Advantages and disadvantages of batteries on the environment
For example, a single mercury battery can pollute 600,000 liters of water. Alkaline batteries pollute almost twice as much. For example, 40 AA batteries completely contaminate a professional swimming pool. When we talk about contamination, we are referring to environmental and lethal risks for those who come into contact with water.
– It is recommended to use products that can be connected to the mains, that work with solar energy or string. These objects, in addition to being non-polluting, are more energy efficient.
How to prevent batteries from polluting the environment
A battery is a portable generator of electrical energy, which is obtained from the transformation of chemical energy. A battery does not lose its electrical charge except by the physical degradation of its components and this process is irreversible.
A battery stores electrical charge previously produced by a generator, and it loses its electrical charge constantly over time, whether it is used or not. A battery can be recharged as many times as necessary, until its structure is degraded by use.
Third option: The reality is that when the technology to perform these recycling as in the previous two processes is not available, physicochemical processes are used to reduce the impact and mobility of heavy metals. These techniques include stabilization by the addition of chemical agents that are soluble with the metals, confinement in hermetic containers and encapsulation with cement, followed by vitrification at high temperatures.
Pollution from batteries and accumulators in Mexico
For quite some time now, environmental groups have been insisting on the need for proper disposal of batteries. However, the basis for obtaining a real solution to the problem lies in the knowledge that the users themselves have about the issue, in order to be able to demand adequate legislation and its enforcement. On the other hand, in order for government authorities to take appropriate measures, they must be aware of the type and quantity of batteries consumed by the population.
For the population to be able to collaborate and do so willingly, it is essential that they understand certain basic concepts, so the first thing to explain is what a battery is and that, from an ecological point of view, it is exactly the same as a battery: A battery is a unit that converts chemical energy into electrical energy and a battery is a set of batteries.
– Let’s not pile them up. We have to get rid of them little by little. The collection of batteries, when there is no safe disposal program, can be an irresponsible act, since the concentration of a large number of batteries represents a greater potential for contamination than those same batteries dispersed in the waste as a whole.
How much a battery pollutes the soil
Therefore, it is necessary to recycle the batteries and deposit them in the appropriate places for their collection. Under no circumstances should they come into contact with fire or end up in a water source, as a single unit is capable of contaminating an entire Olympic-sized swimming pool.
They also require the implementation of places where people can receive information on how to deal with highly polluting elements such as batteries, as well as being clear about where they can safely leave these objects.