Key Points
- “Forever chemicals” may be entering the environment through lithium-ion batteries.
- Battery electrolytes and binders harbor a subclass of PFAS called Bis-FASIs.
- The study shows pollution in soil, water, and landfills near factories.
- Researchers have called for environmental risk assessments for clean energy technologies.
A new report has identified an emerging environmental danger associated with the wide use of lithium-ion batteries. These batteries, which are used in everything from mobile phones to electric vehicles (EVs), could be releasing harmful “forever chemicals” into the environment.
For decades, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals, have been used to make products resistant to heat, water, and stains.
Recently, however, a specific group of these compounds — bis-perfluoroalkyl sulfonimides (bis-FASIs) — have been employed as electrolytes and binders in lithium-ion batteries.
The research published in Nature Communications has highlighted some disturbing results. Bis-FASIs were found in sediment, soil, snow, and water around manufacturing plants as well as liquids leaching out of landfill sites; posing potential long-term ecological threats.
Lithium-ion batteries have a forever chemical problem #Chemicals #Drinkingwaterhttps://t.co/w78kfeQItq
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Bis-FASIs Spread: An Increasing Environmental Concern
Scientists collected samples from 87 locations across Kentucky, Minnesota, Belgium, and France. These areas were selected because they are close to companies such as 3M that produce perfluorinated chemicals on an industrial scale. The findings were worrying: bis-FASIs were detected at levels measured in parts per billion (ppb), far above typical background concentrations.
One of the study’s lead authors is Jennifer Guelfo who works as an assistant professor at Texas Tech University. They said that more needs to be done about evaluating risks related to clean energies but not necessarily against them; “It’s not intended to be anti-clean or sustainable energy,” she states. “It’s meant to highlight, ‘Hey, let’s include environmental risk assessments of the things that we’re using in this infrastructure.’”
P. Lee Ferguson from Duke University is also a co-author on this research paper; they hope that their findings will lead to greater awareness being paid towards these substances as well as others like them within emerging energy storage systems for consumer electronics and clean power generation facilities.
Impact on Public Health and the Environment
The study brings attention to an important issue: While levels detected in bis-FASIs were lower than those released by firefighting foams (which contain PFAS), it was still much higher compared with EPA limits for drinking water quality standards set against other perfluoroalkyl compounds found in such watersheds.
This discrepancy underscores an urgent need for specific regulatory measures targeting Bis-FASIs among forever chemicals commonly used as industrial solvents.
Various health problems including cancer, liver damage, or even reproductive disorders have been associated with exposure to PFASs; however, little information is available regarding Bis-FASI-related risks except for their long persistence time within different ecosystems indicating potential threats posed by these substances.
The demand for lithium-ion batteries has skyrocketed due to the increased adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage systems which are key components in achieving carbon neutrality according to a recent report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Nevertheless, only 5% of these batteries get recycled currently thereby causing more pollution at landfill sites where they end up after reaching their end-of-life stage. Eleven out of seventeen tested battery samples contained bis-FASIs thus illustrating the widespread nature of this problem highlighted through our investigation.
Taking proactive steps towards reducing PFAS releases is vital; immediate action should be taken instead of waiting for decades’ worth of toxicological studies to confirm hazards associated with these compounds says Guelfo.
Therefore companies like 3M committing themselves towards phasing out forever chemicals by next year marks the beginning but it’s not enough since there remains much work ahead so that the clean energy transition does not come with unforeseen environmental impacts.
