Questioning the Clean Energy's Dependence on Grim Battery Sources?
Lithium-ion batteries are crucial for the shift towards clean energy, powering electric vehicles and enabling us to utilize renewable energy sources like wind and solar even during non-optimal conditions. Besides electronics like smartphones and earbuds, they are extensively used. The projected demand for these batteries is expected to skyrocket in the coming decade.
However, lithium-ion batteries themselves aren't eco-friendly. Beyond controversial concerns with lithium and cobalt mining, the batteries are manufactured with hazardous chemicals that find their way into our surroundings, households, and bodies.
A significant concern stemming from these chemicals is the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (often known as "eternal chemicals" due to their longevity in the environment). These substances are linked to a variety of health issues such as cancer, decreased fertility, endocrine disruption, immune system impairments, developmental problems, and other serious health concerns. Even recently touted safe PFAS variants have been found harmful to our health.
Unfortunately, PFAS are frequently utilized in batteries as electrolytes and in battery components as binders or separators. Moreover, PFAS can leak from batteries during manufacturing, usage, disposal, or recycling. Notably, a recent study conducted by a group of scientists from Texas Tech University and Duke University revealed that the use of PFAS in lithium-ion batteries contributes to significant air and water pollution.
Another issue worsening is the employment of harmful flame retardants in the plastic casings surrounding batteries. Given the genuine fire risks associated with this technology, regulations have been introduced to minimize these risks. Although these standards don't necessarily require flame retardants, they are commonly used to satisfy flammability tests as they are the most cost-effective and straightforward solution. Despite demonstrating no actual fire safety advantage in real-world contexts, flame-retarded plastic can heighten the toxicity and danger of lithium-ion battery fires.
Additionally, there are no verified fire-safety benefits to using flame retardants. Rather, they pose severe health risks, including cancer, neurological harm, and reproductive issues. Flame retardants can seep out of products containing batteries during use, contaminating our homes, workplaces, and broader environment. At the end of their lifespan, flame-retarded plastics can pose challenges to the circular economy and contaminate the recycling stream. According to a recent study led by Toxic-Free Future, harmful substances like flame retardants can end up in various items, including black plastic soup spoons and the food we consume. Their disposal, whether by burning or landfilling, leads to noxious emissions that can negatively impact global environments and human health.
The positive aspect is that most of these chemical uses can be substituted. For example, companies such as Nanoramic and Dragonfly Energy have discovered alternative methods to create cathodes in lithium-ion batteries without employing PFAS. More dependable and less harmful fire-safety solutions include optimized battery manufacturing processes, superior battery management systems, and the adoption of solid-state batteries. Fire-safety benefits should be proven before implementing standards that, by default, mandate the use of flame retardants.
As we eagerly embrace technologies that can help us exit the fossil fuel era, let's also ensure that this journey does not result in a trail of toxicity. The clean energy revolution should not trade one form of environmental harm for another.
The use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in lithium-ion batteries as electrolytes and in battery components can lead to significant air and water pollution, as revealed in a study by researchers from Texas Tech University and Duke University. Instead of relying on harmful flame retardants in plastic casings, companies can explore alternative methods for creating cathodes in lithium-ion batteries, such as those developed by Nanoramic and Dragonfly Energy, to reduce the use of PFAS and other toxic chemicals.
To promote a clean energy revolution without creating a trail of toxicity, it's essential to prioritize the development and implementation of dependable and less harmful fire-safety solutions, such as optimized battery manufacturing processes, superior battery management systems, and the adoption of solid-state batteries. Standards mandating the use of flame retardants should be implemented only after proven fire-safety benefits have been demonstrated.
