The transition to renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs) has been hailed as a key solution to the climate crisis. However, a recent study reveals a hidden danger lurking within the very heart of this green revolution: the lithium-ion batteries that power our EVs and other devices.
Lithium-ion batteries, the rechargeable powerhouses found in most EVs, have been identified as a new source of hazardous ‘forever chemical’ pollution. Some lithium-ion battery technologies use a class of PFAS chemicals, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, that help make batteries less flammable and conduct electricity.
PFAS are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they persist in the environment for thousands of years. They build up quickly in the environment, people, and animals, and have been linked to a host of health conditions, including liver damage, high cholesterol, low birth weights, and chronic kidney disease.
The study found high levels of these PFAS in air, water, snow, soil, and sediment samples near plants that manufacture these chemicals in the US, Belgium, and France. The specific class of PFAS found is called bis-perfluoroalkyl sulfonimides, or bis-FASIs.
Bis-FASIs were found in various concentrations in more than a dozen lithium-ion batteries used in EVs and consumer electronics. These chemicals are extremely difficult to degrade and studies show they change the behavior of aquatic organisms at low concentrations
The environmental and health impacts of mining lithium and other minerals used in batteries are well documented, but it’s only now that researchers are uncovering lithium-ion batteries as a source of PFAS pollution.
The findings underscore the trade-offs that come with switching to cleaner cars and renewable energy. “Slashing CO2 emissions with innovations like electric cars is critical, but it shouldn’t come with the side effect of increasing PFAS pollution,” said Jennifer Guelfo, an associate professor of environmental engineering at Texas Tech University and coauthor of the study.
The issue is of global concern because lithium-ion batteries are used worldwide. The same class of PFAS has recently been detected at low levels in European and Chinese water, but the source of the pollution was unclear.
In New Jersey, as of March 2024, there are 185,163 electric vehicles registered in the state. The state’s Advanced Clean Cars II mandate requires that starting in 2026, 51% of 2027 model year car sales must be electric, and by 2035 all new car sales must be electric. The rapid increase in EVs in the state brings the issue of PFAS pollution closer to home.
Moreover, the challenge of recycling EV batteries adds another layer of complexity. The chemical makeup of EV batteries makes them difficult and dangerous to take apart and recycle due to the presence of metals like cobalt, nickel, manganese, and lithium. These batteries require specific conditions for the safe extraction, processing, and reuse of the minerals, as they are toxic and can be flammable or explosive if mishandled.
The potential for PFAS emission during the battery recycling process remains unclear. Both organic and inorganic fluorinated substances are widely reported in LIB components, including the electrodes and binder, electrolyte (and additives), and separator². Among the most common substances are LiPF 6 (an electrolyte salt), and the polymeric PFAS polyvinylidene fluoride (used as an electrode binder and a separator).
Currently, the most common LIB recycling process involves pyrometallurgy, which operates at high temperatures (up to 1600 °C), sufficient for PFAS mineralization. However, hydrometallurgy, an increasingly popular alternative recycling approach, operates under milder temperatures (<600 °C), which could favor incomplete degradation and/or formation and release of persistent fluorinated substances. This is supported by the wide range of fluorinated substances detected in bench-scale LIB recycling experiments.
In conclusion, while the shift to renewable energy and EVs is crucial in the fight against climate change, it is equally important to address the emerging issue of PFAS pollution from lithium-ion batteries and the challenges of recycling these batteries. More research is needed to fully understand the extent of this problem and to develop safer alternatives.
Sources:
(1) Lithium ion batteries a growing source of PFAS pollution, study finds. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-lithium-ion-batteries-source-pfas.html.
(2) Lithium-ion battery recycling: a source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl …. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2023/em/d2em00511e.
(3) Environmental Science Processes & Impacts – RSC Publishing. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2023/em/d2em00511e.
(4) Lithium-ion battery recycling: a source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl …. https://pfascentral.org/science/lithium-ion-battery-recycling-a-source-of-per-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas-to-the-environment.
