Study of Mercury-containing Lamp Waste Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

The overall amount of mercury in the mercury containing lamps (MCL) market in Sub-Saharan Africa is low compared to other sources of mercury, yet it can be further reduced up-stream by improving lamp lifetime and mercury content. One of the main objectives of this report is to provide policy-makers with the knowledge and tools they need when confronted with a potentially significant flow of end of life mercury containing lamps and the potential mercury pollution it could generate, either airborne or by seeping through the ground to water bodies. The risks related to MCL waste are either low or easily controllable in the business-as-usual scenario with a domestic waste collection scheme and landfills. The design of the landfill, which should be engineered, is essential to reduce human exposure, environmental impact and associated risks. The most effective solutions to reduce overall mercury emissions, which are incineration with activated carbon filters and mercury extraction and which require a separate collection scheme, also result in the highest risk for the workers. Some alternative measures can be more effective and more sustainable; these require local involvement from the government to reinforce policies as well as broader involvement of lighting manufacturers at the international level. Another essential measure is to prepare the lighting market for a shift to other mercury-free lighting technologies. LED has been under the spotlight for several years now, but it will need further development before it becomes commercially viable, and even more so in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC 2010-07-20
Subjects:	ABSORPTION, ACTIVATED CARBON, AIR, AIR EMISSIONS, AIR POLLUTION, ALUMINUM, AMMONIA, AMOUNT OF EMISSIONS, ANAEROBIC CONDITIONS, ATMOSPHERE, BIOGAS, CALCULATION, CARBON DIOXIDE, CERTIFICATION, CHEMICALS, CLIMATE, CLIMATE CHANGE, COAL, COLLECTED WASTE, COLLECTION SYSTEMS, COMMERCIAL WASTE, COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS, CONTAMINANT, DISASTERS, DISPOSAL, DISPOSAL FACILITY, DISPOSAL OPERATION, DISPOSAL PROCESS, DISTILLATION, DOMESTIC SOLID WASTE, DOMESTIC WASTE, DOMESTIC WASTE COLLECTION, DOMESTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT, DUMP, DUMP SITES, DUST, ELECTRICITY, ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION, ELECTRICITY GENERATION, EMISSION, EMISSION CONTROL, EMISSION FACTORS, EMISSION REDUCTION, EMISSION REDUCTION POTENTIAL, EMISSION REDUCTIONS, EMISSIONS FROM COAL, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS, EVAPORATION, FINAL DISPOSAL, FOOD CHAIN, FROST, GARBAGE, GARBAGE TRUCKS, GAS FLARING, GLASS, GLOBAL EMISSIONS, GOLD, GOLD MINING, GROUNDWATER, H2S, HALIDE, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES, HAZARDOUS WASTE, HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION, HAZARDOUS WASTE LANDFILLS, HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT, INCINERATION, INCINERATOR, INDUSTRIAL WASTE, LANDFILL, LANDFILL DESIGN, LANDFILL GAS, LANDFILL OPERATION, LANDFILL OPERATORS, LANDFILL SITE, LANDFILLING, LANDFILLS, LEACHATE, MERCURY, MERCURY CONCENTRATIONS, MERCURY CONTAMINATION, MERCURY EMISSIONS, MERCURY POISONING, MERCURY POLLUTION, MERCURY VAPOR, MERCURY VAPORS, METALS, METHANE, METHYLMERCURY, MUNICIPAL LANDFILL, MUNICIPAL SOLID, MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE, MUNICIPAL WASTE, NH3, ORGANIC WASTE, PARTICLES, PLASTIC, POLLUTANTS, POWER PLANTS, PRODUCTION PROCESS, QUALITY STANDARDS, RAIN, RAINFALL, RAINWATER, RECYCLING, RECYCLING FACILITY, SCAVENGERS, SECURE LANDFILL, SEDIMENTS, SITE OPERATOR, SODIUM, SOIL POLLUTION, SOILS, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, SULFATE, TEMPERATURE, TOXICITY, TOXINS, ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION, WASTE COLLECTION SCHEMES, WASTE COLLECTION TRUCK, WASTE COLLECTION TRUCKS, WASTE CONTAINERS, WASTE DECOMPOSITION, WASTE MANAGEMENT, WASTE MANAGEMENT CHAIN, WASTE MANAGEMENT OPTIONS, WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, WASTE MANAGEMENT SCHEME, WASTE SOURCE, WASTE STREAMS, WASTE TREATMENT, WASTE TREATMENT FACILITY, WATER POLLUTION, WATER QUALITY, WATER RESEARCH, WIND, WIND SPEED,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2010/01/16403035/africa-study-mercury-containing-lamp-waste-management-sub-saharan-africa http://hdl.handle.net/10986/13004
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