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The Environmental Impact of the
Manufacture use, and disposal of
the used batteries
Batteries in the modern day world
have become very common and almost everyone uses it, in
the sense that they provide energy for a wide range of
products that are used across all segments, from households
to large industrial enterprises. They are also a major source
of backup power for activities that require unlimited power
supply.
Environmental Effects Associated with Battery
Disposal
According to a research conducted by Richland’s
Environmental Education Programme, an average person
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residing in the United States owns about two button
batteries, ten disposable alkaline batteries (A, AA, AAA, 9V,
etc.) and throws away about eight household batteries per
year. This might seem to be a very negligible amount that is
discarded, but imagine the entire population of the United
States (291 million+ people “2003 estimates”) are throwing
away used batteries, or even better, the amount of
batteries disposed by the world population (approximately
6 billion according to the 2003 World Population Data
Sheet) (if it was like that in 2003 imagine the amount of
batteries getting disposed now!). This would be an
insurmountable heap of solid waste with environmental
effects.
For humans, both lead and cadmium can be taken only by ingestion or
inhalation. Mercury another harmful metal can even be absorbed
through the skin, although this metal's use in batteries has declined
greatly due to laws and regulations that have been put in place to reduce
its content. These harmful substances penetrate into the soil,
groundwater and surface water through landfills and also release toxins
into the air when they are burnt. Cadmium is easily taken up by plant
roots and accumulates in fruits, vegetables and grass. The impure water
and plants in turn are consumed by animals and human beings, who then
fall prey to a host of ill-effects. Studies indicate that nausea, excessive
salivation, abdominal pain, liver and kidney damage, skin irritation,
headaches, asthma, nervousness, decreased IQ in children and
sometimes even cancer can result from exposure to such metals for a
sufficient period of time.
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However we can avoid that from happening by simply “RECYCLING”
the batteries instead of disposing them and affecting other people.
Everyone must’ve heard about the term recycling or at least have come
across it before (so there’s no excuse for people who still don’t recycle
batteries instead of disposing them) and plus there are many recycling
bins in the streets so it has become easier to recycle things than before.
Some advantages that recycling offers include:
 Saves natural resources
 Saves energy
 Reduces pollution
ETC.
 Many organizations have been set up to promote proper disposal
and recycling of batteries in order to provide a safer environment.