High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Lamps

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High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps are a class of gas-discharge lights that produce intense
light by creating an arc between electrodes within a pressurized gas-filled bulb. Common types
include mercury vapor, metal halide, and high-pressure sodium lamps. Most HID lamps contain
mercury or other hazardous metals, making them regulated as Universal Waste.
 

Characteristics of HID Lamps:
• Require ballasts to operate.
• Operate at high temperatures and pressures.
• Often used in gymnasiums, stadiums, street lighting, and industrial buildings.
• Hazardous due to mercury content and pressurized glas

High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Lamps

  • Burned-out metal halide or sodium vapor bulbs from gymnasiums or outdoor fixtures.
  • Mercury-containing HID lamps from parking garages, building exteriors, or street lights.
  • HID bulbs removed during lighting retrofits or upgrades.
  • Spent lamps from facility maintenance and athletic departments.

Environmental Health & Safety:

Dipak Janda (Dk) Email: Dipakjanda@sfsu.edu

Telephone: (415)-542-8046

Who Removes the Waste:
Trained Facilities or EH&S personnel handle the transfer of HID lamps from work areas to central storage.

Where It Is Taken:
All HID lamps are taken to the Universal Waste storage area at the SFSU hazardous waste facility for secure staging and inventory prior to disposal

Who Removes the Waste:
Facilities staff or EH&S team members retrieve and consolidate spent lamps.

Where It Is Taken:
Tubes are transferred to the Universal Waste storage area, located in a secure, labeled space within the campus hazardous materials management facility.

  • Pickups occur quarterly or when sufficient volume accumulates.
  • Emergency pickups are arranged if breakage or over-accumulation occurs.

Lamps are transported by a certified Universal Waste handler.

Final processing typically includes:

  • Mercury reclamation via vapor capture systems
  • Recycling of metal components and glass
  • Disposal of non-recyclable materials in accordance with EPA and California DTSC regulations

All processes comply with 40 CFR 273 and Title 22 CCR Universal Waste management standards.

 

Contact Information

For further information about theFluorescent Light Tubes Management Program at SFSU or how you can get involved, please contact:

Environmental Compliance Specialist

Dipak Janda (Dk)