Thus, while the 99% recycling statistic is important, it may understate the potential for lead contamination via this process. However, the situation would definitely be much worse if these batteries were being landfilled, as a single lead acid battery in a landfill has the potential to contaminate a large area. Lithium-ion batteries
onmental Protection Agency, 2015).The case studies given below illustrate how environmental contamination caused by the recycling of used lead-acid batteries can result in severe lead poisoning in a community, which may continue even after
Lead-Acid Batteries The single-biggest environmental issue with lead-acid batteries involves the lead component of the battery. Lead is a heavy metal with potentially dangerous health impacts. Ingestion of lead is especially dangerous for young children because their brains are still developing.
For batteries, a number of pollutive agents has been already identified on consolidated manufacturing trends, including lead, cadmium, lithium, and other heavy metals. Moreover, the emerging materials used in battery assembly may pose new concerns on environmental safety as the reports on their toxic effects remain ambiguous.
The batteries contain large amounts of lead either as solid metal or lead-oxide powder. An average battery can contain up to 10 kilograms of lead.
Accordingly, the amount of waste lead-acid batteries has increased to new levels; therefore, the pollution caused by the waste lead-acid batteries has also significantly increased.