International Programs

In 2006, EPA began working on Arctic Navy bases, where the Russian Navy had accumulated over 150,000 mercury-containing lamps which are subject to breakage and release of mercury vapors.

Researchers have found alarmingly high levels of mercury in the blood and tissues of polar bears, seals, and indigenous people in the Arctic. Mercury depletion events take place each spring during polar sunrise, when the sun first appears after weeks of winter darkness. Mercury is depleted from the air above the Arctic during this transitional period and accumulates on the snow pack, on sea and on land. This phenomenon is called “Arctic Sunrise”.

Each fluorescent lamp, which is used by the Russian Navy in the Arctic, contains up to 1g of vaporized mercury. If broken, the mercury vapors are being released into the environment and contribute to the “Arctic Sunrise”.

EPA, in partnership with the U.S.DoD and Russian Ministry of Defense, has established a model mercury lamp recycling facility at Navy Yard 10, above the Arctic Circle. The system was successfully tested in September of 2008. During the start-up of the facility, 300 mercury-containing lamps were recycled. The system is capable of recycling a wide variety of mercury-containing products, such as thermometers, barometers, switches and stabilizers. As a result of EPA’s work, the Russian Navy has, for the first time, established a budget line item for recycling of mercury-containing lamps to ensure sustainability. Other EPA partnerships in Russia will also reduce significant mercury releases in the Arctic.

The picture shown above is the mercury-lamp recycling facility at Navy Yard 10, Polyarny.