In his 1865 book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll introduced a character called the Mad Hatter. Although Carroll's Mad Hatter was fictional, the strange and unpredictable behavior he displayed was not uncommon among people employed in the hat industry in the 1800s. Mercury nitrate was used in the hat making process and constant exposure to the chemical eventually caused the hatters to develop mercury poisoning. While the connection between mercury poisoning and the hatters' behavior was not understood at the time, the term "mad as a hatter" was in common use.

Mercury is no longer used in the hat making process; however, it is used in the manufacture of many other products, including thermometers, batteries, and fluorescent lamps. A significant amount of mercury contamination today comes from fluorescent lamps discarded as solid waste. It takes only 25 discarded fluorescent tubes to contaminate a 20-acre lake.

Even if your state does not have regulations governing the disposal of mercury-containing products, you should always make sure that you dispose of such products properly. Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), extreme violations can result in civil or administrative penalties of up to $25,000 per day per violation. States may also impose fines.

H&H Industries, an internationally known lighting company, will not only sell you high-quality lighting products, we will also help you dispose of them safely when they finally do burn out. Phone or email us, and we'll tell you how.

Frequently Asked Questions about compliance and environmental issues

Are fluorescent lamps subject to the requirements of any Federal or State laws?

Yes. EPA studies have found that fluorescent lamps frequently test hazardous. As a result, they are subject to the provisions found in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as "Superfund," as well as analogous state hazardous waste laws.

What are the responsibilities of property owners and tenants regarding proper disposal?

Under RCRA, there are different requirements depending on the amount of waste generated. Generators of less than 220 pounds of hazardous waste per month are not subject to RCRA, and may send their waste to a municipal solid waste landfill.

Generators of more than 220 pounds per month should dispose of wastes containing RCRA-listed hazardous chemicals in an environmentally responsible manner, the preferred method being recycling followed by disposal in hazardous waste landfill. Regulated generators should not put wastes containing listed hazardous chemicals in the dumpster. Measure your generation rate by adding the gross weight of all wastes with toxic, reactive, corrosive, and ignitable characteristics. This includes such items as paints, solvents, fuel and oil, lamps, batteries, computer and communication equipment, and other such commercially used products.

Under CERCLA, all generators of waste regardless of size could be held liable in any subsequent Superfund cleanup at a land disposal site. Owners and operators of facilities may be held liable for response cost, if there is a release or threat of release of hazardous substance into the environment. Liability under CERCLA is broad and potentially costly, and can apply retroactively.

Some states, like Minnesota and Florida, have more stringent rules than Federal Laws.

What penalties do property owners and tenants subject themselves to if their waste disposal practices are out of compliance?

RCRA violations can result in civil or administrative penalties of up to $25,000 per day per violation. CERCLA violation costs are indeterminable until a release or a threat of release of a hazardous substance occurs, and the resulting legal fees and liability have been settled. States have various penalties.

How are mercury-containing lamp wastes generally disposed of, and where do they end up?

Used lamps frequently go into trash dumpsters. Many dumpsters leak mercury onto the parking lot. When the trash container is dumped into a truck, mercury-contaminated lamp powder escapes into the air. The balance ends up at a municipal solid waste landfill.

What health hazards are caused by mercury?

Mercury affects fetal development, preventing the brain and nervous system from forming normally. Affected children show lowered intelligence, impaired hearing, poor coordination, and delayed verbal skills. Mercury affects adult brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver.

Wildlife such as eagles, ospreys, loons, turtles, mink, and otters with mercury in their diet can experience early death, weight loss and reproductive problems.

How many four-foot fluorescent lamps does it take to contaminate an average 20-acre lake so that humans or animals are in danger of experiencing the above symptoms?

Twenty-five.

What other commercial products do companies use that contain mercury?

Thermostats, switches (contained in communication equipment such as telephones), thermometers, old alkaline batteries, button batteries, HID lamps such as metal halide, sodium and mercury vapor, some oil base paints, old latex paints (manufactured before August 1980), and fungicides for seed and turf.

What other steps can we take to reduce the release of mercury into the environment?

Coal-fired power plants are a major source of mercury pollution. Reducing demand for electric power means less mercury is emitted into the environment. Using energy efficient fluorescent lamps, chillers and boilers is another way to reduce energy use and mercury releases.

By reducing your use of mercury-containing items, recycling what you can, and disposing of all mercury waste properly, you can help keep mercury out of the water and the atmosphere, and keep the Mad Hatter in the storybooks.