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Mercury-containing lamp-recycling dust

Mercury-containing dust generated when mercury-containing lamps are crushed, sorted, and sieved in recycling operations.

Airborne form

dust

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

mercury toxicityneurologic symptomskidney damage concernmetallic or bitter tastedifficulty thinkingpersonality changes

Evidence

CDC and NIOSH report that workers at electronics-waste and lamp-recycling facilities can inhale mercury-containing dust; in an Ohio facility, mercury dust was produced during lamp crushing and sieved into ultrafine dust, six of 14 workers had elevated urine mercury, and five reported symptoms consistent with mercury toxicity.

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Abstract · 1
Workers in electronics waste and lamp recycling facilities are at risk of exposure to elemental mercury through inhalation of mercury vapor and mercury-containing dust. ... Results indicated that mercury vapor was detected throughout the facility, with six of 14 workers having elevated urine mercury levels. ... five reported symptoms consistent with mercury toxicity, such as metallic or bitter taste, difficulty thinking, and changes in personality.

The CDC report describes the process that creates the dust: mercury-containing bulbs are crushed, separated into glass, metal, and mercury dust, and the mercury dust is further sieved into ultrafine dust.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 9 · Facility and Work Process Description · 1
Lamp room workers load mercury-containing bulbs onto a conveyor for crushing. A sorting machine divides the bulbs into glass ... metal, and mercury dust (further sieved into ultrafine dust by the shaker).

In a NIOSH evaluation at a lightbulb recycler, investigators observed mercury-containing dust piles throughout the facility and found airborne mercury exposures exceeding NIOSH and ACGIH occupational exposure limits; the report recommends improved ventilation, housekeeping, and controls for workers exposed to mercury-containing dusts.

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page 2 · Our Key Findings · 2
Some employees had airborne mercury exposures exceeding NIOSH and ACGIH occupational exposure limits. We observed mercury-containing dust piles throughout the facility that can increase employees’ risk for exposure.

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