Batteries have been, are and will be a popular energy storage tool not only in the present but also in many years to come, however, inside them is also a "mine" of toxic chemicals.
Used batteries are causing headaches for people to handle them. Because waste batteries are not ordinary waste, they contain many chemicals that are harmful to health. Batteries cannot be thrown into the trash with other types of waste but need to be collected and treated separately.
If not classified and disposed of properly, they will become a hazard to the environment and human health. Batteries often contain heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic... which are all extremely toxic substances, dangerous to the brain, kidneys, cardiovascular system and human fertility.
Batteries contain many toxic substances so they need to be classified properly. The amount of mercury (Hg) in a battery is very large. When the amount of mercury from the battery seeps into the water source and enters the body through eating or breathing, mercury can damage the brain, kidneys, reproductive system and cardiovascular system...
Lead (Pb) in batteries can disrupt or stop normal biochemical reactions in the body. It causes rickets, slow growth in children, high blood pressure in adults, damage to blood and bones, causes dementia and reduced thinking ability, reduced sperm production, even infertility, reduced kidney function...
When breathing in dust containing Cadmium (Cd) in batteries, it will lead to respiratory and kidney problems, which can be fatal. Swallowing a small amount of cadmium will cause immediate poisoning and damage to the liver and kidneys. Compounds containing cadmium are also carcinogenic. In addition, batteries also contain many other substances that are dangerous to humans.
Normally, when batteries are no longer of any use, we tend to throw them away or put them in the trash like other types of waste, and then people will treat them by two methods: burying or burning. If buried, these heavy metals will seep into the soil and groundwater, polluting the water source. Or when burned, the hazardous components in the battery will evaporate into toxic smoke, or the toxic substances will remain in the ash, polluting the air.