Daily Batteries Associated With "Forever Chemicals" Pollution: Research
The "forever chemicals" or PFAS that are found in lithium-ion batteries, which are used in many electronics and electric cars, may be becoming more common.
A recent study suggests that rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which are widely used in electric automobiles, everyday devices, and the storage of renewable energy, may be a growing source of "forever chemicals" that contaminate land and waterways.
The mass-produced, heat-, stain-, and water-resistant goods known as "forever chemicals" have been created over many years employing thousands of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Bis-perfluoroalkyl sulfonimides, or bis-FASIs, are a specific subclass of PFAS that have been used recently as binders and electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries.
In the vicinity of manufacturing sites, bis-FASIs are now detected in the soil, sediment, water, and snow, according to research published in the journal Nature Communications. Bis-FASIs were also found in liquids seeping from landfills by the investigation.
Professor of civil and environmental engineering at Duke University Lee Ferguson said, "We've found that an understudied type of PFAS, or "forever chemicals," called bis-FASIs, such as those used in the production of lithium-ion batteries, are an emerging issue not only for communities near manufacturing sites but also anywhere these batteries are thrown away." "In North Carolina specifically, we've found these chemicals seeping from landfills into leachates, which highlights the need for more studies to assess the sources and spreading of these compounds here and across the country."
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