1. Materials Used In Batteries Dwight Younge

2. Introduction Battery (two categories) – Primary (one-time) – Secondary (rechargeable) The need for batteries: – Technological reliance – Quality of life Focus: – Canada Canada (2004) – Est. 450 million batteries sold – Est. 348 million discarded

3. Battery structure Insulation tube (usually polymers) Metal end caps Common chemicals used – Lead-acid – Lithium – Nickel-Cadmium – Silver oxide – Mercury – Copper – Zinc – Manganese – Lithium – Potassium

4. Zinc-carbon battery (1.5V) Photo by The Battery Association of Japan

5. Battery disposal Batteries have definite lifetimes What happens to dead batteries? – Trash 60% of households in Canada Improperly disposed batteries end up in landfills or incinerators – Dropped off at battery depot Over half of the households in PEI do so – Any hazards associated with improper battery disposal?

6. Environmental Hazards Normal alkaline batteries in trash – Not too harmful but not recommended Safety risk due to large volume disposal – Batteries can react and overheat Chemical leakage (heavy metal toxic batteries): – Lead-acid – Lithium – Nickel-Cadmium – Silver oxide – Mercury Plant, animal, and ocean life Chemicals release toxins when batteries are combusted – Incineration

7. Health Issues Human interaction with chemicals from improperly disposed batteries – E.g. Lead (inhalation) – E.g. Mercury (skin absorption) Some health problems – Abdominal pain – Liver and kidney damage – Skin irritation – Asthma – Decreased IQ in children (****) – Cancer

8. Proper disposal methods Do not dispose of dead batteries in the trash Designate separate waste bins for batteries Local battery disposal station Community-run disposal program Proper disposal – Most common in PEI – Controlled disposal methods outweigh disposal through regular waste stream

9. Dead battery treatment: CND 2005

10. How can we reduce battery waste? Recycling Consider battery alternatives – Rechargeable batteries – Renewable sources (eg. Solar) Modify existing batteries – Less lead, cadmium, mercury – Research

11. Earth Photo by NASA

12. Questions???

13. References http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/16-002- x/2008001/10539-eng.htm (Statistics Canada) http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/16-002- x/2008001/10539-eng.htm http://www.baj.or.jp/e/knowledge/structure.htm l (Battery Association of Japan) http://www.baj.or.jp/e/knowledge/structure.htm l http://www.ppgintl.com/products/battery- sleeve-insulation-1 (Precision Products Group, Inc.) http://www.ppgintl.com/products/battery- sleeve-insulation-1 http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/market- insight-top.pag?docid=20759887 (Frost & Sullivan) http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/market- insight-top.pag?docid=20759887