The document discusses compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), including their usage, disposal, characteristics, and environmental impacts compared to incandescent bulbs. CFLs use less energy, last longer, and save money over time compared to incandescent bulbs. However, CFLs contain small amounts of toxic mercury that require special disposal procedures to avoid environmental pollution. Many areas now mandate recycling of CFLs due to mercury concerns.

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“Compact fluorescent lamps-range of
usage and disposal in kidangoor south
locality”

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ABSTRACT
The investigator selected survey method for done the project for regarding the range of usage
and disposal of CFL in the Kidangoor south locality. Survey was conducted in 15 houses in the
locality. For this purpose the investigator issuing a questionnaire. It contain 14 questions in the
check list method. A check list is a selected list of words, phrases or sentences following which
an observer records a check (yes or no) to denote the presence and absence of whatever being
observed. Here a list of questions are to the range and disposal of CFL in the locality by marking
a mark against it as YES or NO.

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INTRODUCTION
CFL is the symbol of energy of saving since 1980. By 1990s the sales of CFLs grew very
high because of the awareness programs. Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) is the smaller form
of fluorescent tubes, which is easy to install in any Lamp fixtures. National Lighting Product
information Program defines CFL as fluorescent lamps that have a tube of diameter of 16 mm or
less and circular CFLs. A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), also called compact fluorescent
light, energy-saving light, and compact fluorescent tube, is a fluorescent lamp designed to
replace an incandescent lamp; some types fit into light fixtures formerly used for incandescent
lamps. The lamps use a tube which is curved or folded to fit into the space of an incandescent
bulb, and a compact electronic ballast in the base of the lamp. CFLs use one-fifth to one-third the
electric power, and last eight to fifteen times longer. CFL bulbs consumes less energy than that
an incandescent that is being used. By changing all those incandescent to CFLs the energy
consumption is reduced. CFLs have a longer life span when compared to the other lamps in the
market. A CFL has a higher purchase price than an incandescent lamp, but can save over five
times its purchase price in electricity costs over the lamp's lifetime. Like all fluorescent lamps,
CFLs contain toxic mercury which complicates their disposal. In many countries, governments
have established recycling schemes for CFLs and glass generally. The purchase of a CFL is
based on two main factors. First one is the consumer’s subjective evaluation, and the second one
is preference for the product. But the consumers are hesitant to buy CFL because of high initial
cost. The consumer makes a purchase if he perceives that the resulting utility gained by investing
in the CFL is worth paying the first high cost, and giving a high return on investment (a short
payback period). Another point of view is that rather than assuming economic rationality,
consumers buying decision is affected by choices of other members of society.
1. CFLs as lamps intended to replace incandescent lamps and having overall lengths of eight
inches (20 cm) or less. CFL bulbs require low energy than what other bulbs requires for
operating.

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2. For example, a 27- watt CFL generates approximately 1800 lumens, compared to 1750 lumens
from a 100 watt incandescent. CFLs also have a significantly longer service life, 6000–15000
hours compared to 750–1000 hours for a standard incandescent.
3. Despite of the promotions activities growth of market was slowing down in the middle of
1990s. India takes 1/5 of total consumptions in the entire world which is comparatively high
when considered. Previously in India power was given in subsidized rate so that people were
spending it liberally without warring about appliances which is not the same now. So there is
good potential market for CFL bulbs.
The important factors of CFL usage are,
 CFL are energy saving bulbs.
 CFL have longer life span.
 CFL has better lighting.
 CFL are eco friendly
 Easy to install
 Fit regular lighting fixtures
CFL bulbs consumes less energy than that an incandescent that is being used. By changing all
those incandescent to CFLs the energy consumption is reduced. CFLs have a longer life span
when compared to the other lamps in the market. This is one factor which people should be
aware of for their regular usage where in they are actually lacking in. Once people understand
this factor they automatically change to the CFLs. Compared to the other lamps in market the
CFLs provide better lighting. This better lighting is not by using extra energy but by using lesser
energy than other lamps in the market. This is also one unique point that a user should follow to
reduce their electricity bill with better lighting. Energy literature proclaims that compact
fluorescent lamps (CFL) are an icon of energy efficiency, and that they have favorable economic
and environmental benefits over incandescent bulb. CFLs utilize electronic ballasts to reduce
flicker, improve power usage and reduce the startup time for the light; these electronic ballasts

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are lighter and quieter than the alternative, magnetic ballasts. Incandescent lights that are used
for more than two to four hours a day are ideally suited for replacement by CFL. The best CFL
introduction opportunities occurred where energy consumption is the greatest. Each time a CFL
is turned on and off a slight amount of its lighting ability is eroded, so that lights that are turned
on and off frequently or those that are only lit for short periods of time, are not ideally suited to
the use of CFL.
Characteristics
Lifespan
CFLs typically have a rated service life of 6,000–15,000 hours, whereas standard
incandescent lamps have a service life of 750 or 1,000 hours. However, the actual lifetime of any
lamp depends on many factors, including operating voltage, manufacturing defects, exposure to
voltage spikes, mechanical shock, frequency of cycling on and off, lamp orientation, and ambient
operating temperature, among other factors.
The life of a CFL is significantly shorter if it is turned on and off frequently. In the case of a 5-
minute on/off cycle the lifespan of some CFLs may be reduced to that of incandescent light
bulbs. CFLs produce less light later in their lives than when they are new. The light output decay
is exponential, with the fastest losses being soon after the lamp is first used. By the end of their
lives, CFLs can be expected to produce 70–80% of their original light output. The response of
the human eye to light is logarithmic. That is, while the human eye is highly sensitive to changes
in the intensity of faint light sources, it is less sensitive to changes in the intensity of brighter
light sources since the pupils compensate by dilating or constricting. So, presuming the
illumination provided by the lamp was ample at the beginning of its life, and the light output of a
bulb gradually decreases by 25%, viewers will perceive a much smaller change in light intensity.
Fluorescent lamps get dimmer over their lifetime, so what starts out as an adequate luminosity
may become inadequate.
Energy efficiency
Because the eye's sensitivity changes with the wavelength, the output of lamps is

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commonly measured in lumens, a measure of the power of light as perceived by the human eye.
The luminous efficacy of lamps is the number of lumens produced for each watt of electrical
power used. The luminous efficacy of a typical CFL is 50–70 lumens per watt (lm/W) and that of
a typical incandescent lamp is 10–17 lm/W. Compared to a theoretical 100%-efficient lamp (680
lm/W), CFL lamps have lighting efficiency ranges of 7–10%, versus 1.5–2.5% for incan
descents.
Because of their higher efficacy, CFLs use between one-seventh and one-third of the power of
equivalent incandescent lamps. Fifty to seventy percent of the world's total lighting market sales
were incandescent in 2010. Replacing all inefficient lighting with CFLs would save 409 terawatt
hours (TWh) per year, 2.5% of the world's electricity consumption. In the US, it is estimated that
replacing all the incandescents would save 80 TWh yearly. Since CFLs use much less energy
than incandescent lamps (ILs), a phase-out of ILs would result in less carbon dioxide (CO2)
being emitted into the atmosphere. Exchanging ILs for efficient CFLs on a global scale would
achieve annual CO2 reductions of 230 Mt (million tons), more than the combined yearly CO2
emissions of the Netherland. If a building's indoor incandescent lamps are replaced by CFLs, the
heat produced due to lighting is significantly reduced. In warm climates or in office or industrial
buildings where air conditioning is often required, CFLs reduce the load on the cooling system
when compared to the use of incandescent lamps, resulting in savings in electricity in addition to
the energy efficiency savings of the lamps themselves. However, in cooler climates in which
buildings require heating, the heating system needs to replace the reduced heat from lighting
fixtures. In Winnipeg, Canada, it was estimated that CFLs would only generate 17% savings in
energy compared to incandescent bulbs, as opposed to the 75% savings that could have been
expected without space heating considerations.
Cost
While the purchase price of a CFL is typically 3–10 times greater than that of an
equivalent incandescent lamp, a CFL lasts 8–15 times longer and uses two-thirds to three-
quarters less energy. A U.S. article stated "A household that invested $90 in changing 30 fixtures
to CFLs would save $440 to $1,500 over the five-year life of the bulbs, depending on your cost
of electricity. Look at your utility bill and imagine a 12% discount to estimate the savings."

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Health and Environmental impact
General
According to the European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly
Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) in 2008, CFLs may pose an added health risk due to the
ultraviolet and blue light emitted. This radiation could aggravate symptoms in people who
already suffer skin conditions that make them exceptionally sensitive to light. The light produced
by some single-envelope CFLs at distances of less than 20 cm (7.9 in) could lead to ultraviolet
exposures approaching the current workplace limit set to protect workers from skin and retinal
damage. However, industry sources claim the UV radiation received from CFLs is too small to
contribute to skin cancer and the use of double-envelope CFLs "largely or entirely" mitigates any
other risks.
Tests have shown that radiation exposure from CFLs is negligible at 150 centimeter distance
from the source. At closer distances, comparisons show that CFLs emit less UVA (long
wavelength) radiation than incandescent light bulbs. They do, however, emit higher levels of
UVB (short wavelength) radiation. UVA can penetrate deep into the skin while sufficient levels
of UVB can burn superficial layers. Closed (double-envelope) CFLs are shielded and emit a
lower total UV radiation compared to incandescent or halogen bulbs of a similar wattage.
For the average user, UV radiation from indoor lights does not appear to be a concern. For those
with skin sensitivity long term indoor exposure may be a concern, in which case they may want
to use a bulb with lower UV radiation output. There seems to be more variability within bulb
types than between them, but the best option is shielded CFLs.
A 2012 study comparing cellular health effects of CFL light and incandescent light found
statistically significant cell damage in cultures exposed to CFL light. Spectroscopic analysis
confirmed the presence of significant UVA and UVC radiation, which the study's authors
conjectured was attributable to damage in the bulbs' internal phosphor coatings. No cellular
damage was observed following exposure to incandescent light of equivalent intensity. The

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study's authors suggest that the ultraviolet exposure could be limited by the use of "double-
walled" bulbs manufactured with an additional glass covering surrounding the phosphor-coated
layer. When the base of the bulb is not made to be flame-retardant, as required in the voluntary
standard for CFLs, overheating of the electrical components in the bulb may create a fire hazard.
Mercury content
CFLs, like all fluorescent lamps, contain mercury as vapor inside the glass tubing. Most
CFLs contain 3–5 mg per bulb, with the bulbs labeled "eco-friendly" containing as little as 1 mg.
Because mercury is poisonous, even these small amounts are a concern for landfills and waste
incinerators where the mercury from lamps may be released and contribute to air and water
pollution. In the U.S., lighting manufacturer members of the National Electrical Manufacturers
Association (NEMA) have voluntarily capped the amount of mercury used in CFLs. In the EU
the same cap is required by the RoHS law. In areas with coal-fired power stations, the use of
CFLs saves on mercury emissions when compared to the use of incandescent bulbs. This is due
to the reduced electrical power demand, reducing in turn the amount of mercury released by coal
as it is burned. In July 2008 the U.S. EPA published a data sheet stating that the net system
emission of mercury for CFL lighting was lower than for incandescent lighting of comparable
lumen output. This was based on the average rate of mercury emission for U.S. electricity
production and average estimated escape of mercury from a CFL put into a landfill. Coal-fired
plants also emit other heavy metals, sulfur, and carbon dioxide.
In the United States, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that if all 270 million
CFLs sold in 2007 were sent to landfill sites, around 0.13 metric tons of mercury would be

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released, 0.1% of all U.S. emissions of mercury (around 104 metric tons that year). The graph
assumes that CFLs last an average of 8,000 hours regardless of manufacturer and premature
breakage. In areas where coal is not used to produce energy, the emissions would be less for both
types of bulb.
Special handling instructions for breakage are not printed on the packaging of household CFL
bulbs in many countries. The amount of mercury released by one bulb can temporarily exceed
U.S. federal guidelines for chronic exposure. Chronic, however, implies exposure for a
significant time, and it remains unclear what the health risks are from short-term exposure to low
levels of elemental mercury.Despite following EPA best-practice clean-up guidelines on broken
CFLs, researchers were unable to remove mercury from carpet, and agitation of the carpet —
such as by young children playing — created localized concentrations as high as 0.025 mg/m3 in
air close to the carpet, even weeks after the initial breakage. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has published best practices for cleanup of broken CFLs, as well as ways to avoid
breakage, on its web site. It recommends airing out the room and carefully disposing of broken
pieces in a jar. A Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) study of 2008
comparing clean-up methods warns that using plastic bags to store broken CFL bulbs is
dangerous because vapors well above safe levels continue to leak from the bags. The EPA and
the Maine DEP recommend a sealed glass jar as the best repository for a broken bulb.
How could mercury released from a broken CFL affect health?
Studies on exposed workers have shown that inhaling significant amounts of mercury can lead
to inflammation of the lungs, kidney damage, gastroenteritis, restlessness and shaking.
Swallowing a large dose of mercury can be fatal. Even exposure to lower levels over a long
period of time, can be harmful. Moreover, children and the foetus are known to be more
vulnerable to mercury.
When a fluorescent lamp breaks, the level of mercury vapour in the air of the room can briefly
be relatively high, but rapidly the vapour turns to liquid droplets that may stick to surfaces or
dust for some time, particularly if the room is not aired sufficiently and cleaned thoroughly. Thus
mercury could be inhaled or swallowed by people in the room. It is very unlikely that such a

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breakage would pose any health risks to adults and the risk to a foetus exposed through its
mother is negligible. Children tend to be more exposed than adults to the mercury released
though the added risk cannot be estimated at present. Indeed, compared to adults, children
breathe in more air for their size and are more physically active so they would inhale relatively
larger amounts of vapours. Young children also put fingers and objects in their mouth so are
more likely to swallow any droplets of mercury left on surfaces or dust.
Recycling
Health and environmental concerns about mercury have prompted many jurisdictions to
require spent lamps to be properly disposed of or recycled, rather than being included in the
general waste stream sent to landfills. Safe disposal requires storing the bulbs unbroken until
they can be processed.
In the United States, most states have adopted and currently implement the federal Universal
Waste Rule (UWR).Several states, including Vermont, New Hampshire, California, Minnesota,
New York, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island, have regulations that are more stringent than
the federal UWR. Home-supply chain stores make free CFL recycling widely available. In the
European Union, CFLs are one of many products subject to the WEEE recycling scheme. The
retail price includes an amount to pay for recycling, and manufacturers and importers have an
obligation to collect and recycle CFLs.
The first step of processing CFLs involves crushing the bulbs in a machine that uses negative
pressure ventilation and a mercury-absorbing filter or cold trap to contain mercury vapor. Many
municipalities are purchasing such machines. The crushed glass and metal is stored in drums,
ready for shipping to recycling factoris.
Why CFLs Recycling is Important?
Recycling prevents the release of mercury into the environment. CFLs and other
fluorescent bulbs often break when thrown into a dumpster, trash can or compactor, or when they
end up in a landfill or incinerator.
Other materials in the bulbs get reused. Recycling CFLs and other fluorescent bulbs allows the

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reuse of the glass, metals and other materials that make up fluorescent lights. Virtually all
components of a fluorescent bulb can be recycled.
Your area may prohibit disposal and/or require recycling. Some states and local jurisdictions
have more stringent regulations than U.S. EPA does, and may require that you recycle CFLs and
other mercury-containing light bulbs. Exit to contact your local waste collection agency, which
can tell you if such a requirement exists in your state or locality. We are aware that the
following states prohibit mercury-containing lamps from being discarded into landfills.
To clean-up a broken CFL:
Leave the room and ventilate for 5-10 minutes before starting clean-up.
Open windows and doors to the outdoors.
After ventilation, scoop broken glass and powder onto a piece of stiff paper or cardboard.
Do not vacuum at this time as it may spread mercury vapour or mercury-containing powder.
Use sticky tape to pick up smaller particles.
Wipe the area with a damp disposable cloth or towel.
Place all collected materials (broken glass, tape, cloth) in a sealed container such as a glass jar
with a tight fitting lid or 2 sealed plastic bags. Place outside until you take to a recycling centre.
After vacuuming the next few times, remove the vacuum bag or empty and wipe the canister
with a damp disposable cloth or towel.
How do I prevent breakage?
Handle the CFL by the base of the lamp to prevent glass breakage.
When the lamp is burned-out return it to your nearest recycling depot.

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NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE
Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) is the smaller form of fluorescent tubes, which is easy
to install in any Lamp fixtures. CFL bulbs consumes less energy than that an incandescent that is
being used. By changing all those incandescent to CFLs the energy consumption is reduced.
CFLs have a longer life span when compared to the other lamps in the market. A CFL has a
higher purchase price than an incandescent lamp, but can save over five times its purchase price
in electricity costs over the lamp's lifetime.
The benefits of CFL are,
 CFL are energy saving bulbs.
 CFL have longer life span.
 CFL has better lighting.
 CFL are eco friendly
 Easy to install
 Fit regular lighting fixtures
Like all fluorescent lamps, CFLs contain toxic mercury which complicates their disposal. When
a CFL is broken, the mercury vapour is released into the air. A small amount of mercury may be
left attached to the white phosphor powder. Studies on exposed workers have shown that
inhaling significant amounts of mercury can lead to inflammation of the lungs, kidney damage,
gastroenteritis, restlessness and shaking. Swallowing a large dose of mercury can be fatal. Even
exposure to lower levels over a long period of time, can be harmful. Moreover, children and the
foetus are known to be more vulnerable to mercury. The investigator observed that large amout
of used CFLis thrown in to the atmosphere in the locality. So the investigator decided to do this
project.

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Safely disposal of CFL is very signicant. 6 ways to dispose of old CFLs are,
1) Your local garbage service
Probably the best place to start is with whoever currently picks up your household trash or
recyclables. If you pay for this service, you'll almost certainly find a customer service number on
your bill. Give them a call and ask if they offer CFL or mercury recycling. If not, politely
suggest they do so. Here's an opportunity to write a letter, attend a meeting or take some other
activist role in highlighting the importance of proper CFL disposal. The appropriate follow-up
will depend on whether your trash service is privately or publicly held.
2) Municipal government
Whether or not local trash service is provided by a private contractor, your local municipality
(city, county or parish) is ultimately responsible for waste disposal.Most phone directories have a
"blue pages" directory of local government agencies. Try the listing for sanitation services.
While curbside recycling is by no means universal, your area may have designated drop-off
locations or periodic CFL collections. Should your local agency not have any CFL-specific
provisions, ask about safe disposal of mercury or fluorescent tubes.
3) Retailers
Unless you bought CFLs from Ikea, one of the first major vendors to offer a free take-back
program, you're probably going to get some blank stares when you ask the manager of your local
store about CFL recycling. It's worth the effort, though: retailers need to know their customers
want safe disposal of the good they purchase. If you bought your CFLs from Walmart, consider
contacting their corporate headquarters and asking that they establish a company wide CFL-
return program
4) Earth 911
Earth 911 is probably the United States and Canada's largest online clearinghouse of recycling
information. Visit their site and enter "CFL" and your ZIP code in the "Find a Recycling Center"
field at the top of each page. Alternately, try "mercury" and "fluorescent bulbs." If there's
something in your region, it will almost certainly be listed. Earth 911 is currently attempting to

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expand its coverage to Europe, the first step toward an international registry of recycling options.
5) Commercial services
There are a variety of for-profit companies that provide CFL and fluorescent bulb disposal by
mail. Failing a local option, these firms represent a responsible and environmentally friendly
channel for CFL recycling. Lightbulbrecycling.com, for instance, will send you a handy,
postage-paid plastic pail which will accommodate about 30 CFLs — more than most homes will
use in many years. Just drop your spent CFLs in their well-engineered pail, and call FedEx for
pick-up. The downside is that the service is quite expensive: about $120 per shipment. At today's
prices, this almost triples the unit price of your CFL. On the other hand, with the energy you'll
save with each bulb, you're still ahead of the game. You'll also know for sure that your CFLs are
being recycled in a safe fashion.
6) Dont bin your CFLS.
OBJECTIVES
 To find out the range of usage of CFLin the locality.
 To find out the ways of disposal of CFL .
 Based on the survey results, provide some suggestions regarding the safe disposal of CFL
in the locality.
THEORY
The principle of operation in a CFL bulb remains the same as in other fluorescent

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lighting: electrons that are bound to mercury atoms are excited to states where they will radiate
ultraviolet light as they return to a lower energy level; this emitted ultraviolet light is converted
into visible light as it strikes the fluorescent coating on the bulb (as well as into heat when
absorbed by other materials such as glass).
CFLs radiate a spectral power distribution that is different from that of incandescent lamps.
Improved phosphor formulations have improved the perceived color of the light emitted by
CFLs, such that some sources rate the best "soft white" CFLs as subjectively similar in color to
standard incandescent lamps.
Design
There are two types of CFLs : integrated and non-integrated lamps. Integrated lamps combine
the tube and ballast in a single unit. These lamps allow consumers to replace incandescent lamps
easily with CFLs. Integrated CFLs work well in many standard incandescent light fixtures,
reducing the cost of converting to fluorescent. 3-way lamp bulbs and dimmable models with
standard bases are available.
Non-integrated CFLs have the ballast permanently installed in the luminaire, and only the lamp
bulb is usually changed at its end of life. Since the ballasts are placed in the light fixture, they are
larger and last longer compared to the integrated ones, and they don't need to be replaced when
the bulb reaches its end-of-life. Non-integrated CFL housings can be both more expensive and
sophisticated. They have two types of tubes: a bi-pin tube designed for conventional ballast, and
a quad-pin tube designed for an electronic ballast or a conventional ballast with an external
starter. A bi-pin tube contains an integrated starter, which obviates the need for external heating
pins but causes incompatibility with electronic ballasts. Non-integrated CFLs can also be
installed to a conventional light fixture using an adapter containing a built-in magnetic ballast.
The adapter consists of a regular bulb screw, the ballast itself and a clip for the lamp's connector.
CFLs have two main components: a magnetic or electronic ballast and a gas-filled tube (also
called bulb or burner). Replacement of magnetic ballasts with electronic ballasts has removed
most of the flickering and slow starting traditionally associated with fluorescent lighting, and has
allowed the development of smaller lamps directly interchangeable with more sizes of

16. 16
incandescent bulb.
Electronic ballasts contain a small circuit board with rectifiers, a filter capacitor and usually two
switching transistors. The incoming AC current is first rectified to DC, then converted to high
frequency AC by the transistors, connected as a resonant series DC to AC inverter. The resulting
high frequency is applied to the lamp tube. Since the resonant converter tends to stabilize lamp
current (and light produced) over a range of input voltages, standard CFLs do not respond well in
dimming applications. Special electronic ballasts (integrated or separate) are required for
dimming service.
CFL light output is roughly proportional to phosphor surface area, and high output CFLs are
often larger than their incandescent equivalents. This means that the CFL may not fit well in
existing light fixtures. To fit enough phosphor coated area within the approximate overall
dimensions of an incandescent lamp, standard shapes of CFL tube are a helix with one or more
turns, multiple parallel tubes, circular arc, or a butterfly.
Some CFLs are labeled not to be run base up, since heat will shorten the ballast's life. Such CFLs
are unsuitable for use in pendant lamps and especially unsuitable for recessed light fixtures.
CFLs for use in such fixtures are available. Current recommendations for fully enclosed,
unventilated light fixtures (such as those recessed into insulated ceilings), are either to use
"reflector CFLs" (R-CFL), cold-cathode CFLs or to replace such fixtures with those designed for
CFLs. A CFL will thrive in areas that have good air flow, such as in a table lamp.
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
The investigator would conduct a survey regarding the“ Range of usage and Disposal of
CFL in the Kidangoor south locality,,
. The survey was conducted in 15 households at the locality.
The major results of the survey is found that, almost 13 houses (86.667%) would be used CFL
are their source of light. Other 2 houses (13.333%) used bulbs other than CFL. They think that
CFLs have more advantages than other types of bulbs. There was a difference in the brightness
of light. They also think that, CFL have more lifespan over other types of bulbs. High volt CFL

17. 17
are used in 12 houses,because high volt have some advantages over low volt bulbs. They are
used CFL in the free will. From the survey, in almost 5 houses (38.462%) the fused CFL would
be thrown away to the atmosphere. In another 5 houses, (38.462%) fused CFLs are put in to the
waste basket along with other types of wastes. The other 3 houses (23.076%) the used CFL is
crushed and put it into the surroundings. They don’t know , CFL have poisoning element and the
element mercury cause very hazadous impact on heath of human as well as animal. The
poisoning element mercury also would be pollutted the drinking water. It is more dangerous to
our life. The peoples in the locality was not know about the money will be got for giving back
the used CFLs. Safe disposal of CFL is that, put it in to the panchayath or municipality waste
basket and we sure that basket is only for the disposal of CFLs.

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CONCLUSION
A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), also called compact fluorescent light, energy-saving
light, and compact fluorescent tube, is a fluorescent lamp designed to replace an incandescent
lamp; some types fit into light fixtures formerly used for incandescent lamps. The lamps use a
tube which is curved or folded to fit into the space of an incandescent bulb, and a compact
electronic ballast in the base of the lamp. The benefits of CFL are, CFL are energy saving bulbs,
CFL have longer life span, CFL has better lighting, CFL are eco-friendly, Easy to install, Fit
regular lighting fixtures. Almost 87% houses would be used CFL bulbs. CFLs contain a very
small amount of mercury vapour (around 5 mg), which is approximately 100 times less than the
amount of mercury in an oral thermometer and roughly the amount that would cover the tip of a
pen. The white powder inside the bulb is a metallic com pound called phosphor. Studies on
exposed workers have shown that inhaling significant amounts of mercury can lead to
inflammation of the lungs, kidney damage, gastroenteritis, restlessness and shaking. Swallowing
a large dose of mercury can be fatal. Even exposure to lower levels over a long period of time,
can be harmful. Moreover, children and the foetus are known to be more vulnerable to mercury.
In our locality, CFL is used in almost all houses. There is a dangerous disposal of CFL in the
locality. It is very harmful to our heath and atmosphere. Safety disposal of CFL is very
signicant. 6 ways to dispose of old CFLs are,
1) Your local garbage service.
2) Municipal government.
3) Retailers.
4) Earth 911.
5) Commercial services.
6) Dont bin your CFLS.