Why do fluorescent lights contain mercury?
Mercury is used to generate light in all fluorescent lamps. When electric current passes through mercury vapor, the mercury emits ultraviolet energy. When this ultraviolet energy passes through the phosphor coating, it produces light very efficiently. Today, there are no known energy efficient substitutes for mercury in fluorescent lamps. As the lamp operates, the mercury is slowly absorbed by the various internal parts of the lamp. Because mercury is consumed during operation, a certain amount of mercury is necessary to achieve a long lamp life. The significantly reduced amount of mercury in Ecolux lamps is designed to optimize the balance between long lamp life and environment concern.
