A study of lamp crushing machines was released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on August 24th, 2006. Air Cycle's Bulb Eater® system was one of the devices tested in the study (Manufacturer C).
Air Cycle applauds EPA's efforts to encourage the safe handling and recycling of fluorescent bulbs. As the EPA's report notes, the "recycling of spent lamps is one of the best ways to control the release of mercury to the environment from land filling of fluorescent lamps, by keeping mercury out of landfills in the first place."
The purpose of this study was to examine how well the drum top lamp crushing devices met the goal of containing mercury exposure. "I am pleased to see the readings so low, considering the study used what could be described as "worst case" scenarios and actual operator exposure would likely be significantly lower under prescribed normal conditions," said Scott Beierwaltes, President and CEO of Air Cycle.
"Specifically, the testing was performed in a confined space of roughly ten feet by ten feet with very little ventilation rather than in a well ventilated area as recommended by our company. Furthermore, twice the maximum recommended limit of lamps were crushed which is significant since most users only crush two drums worth of lamps per year, not two drums per use. Finally, the study was conducted at lamp recycling centers which have an elevated background level of mercury which would not likely be present in normal conditions. Despite these less than optimal conditions, we believe our product performed well during the tests, particularly when compared to the appropriate eight-hour time weighted average exposure limit put forth by OSHA," explained Mr. Beierwaltes.
Air Cycle is pleased to have participated in this important study and looks forward to an ongoing collaboration with EPA as we continue to incorporate best practices into our design and operations. Several of the safety suggestions noted in EPA's study, such as having a "helper" to speed up the drum change-out process to minimize exposure, choosing a well ventilated location for operation away from other workers, and improving seals are already being incorporated by Air Cycle.
Air Cycle Corporation is committed to reducing the amount of mercury released into our environment and to ensuring the safety of our operators. We believe the study was a good step in the process.
To learn more about the Bulb Eater® or if you have any questions regarding the EPA study, please call us toll-free at (800) 909-9709 or email info@aircycle.com.
Read the EPA report »
Fluorescent Lamp Recycling with the Bulb Eater®
Safely crushing and storing spent lamps in the Bulb Eater® prior to processing is the most efficient method of recycling large quantities of lamps. Operators can reduce labor requirements by up to 20 hours/1,000 lamps and storage space requirements by up to 80%.
Learn more » Bulb Eater® lamp crusher
