Environmental Effects Associated with Battery Disposal: Summary Essay Example
Environmental Effects Associated with Battery Disposal: Summary A significant component of our day to day lives is batteries, but what many do not know is that the disposal of batteries is actually equally as important. This is a job that is so imperative that, if not done correctly, can cause excessive harm to the environment and ourselves. The problem does not lie with the batteries per say, but the by-products and materials they are made of can become quite dangerous to us and our earth. The number of batteries that are disposed of each year is mind-boggling, and is the main reason we are encountering problems. Approximately 8 batteries are thrown out each year per person in the United States alone! When thrown out, the metals and toxins found in the batteries (such as cadmium and mercury) can seep into soil and water supplies, and release toxic chemicals into the air when they are burned in waste combustors. In addition, the landfills, where the batteries get sent to, produce methane gas which adds on to the "greenhouse effect" and worsens global warming. Some metals that come from batteries are even dangerous when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through skin/soil! Because they are created of hazardous materials, those chemicals can reach to our plants through their roots, and end up accumulating in our fruit and grass. To top that, recent studies show that problems such as abdominal pain, decreased IQ in children, kidney damage, and even cancer are all effects of overexposure to metals. Nevertheless, there are actions you can take to help fight this problem. For example, an alternative to landfills would be recycling used batteries instead of sending them to landfills. This is a splendid idea because it has many pros from saving natural resources to generating more income and even reducing imports. This helps solve the problem because it insures that the toxic components that make up a battery are removed, not released, which results in a safer