Disposal Hazards Of Lithium Batteries
More and more people are using household batteries. Any average person owns at least ten batteries and throws six out of them per year. It is recorded that nearly three billion batteries are being sold yearly and approximately ten per person or 32 for each family. A battery is a device that has the ability to switch chemical energy to electrical energy so that it provides enough power to electronic devices. Batteries containing heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and nickel contaminate the entire environment when the batteries are disposed improperly. When these batteries are incinerated, certain metals get released into open air or sometimes concentrate in the combustion process.
Disposal of lithium batteries are hazardous and may produce potential hazards such as it pollutes the streams and lakes as these metals get vaporized into the air when they are burned. They contribute to heavy metals that are potentially leached into the soil or ground water forming landfills. Exposing the environment as well as water to acid and lead is very harmful to health as it contains very strong corrosive acids. Such disposal of lithium batteries can cause burns or are very dangerous to skin and eyes. Dry batteries contribute nearly 88 % of total mercury and 50% of cadmium to the municipal waste stream.
The burned batteries also contain heavy metals such as mercury that vaporizes and escapes into the air. The controversy is about the household batteries. Most household batteries are disposed in waste landfills and even stores and other establishments throw the batteries and it ends in a trash. There is no recycling features in U.S. that which can turn out to be cost-effective. Batteries from the household are also hazardous. The method employed for processing storage batteries especially lithium thionyl choride batteries include discharging the batteries and also lowering the temperature. The manufacturing process also includes gaseous discharges and this gets mixed with water and as a result gets mixed with wash streams and becomes very hazardous.
Though, the lithium batteries are of great use it has hazards. Using it should be done carefully and similarly, disposal hazards of lithium batteries should be taken into concern. Throwing it in the environment is sure to come back to us as we are the one to survive in this environment. The lithium batteries when overcharges also turn to flames and in such conditions they are thrown in the open may lead to fire and damage the nearby electric poles or some important connection turning to be fatal. It is expected to be careful even during the disposal of lithium batteries to avoid hazards.
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