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 ob...
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| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
Washington, DC
2013
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| 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 |
| Summary: | 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. |
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