fast facts 

Compact Fluorescent Lamps January 2009 

Office of Compliance 

advancing safety, health, and workplace rights in the legislative branch 

www.compliance.gov 

Environmental issues are a top priority for many 

organizations. These days, it's hard to watch TV 

without hearing how businesses and institutions can 

help the environment by "going green." One 

increasingly popular way of contributing to the 

green movement is to install compact fluorescent 

lamps (CFLs), a fluorescent bulb designed to emit 

as much light as traditional light bulbs while using 

less energy. CFLs use about 75 percent less energy 

than standard incandescent bulbs and can last up to 

10 times longer. CFLs also produce about 75 

percent less heat, so they're safer to operate and can 

cut building cooling 

costs.

Fluorescent light bulbs 

(including compact 

fluorescents) are more 

energy-efficient than 

regular bulbs because 

of the different method 

they use to produce 

light (Figure 1). Regular bulbs (also known as 

incandescent bulbs) create light by heating a filament inside the bulb; the heat makes the filament 

white-hot, producing the light that you see. A lot of 

the energy used to create the heat that lights an 

incandescent bulb is wasted. A fluorescent bulb, on 

the other hand, contains a gas that produces invisible ultraviolet light (UV) when the gas is excited by 

electricity. The UV light hits the white coating 

inside the fluorescent bulb and the coating changes 

it into light you can see. Because fluorescent bulbs 

don't use heat to create light, they are far more 

energy-efficient than regular incandescent bulbs. 

Figure 1: Compact Fluorescent Lamp

Fluorescent lamps contain a 

small amount of mercury vapor 

- approximately 5 milligrams - 

sealed within the glass tubing. 

Mercury, at atmospheric pressure, is a silver colored liquid 

that tends to form balls. Mercury 

is a hazardous substance that can 

be inhaled, absorbed through the 

skin, and ingested. It is a neurotoxin that can cause - 

among many additional symptoms - tremors, insomnia, lassitude, weight-loss, and emotional disturbances. Because CFLs contain a small amount of 

mercury, they should be recycled rather than thrown 

out in the trash. 

Mercury is a critical component of CFLs and is the 

substance that allows the lamp to turn on. No mercury is released when the lamps are intact or in use, 

and if the lamp is disposed of properly, mercury in 

CFLs shouldn't be an environmental, safety, or 

health hazard. 

 

There are some applications and locations where 

compact fluorescent lamps cannot be used. Unless 

specifically allowed, fluorescent fixtures and compact fluorescent lamps cannot be used for emergency lighting systems. Such systems may switch to 

battery power in an emergency. While incandescent 

lamps can operate on either AC or DC, the electronics of a CFL lamp may malfunction if DC 

power is used. Emergency power systems may also 

not generate the same voltage as normal commercial 

power, and this can cause ballasts to overheat or 

malfunction. 

Figure 2:Burnt out CFL 
fast stats 

• Each year, retailers sell approximately 130-150 million CFLs. 

• Older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury, the equivalent of 100 CFLs. 

• Organizations using 50 CFLs (100 watts each) save about $550/year in electricity costs. 

• CFLs must be disposed of in accordance with 40 CFR § 273.13. Go to http://

edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2007/JulQTR/pdf/40CFR273.13.pdf for information.

 Thanks to Mike Garrott of the House Chief Administrative Office for suggesting this topic. 

 

 

This information does not constitute advice or an official ruling of the Office of Compliance or the Board 

of Directors and is intended for educational purposes only. For further information, please refer to the 

Congressional Accountability Act (2 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.) and the regulations issued by the Board, or you 

may contact the Office of Compliance.

The Office of Compliance advances safety, 

health, and workplace rights in the U.S. 

Congress and the Legislative Branch. Established as an independent agency by the 

Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, 

the Office educates employees and employing offices about their rights and responsibilities under the Act, provides an impartial 

dispute resolution process, and investigates 

and remedies violations of the Act. 

If you have any questions, please do not 

hesitate to contact the Office of Compliance: 

Room LA 200, John Adams Building 

110 Second Street, SE 

Washington, D.C. 20540 

t/ 202-724-9250 

tdd/ 202-426-1912 

Peter Ames Eveleth f/ 202-426-1913 

General Counsel 

Mary-Margaret Smith 

Editor Download the entire Fast Facts suite at http://www.compliance.gov 

Compact fluorescent lamps can't be used in certain life-safety applications. For example, some incandescent lamps must be able to reach immediately their full brightness at all ambient temperatures. These types 

of lamps should not be replaced with a fluorescent lamp of any type. Currently, it is not recommended that 

CFLs be used in vibrating environments such as near or part of heavy machinery. Vibration can cause the 

electronics in the CFL to fail. 

When a CFL is broken, wear chemical resistant gloves to clean it up. The gloves can be vinyl, rubber, PVC, 

or neoprene. The gloves protect your skin from absorbing mercury and from getting cut by the glass. The 

remains of one lamp can be disposed as normal waste since the amount of mercury is small, but use care 

when handling and disposing of the broken glass. Mercury-containing lamps are classified as a “Universal 

Waste” so government facilities must follow federal EPA regulations for storing and disposing of worn-out 

or broken lamps.