To date, there is no such person who at least once in his life did not use batteries. Every house has things whose work depends on them. However, not everyone thinks, and some do not even know why batteries should not be thrown away after use and how this threatens humans and the ecosystem.
What does a battery consist of?
Even one small battery contains heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, nickel, mercury, manganese, alkalis. Of course, while these substances are inside a working battery, they are not dangerous. But as soon as it becomes useless, many without a second thought send it to the trash, although each of them has an icon warning that the batteries should not be thrown away. Why not? Because the battery has the ability to decompose, and all the "charm" out of it comes out and goes into the environment, getting into water, food and air. How does this happen and what is the danger of these chemicals?
Why can't batteries be thrown into the trash?
It would seem that, well, they will go to landfill, and what is it? They will lie there and quietly rot. Not so simple.
A battery or battery is a time bomb. In a normal landfill, from corrosion or from mechanical damage, their protective metal layer is destroyed. Heavy metals are free and easily penetrate the soil, and from there - into the groundwater, which carry it all into lakes, rivers and reservoirs. Moreover, the discharge from a single finger-type battery can contaminate up to 20 meters of the earth and about 400 liters of water. That's not all. When batteries are burned along with other waste, dioxins are released that poison the air. They are able to move several tens of kilometers.
Irreparable harm to health
Plants are watered with polluted water, animals drink it, fish lives in it, and all this then gets to people on the table. Moreover, heavy metals do not evaporate even when boiled. They settle and accumulate in the body, causing irreparable damage to health.
So, lead can cause a disorder of the nervous system, a brain disease. Mercury is especially dangerous. It accumulates in the kidneys and can lead to their death. In addition, it affects hearing and vision. And when it gets into water bodies, then through microorganisms it turns into the so-called methylmercury, which is many times more toxic than usual. Thus, the fish consumes infected microorganisms, and methylmercury moves further along the food chain and reaches the human being. He, in turn, feeds on poisoned fish or other animals that ate this fish.
Cadmium is also no less dangerous. It is deposited in the kidneys, liver, thyroid gland, bones and causes cancer. Alkalis adversely affect the skin and mucous membranes.
How is the world solving this problem?
When the question of why batteries cannot be discarded is clarified, a new question arises. What to do with used batteries?
In developed countries they are disposed of. Recycling is the recycling of waste, from which, in turn, receive new resources. Battery recycling is a time-consuming and expensive process, and not all countries can afford it.
In the countries of the European Union, as well as in the USA, there are battery collection points in all major stores. In some cities, dumping batteries in garbage containers is a legal offense. And if the respective stores did not organize the reception of batteries, they will face a large fine.
Some manufacturers are also thinking about this problem. For example, IKEA has released batteries that can be recharged several times.
What about Russia?
Until recently, this was a big problem in Russia. In the Soviet Union there were enterprises capable of correctly recycling batteries and accumulators, but after the collapse they remained in Kazakhstan and Ukraine. But, nevertheless, conscious citizens thought about why batteries should not be thrown into ordinary trash, and looked for ways to resolve the issue. They stored them at home. When the opportunity arose, they were taken away for disposal to European countries.
Now the situation has changed. Now in Russia there is an opportunity to hand over batteries in many stores and not only in large cities. Also, the Chelyabinsk company Megapolisresurs has been processing batteries since 2013, collecting batches not only in Russian cities, but also in neighboring countries. However, do not expect to receive a cash reward for the batteries brought. Moreover, legal entities have to pay for batteries themselves. All because the process of their disposal is very difficult and long-term. In many respects, it depends on the amount of waste collected, which it is not always possible to collect. One of the reasons may be still insufficient awareness or consciousness of Russian citizens regarding this problem.
