VaporLok Products, LLC has announced VaporLokCapture, a breakthrough adsorbent technology used in fluorescent lamp and compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) storage and shipping containers for capturing mercury vapor from broken lamps and CFLs. VaporLokCapture is a new feature to be incorporated into the company’s patented Mercury VaporLok® fluorescent lamp shipping and recycling system.   VaporLokCapture effectively adsorbs mercury vapors from broken lamps found within lamp storage, shipping or recycling containers. A recent study conducted by NUCON International Inc., a world-wide leader in providing gas, vapor and liquid phase adsorption solutions to the Nuclear Power and other industries, found that mercury vapor levels within packages containing broken fluorescent lamps exceed health and safety exposure limits and guidelines. ”   

“A University of Minnesota study in 2008 determined that almost all mercury lamp shipping and recycling packages leak dangerous mercury vapor if fluorescent lamps inside are broken,” said Brad J. Buscher, CEO of VaporLok Products, LLC. “Our Mercury VaporLok foil packaging provided a solution to this problem by containing nearly 100 percent of the vapor. Now we are moving forward again with a solution that not only contains the vapor but actually captures it within the container. This will provide an enhanced layer of protection against incidental mercury exposure if packages are opened with broken lamps or CFLs inside.”   Patent-pending, new VaporLokCaptur£ technology significantly minimizes this risk, effectively adsorbing and capturing the mercury vapor, achieving more than 95 percent mercury vapor reduction within the container. With this design, approximately 60 percent vapor reduction is achieved in as little as 15 minutes after lamp breakage, keeping vapor levels below the NIOSH IDLH guideline.  Using a proprietary process, the patent-pending adsorbent is manufactured with powdered activated carbon and inert chemicals. When lamps or CFLs break, the adsorbent immediately begins to capture the mercury vapor. In addition to broken lamps, VaporLokCapture is designed to adsorb mercury vapor from any device or product containing mercury.   

VaporLokCapture will be incorporated into VaporLok Products industrial and consumer CFL packaging solutions which include the Mercury VaporLok® zippered, foil-plastic laminate bag and VaporLokCapture adsorbant. Unlike other containers, these enhanced packages are nearly 100 percent effective in containing mercury vapor and more than 95% effective in adsorbing harmful mercury vapor—ensuring the protection of handlers, end-users, transporters and recyclers.