The damage from batteries to the environment is so great that truly many do not realize it. And this despite the fact that today they have become an integral part of our lives. It will not be possible to imagine our ordinary average day without them. But due to the fact that the batteries include various metals, they are extremely harmful. But at the same time, only thanks to the interaction of these metals with each other ensures the operation of most of the devices that we now use.
When the battery is dead
Various scientists have long been trying to assess the harm from batteries. So, the researchers have already established that only one single used finger-type battery, which was thrown out in a forest or park, can pollute heavy metals with about 20 square meters of territory.
To make it even clearer what damage the batteries cause to the environment, even special calculations were carried out, achieving specific digital expressions. For example, two trees will not grow on heavy twenty-square meters of heavy metals, several thousand earthworms will not be able to live and develop, thanks to which the earth becomes fertile, several families of moles and hedgehogs will not be able to exist. And all this is the harm that only one small finger-type battery will do.
Human impact
Immediately it is worth saying that the harm of batteries to humans is also noticeable. This happens when the salts of heavy metals that form after the decomposition of its body end up in underground groundwater. It is likely that they may be at the filter station. Then there will be immediate harm to human health.
In Western countries, the harm from batteries has long been appreciated. Therefore, they must not be thrown away after use in ordinary garbage cans. There are special containers for this. Of these, the batteries are already sent for recycling without harming anyone. In Russia, such a practice appears only in recent years. Containers for collecting dead batteries are installed in shopping centers, universities, crowded places, but so far they are clearly not enough.
Children suffer
Many people are trying to objectively assess the dangers and benefits of batteries. Of course, they made a person’s life much more convenient and comfortable, but the consequences from them if improperly disposed of can be catastrophic. Therefore, do not completely abandon the batteries, you just need to dispose of them correctly. In addition, it should be borne in mind that our children feel harm from batteries.
Kids tend to learn the world and often stuff all objects in a row in their mouths. When a child does this with a battery, even if it has been inactive for a long time, chemical reactions will immediately begin to occur in contact with saliva. Heavy metals are activated, it will not end in anything good.
Therefore, it is so important in no case to leave batteries in easily accessible places when there are small children at home. After all, used batteries often start to flow. Chemicals spill out of them, which can cause serious harm to the skin of even an adult.
How to solve this problem in Europe
In Europe, the harm and benefit of batteries have long been appreciated. Therefore, large-scale programs for their disposal are being developed.
It is worth noting that about 160 thousand batteries are sold every year in the European Union. Most of them are intended for domestic use. Moreover, almost half of them as a result are in urban landfills.
Moreover, in Europe at the moment there are only two factories that are engaged in their safe processing. All this is due to the high cost of the process itself and a long payback period, which is disadvantageous for entrepreneurs. As a result, most of their used batteries are sent for safe disposal, since there simply aren’t so many companies that can recycle them.
So this problem remains relevant not only for Russia, but also for Europe.
How to reduce battery damage
To reduce environmental damage from used batteries, a few rules must be followed.
First, think in advance about the likely consequences and give preference to a technique that can do without batteries. If it is, of course, possible. Try to use alternative energy sources or use mechanisms that are wound manually, as is the case with watches.
Secondly, it is recommended to buy not disposable batteries, but mini-batteries, which can be charged several times.
Thirdly, pay attention in the store to ensure that the batteries indicate that they do not contain mercury and cadmium. These are the most dangerous heavy metals that may be part of them.
Fourth, it is strictly forbidden to dispose of used and old batteries in a common trash. Only store separately, and if necessary throw into a specialized container. If this is not possible, for example, in your city there has not yet appeared a collection point for dead batteries, then store them in a tightly closed plastic bag until better times.
What harm do batteries do?
Let's try to figure out why the batteries are really so harmful. American scientists have estimated that they currently account for about half of the pollution from the total share of all household waste.
In Moscow alone, about two to three thousand tons of batteries are thrown annually. In the United States, residents buy approximately three billion batteries every year, and nearly 180 thousand tons end up in urban landfills. On a global scale, it causes catastrophic harm to the environment.
Battery Composition
The composition of the batteries includes many dangerous metals that directly harm human health. For example, this is lead, which is able to accumulate over time in the body, affecting the nervous system, kidneys and bone tissue. It is also cadmium, which is harmful to the kidneys and lungs, mercury, which can cause irreparable damage to the nervous system and brain. Zinc and nickel cause dermatitis in humans, and alkalis, which are always present in all batteries, burn through the skin and mucous membranes. All this can lead to serious illness.
Now you know why the batteries should be taken.
