What happens if you recycle a lead-acid battery?

Inappropriate recycling operations release considerable amounts of lead particles and fumes emitted into the air, deposited onto soil, water bodies and other surfaces, with both environment and human health negative impacts. Lead-acid batteries are the most widely and commonly used rechargeable batteries in the automotive and industrial sector.

How much lead does a battery contain?

The batteries contain large amounts of lead either as solid metal or lead-oxide powder. An average battery can contain up to 10 kilograms of lead.

What are lead-acid batteries?

Lead-acid batteries are the most widely and commonly used rechargeable batteries in the automotive and industrial sector. Irrespective of the environmental challenges it poses, lead-acid batteries have remained ahead of its peers because of its cheap cost as compared to the expensive cost of Lithium ion and nickel cadmium batteries.

How much lead is recycled in Bangladesh?

Indeed, more than 80 per cent of the lead in the country is recycled through an informal network of ULAB recyclers, without consideration of the underlying health and environmental hazards. Bangladesh has more than 1,100 informal and illegal ULAB recycling operations across the country.

How many ULAB recycling sites are there in Bangladesh?

Bangladesh has more than 1,100 informal and illegal ULAB recycling operations across the country. These sites are believed to be a significant contributor to lead exposures across the country and the primary contributor to lead pollution hotspots.

Why is lead exposure a major issue in Bangladesh?

Lead exposure is a significant issue in Bangladesh: around 3.62 per cent of the total number of death is attributable to lead exposure (IHME, 2019) and unsound ULAB recycling practices play a key role in the exposure.