A new report released by the Clean Light Coalition has highlighted the environmental and health-related risks associated with fluorescent lamp breaks, especially as it pertains to vulnerable populations. The report provides concrete steps that industry, consumers, and governments can take to accelerate the transition to LED lighting. LED lighting is more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and mercury-free and are much more widely available.
The Coalition is called on the Biden Administration to support the global phase-out of fluorescent lighting by 2025, to help mitigate the risks of mercury. The Coalition also notes that the phase-out of fluorescent lighting aligns with the Administration’s Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis.
Alicia Culver, Executive Director of the Responsible Purchasing Network and co-author of the report stated, “Fluorescent lamps have been tolerated for decades because they were considered the most energy-efficient option, but this is no longer the case: LEDs are twice as energy-efficient as fluorescent lamps, last 2-3 times longer, and they don’t contain mercury.”
The report details:

• Health risks to those exposed to mercury, especially populations that are more vulnerable, such as pregnant people and their unborn babies, infants and young children, communities of color, and those living in low-income neighborhoods
• Health risks to workers exposed to mercury when lamps break during the manufacturing, installation, recycling, and disposal of fluorescent lamps
• Environmental hazards posed by the release of mercury in fluorescent lighting
• Benefits of transitioning to LED lighting now considered the most cost-effective and reliable lighting option in the U.S. marketplace

The report also reviews recommended steps that governments, businesses, and consumers can take to accelerate the transition to LED.
Click here to read the full article originally posted on October 15, 2021 by Inside Lighting.