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High Pressure Sodium HID Lamps: Another issue related to MCLs deals with the status of high pressure sodium (HPS)
HID lamps as hazardous wastes, and thus their eligibility to be included as universal wastes. The mercury they
contain is in an amalgam form with sodium that is in the inner ampoule of each of these HID lamps. Preliminary
testing by the Florida DEP has indicated that these MCLs do not exhibit the hazardous waste characteristic for
mercury. If this is confirmed by other testing, then it may have a significant effect on utilities and local
governments managing these discarded MCLs generated from the change-out of street and highway lights. However,
Florida's testing did indicate toxicity for the lead contained in the solder used in the bases of many of these
lamps. This finding may change in the future, however, since some lamp manufacturers have come out with no-lead
HPS HID lamps that they claim pass both the mercury and lead hazardous waste characteristics.
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