Can You Throw Batteries in the Trash?
Many people wonder whether it is safe to throw batteries in the trash. The answer is: it depends on the type of battery. In general, batteries should not be thrown in the trash because they contain harmful chemicals that can be harmful to the environment. However, there are certain types of batteries that can be safely disposed of in the trash.
dry battery
Dry batteries, such as disposable dry batteries, disposable toy batteries, remote control batteries for household appliances, etc., are mainly composed of zinc, manganese dioxide, and potassium hydroxide, and do not contain or only contain trace amounts of mercury, which will not cause harm to people and the environment. Therefore, dry batteries can be disposed of as other waste and can be directly thrown into the trash can.
Lead acid batteries and nickel cadmium batteries
Lead acid batteries (such as electric vehicles and electric scooter batteries) and nickel cadmium rechargeable batteries contain toxic heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, which pose certain hazards to human health and the environment. These batteries are classified as hazardous waste and require special handling. They cannot be discarded at will.
Mercury oxide battery and button battery
Mercury oxide batteries and button batteries contain harmful substances such as mercury and zinc, both of which are considered hazardous waste and require special recycling and disposal.
So, what should you do with rechargeable batteries and other types of batteries that cannot be safely thrown in the trash? The best option is to recycle them. Many cities and towns now have programs in place to collect and recycle batteries. You can also take them to a recycling center or drop them off at a retail store that accepts them for recycling.
Recycling batteries is important because it helps to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals that end up in landfills and waterways. It also helps to conserve natural resources by allowing the materials in the batteries to be recovered and reused. So, the next time you wonder whether you can throw batteries in the trash, remember that there are better options available.
In addition to recycling batteries, there are other things you can do to reduce the amount of batteries you use. One option is to switch to rechargeable batteries, which can be used again and again instead of being thrown away. Another option is to use devices that require fewer batteries or that use alternative forms of power, such as solar or wind power.
Why can't waste batteries be thrown away?
Some people believe that waste batteries are not very harmful and can be discarded indiscriminately. In fact, waste batteries pose a significant threat to the environment. Scientific research shows that a button battery discarded in nature can pollute 600000 liters of water, equivalent to a person's lifetime water consumption.
The secondary components of waste batteries are heavy metals such as manganese, mercury, zinc, and chromium. Whether buried in the atmosphere or deep underground, the heavy metal components of waste batteries will overflow with leachate, forming pollution of groundwater and soil, which will seriously endanger human health over time.
Firstly, the composition of batteries: dry batteries and rechargeable batteries. The composition of batteries includes zinc sheets (iron sheets), carbon rods, mercury, sulfates, and copper caps; Batteries are mainly composed of lead compounds. For example, the composition of No. 1 waste zinc manganese battery is about 70 grams, including 5.2 grams of carbon rod, 7.0 grams of zinc skin, 25 grams of manganese powder, 0.5 grams of copper cap, and 32 grams of other substances.
Secondly, the harmfulness of waste batteries: The harm of waste batteries is mainly concentrated on the small amounts of heavy metals contained in them, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, etc. These toxic substances enter the human body through various channels and are difficult to digest for a long time, damaging the nervous system, hematopoietic function, and bones, and even causing cancer. Lead: nervous system (neurasthenia, hand and foot paralysis), digestive system (indigestion, abdominal cramps), blood poisoning, and other diseases. Mercury: Mental state transformation is a major symptom of mercury poisoning. Pulse acceleration, muscle tremors, oral and digestive system disorders. Cadmium and manganese: secondary hazards to the nervous system The ways in which waste batteries pollute the environment: The components of these batteries are sealed inside the battery casing during use and do not have an impact on the environment. However, after long-term mechanical wear and corrosion, heavy metals and acid-base substances inside are exposed and enter the soil or water source, which will enter the human food chain through various channels. The process is summarized as follows: Microbial animals in the pond soil circulate dust, crop food, and human nerve accumulation disease. Other water sources, plants, and food digestion organisms can absorb heavy metals from the environment through the biological amplification of the food chain, gradually accumulating in thousands of higher organisms, and then entering the human body through food, accumulating in certain organs to form chronic poisoning.
Other manifestations of the harm of waste batteries:
Currently, the world's household waste treatment is mainly divided into three methods: sanitary landfill, composting, and incineration.
The pollution effect of waste batteries mixed with household waste in these three processes is reflected in: landfill: heavy metals in waste batteries pollute water and soil through infiltration. Incineration: waste batteries corrode equipment at high temperatures, and certain heavy metals evaporate in fly ash in incinerators, forming atmospheric pollution; The accumulation of heavy metals at the bottom of the incinerator causes pollution to the generated ash residue. Composting: Waste batteries have a high content of heavy metals, resulting in a decrease in the quality of compost. Reuse: Generally, the reflection furnace pyrometallurgy method is adopted. Although the process is simple, the recovery rate is only 82%, and the remaining lead disappears in the form of gas and dust. At the same time, sulfur dioxide during the smelting process will enter the air, forming secondary pollution, directly endangering the health of operators.
Harm of waste batteries: Mercury discarded in natural batteries will gradually overflow from the battery, enter the soil or water source, and then enter the human body through crops, damaging the kidneys. Under the action of microorganisms, inorganic mercury can be converted into methylmercury, which accumulates in the body of fish, causing harm to humans. After consuming this fish, methylmercury will enter human brain cells, Severe damage to the human nervous system can lead to madness and death in severe cases. The famous Minamata disease in Japan is caused by methylmercury. Cadmium seeps out and pollutes land and water bodies, ultimately entering the human body and causing damage to the liver and kidneys. It can also cause osteoporosis and bone deformation in severe cases. Leakage of acid and heavy metal lead from car waste batteries into nature can cause soil and water pollution, ultimately posing a threat to humans.
According to experts from the Department of Chemistry at Suzhou University and relevant environmental protection agencies, heavy metals in batteries pose a particularly serious threat, with cadmium, chromium, nickel, manganese, mercury, and other elements being secondary. The lead content of domestically produced dry batteries is generally higher than 25%, which does not meet the requirements of "green and environmentally friendly batteries".
The heavy metals such as lead contained in waste batteries have an impact on soil The pollution of water sources is only a short-term hazard, but it is a potential long-term hazard to the ecological environment. Soil has certain pores, and after degrading organic matter or compounds containing carbon, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, etc., non-toxic or low toxic substances can be generated, showing a certain self purification power. However, heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and cadmium are not easily removed after entering the environment and accumulate in the soil for a long time. This destroys the natural self purification power, making the soil a "reservoir" of pollutants and ultimately reducing soil fertility. Planting crops in such soil, heavy metals will be sucked into the plant body by the plant roots, causing crop yields to decrease or harmful crops to grow. Heavy metals in the soil can also continue to accumulate in the soil. Migrate to adjacent environmental media, and after being washed away by rainwater, infiltrate into deep soil layers, Entering rivers and water sources from anywhere can cause chronic damage to multiple systems and organs. According to Li Donghong, a senior engineer at the Solid Waste Room of the Shenyang Institute of Environmental Science, batteries used in daily life rely on chemical reactions, commonly known as corrosion, to generate electricity. After this process, discarded batteries containing heavy metals pose significant risks. One No. 1 battery can make 1 square meter of land valuable for use, and one button battery can pollute 600000 liters of water (which is a person's lifetime water consumption).
According to relevant materials, 50% of global cadmium pollution comes from discarded batteries. Drinking water contaminated with cadmium for a long time can cause bone damage. Transformation and anemia, typically manifested as systemic soreness. Chromium can cause gastrointestinal ulcers and damage, while nickel has a carcinogenic tendency, It can also cause myocardial damage, lead is difficult to excrete after ingestion, high blood sugar, lead can lead to abnormal behavior and low intelligence in children. Although manganese is a necessary trace element in the human body, excessive intake can cause poisoning. Mercury can enter the central nervous system through the blood-brain barrier, causing neurological disorders and even personality changes. It has also experienced "water syndrome" - chronic mercury poisoning in Japan.
