Host: Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste Management
With International Minamata Convention on Mercury agreed in 2013, the chemical is gaining global concerns due to its persistence in the environment and negative effects on human health. Thus, it is important to properly manage mercury-containing products such as fluorescent lamps after use. In 2013, approximately 150 million units of mercury-containing fluorescent lamps were put on the market in Korea. However, only 42 million units of fluorescent lamps were collected and properly disposed in the same year. Often times, it is very difficult to determine the distribution channels and disposal pathway of fluorescent lamps. In this study, we studied mass flow of mercury in used fluorescent lamps that are regulated by the extended producer responsibility (EPR) system in Korea. Substance flow of mercury in the lamps was estimated by material flow analysis (MFA). The MFA methodology is an analytical method of quantifying flow and stocks of materials or substances in a well-defined system based on mass balance approach.
