User:Patrickdoleary/Battery recycling

Health and Environmental Concerns
Despite the positive outlooks on battery recycling, negative effects also have been shown to impact developing nations that recycle batteries.

Since 2015, developing nations like Vietnam have increased their battery processing capacity as demand nationwide for batteries has grown. The process for recycling batteries often leads to toxic metals being introduced into the environment. In many of these nations, there are little protections available for workers working with the batteries. In nations like Indonesia, it was reported that over a span of four years, battery recycler's blood lead levels almost doubled. Lead exposure to workers can also be transmitted to family members away from work, ultimately leading to lead poisoning.

More studies continue to be conducted to gather an understanding of environmental impacts. Studies show that most lithium ion batteries contain Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS accumulates in humans and wildlife, often leading to immune and thyroid disfunctions, liver diseases, and other issues relating to homeostasis inside of the body.