estimates are mercury-containing thermostats,
thermometers, and electric switches (e.g., light switches,
displacement relays, and boat bilge pump float switches). Since
1997, MCDs have been the largest source of mercury in Florida’s
MSW stream. The chart above and table below show the mercury in
MCLs and MCDs that are estimated to have been discarded in
Florida’s MSW since 1995 in comparison with other sources. For
more information on the sources of mercury in Florida’s MSW, see
Chapter 5 “Special Wastes” of the “Solid
Waste Management in Florida 2001-2002 Annual Report"
Table I
Estimated Mercury in Florida Municipal Solid Waste, 1995 - 2002
Estimate, in Tons |
| Product Category |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2002% |
| Household Batteries |
7.4 |
5.6 |
2.0 |
1.7 |
1.3 |
1.4 |
2.3 |
2.1 |
34% |
| Electric Lighting |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
.07 |
.07 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
0.3 |
12% |
| Mercury Devices |
3.0 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
2.5 |
3.0 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
3.0 |
49% |
| Other |
0.4 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
4% |
| |
| TOTALS |
12.0 |
10.1 |
6.5 |
5.4 |
5.3 |
5.5 |
6.4 |
6.0 |
100% |
|