NATIONAL TECHNICAL REGULATION ON MERCURY CONTENT IN FLUORESCENT LAMP

Foreword

QCVN 02:2020/BCT is developed by the Drafting Team, submitted by the Vietnam Chemicals Agency for approval, appraised by the Ministry of Science and Technology and promulgated together with the Circular No. 45/2020/TT-BCT dated December 21, 2020 by the Minister of Industry and Trade.

NATIONAL TECHNICAL REGULATION ON MERCURY CONTENT IN FLUORESCENT LAMPS

I. General

1. Scope

This Regulation provides for technical requirements, test methods and regulatory requirements for mercury content in fluorescent lamps specified in the Appendix hereto.

2. Regulated entities

This Regulation applies to producers, importers and traders of fluorescent lamps containing mercury specified in the Appendix hereto, regulatory bodies and other related organizations and individuals.

3. Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation, the terms below shall be construed as follows:

3.1. “maximum limit of mercury” means the maximum permissible amount of mercury in a fluorescent lamp.

3.2. “fluorescent lamp” means a low pressure mercury-type discharge lamp in which most of the light is emitted by one or more layers of phosphorous material excited by the ultraviolet radiation created by the discharge.

3.3. “compact fluorescent lamp (CFL)” means a low-pressure mercury-vapour gas discharge lamp which has an integrated cap and starter.

3.4. “linear fluorescent lamp (LFL)” means a fluorescent lamp with a long tube.

3.5. “cold cathode fluorescent lamp for electronic displays (CCFL)” means a small diameter fluorescent lamp having cold cathode in the lamp in which most of the light is emitted by the excitation of phosphors in discharge tube and used as backlighting in LCD.

3.6. “external electrode fluorescent lamp (EEFL)” means a small diameter fluorescent lamp having cold cathode attached outside the lamp in which most of the light is emitted by the excitation of phosphors in discharge tube and used as backlighting in LCD.

3.7. IEC stands for International Electrotechnical Commission which was established in 1906.

II. Technical requirements

1. Normative references

 Minamata Convention on Mercury in force as of September 21, 2017 to which the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam became a signatory on October 11, 2013.

1.2. TCVN 10172:2013 (IEC 62554:2011) Sample preparation for measurement of mercury level in fluorescent lamps

1.3. IEC 62321-4:2017 (Determination of certain substances in electrotechnical Products - Part 4: Mercury in polymers, metals and electronics by CV-AAS, CV-AFS, ICP-OES and ICP-MS).

2. Technical requirements

Permissible limits of mercury content in fluorescent lamps are specified in Table 1.

Table 1 - Limits of mercury content in fluorescent lamps