There is a very small amount of mercury in fluorescent lamps to encourage ionization; Much more in mercury vapor lamps.
Fred Townsend From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, March 27, 2009 2:18 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [PSES] Hg in Display Units - MA Legislation I was under the impression that vacuum fluorescent displays are high-vacuum triodes, not gas/mercury triodes, where the anode is coated with a phosphor that glows when struck by electrons (no mercury involved, similar to the "magic eye" tubes that were popular in radios during the 1930s for tuning indicators, and more akin to CRTs than fluorescent lamps). Fluorescent lamps are relatively low vacuum diodes (that conduct both directions), where the mercury is excited by electrons, emits ultraviolet as it returns to ground state, and then the phosphors convert the ultraviolet to visible light. Donald Borowski Schweitzer Engineering Labs Pullman, WA, USA [email protected] wrote on 03/27/2009 12:00:02 PM: > Hello Listees, > > I have just learned about recent legislation in > Massachusetts that requires manufacturers of products containing Hg > to register with the state and establish recycling programs. My > company markets deli scales, some of which use a vacuum fluorescent > display lit by very small fluorescent lamps. I understand that > computer monitors use the same type of lamps. > I find it hard to believe that there wouldn't be an > exemption for users of such small amounts of Hg. I am familiar with > the Northeast states IMERC regulations and these same units already > comply with their usage reporting, marking and instruction manual > requirements. > I'd appreciate if any of the other manufacturers within this > group, whose products also use these small fluorescent lamps, would > comment concerning how they're complying with the new regulations. > Thanks in advance. > > Good day, > > Richard I. Pittenger > Agency Approval Engineer > Food Retail Systems > Hobart - This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to <[email protected]> All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.ieeecommunities.org/emc-pstc Graphics (in well-used formats), large files, etc. can be posted to that URL. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/request/user-guide.html List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html For help, send mail to the list administrators: Scott Douglas <[email protected]> Mike Cantwell <[email protected]> For policy questions, send mail to: Jim Bacher: <[email protected]> David Heald: <[email protected]> - This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to <[email protected]> All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.ieeecommunities.org/emc-pstc Graphics (in well-used formats), large files, etc. can be posted to that URL. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/request/user-guide.html List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html For help, send mail to the list administrators: Scott Douglas <[email protected]> Mike Cantwell <[email protected]> For policy questions, send mail to: Jim Bacher: <[email protected]> David Heald: <[email protected]>
