Lithium-ion batteries have a forever chemical problem
by Justine Calma from The Verge - All Posts on (#6P3FN)
A broken cellphone with a rechargeable battery lies in a collection container for hazardous materials at a waste sorting facility. | Photo by Jens Buttner / picture alliance via Getty Images Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in everyday gadgets, electric vehicles, and to store renewable energy could be a growing source of the forever chemicals" that pollute soil and waterways, new research suggests.
Forever chemicals" encompass thousands of different kinds of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). For decades, they've been used to make products more resistant to water, stains, and heat. More recently, a particular subclass of PFAS called bis-perfluoroalkyl sulfonimides (bis-FASIs) has been used as electrolytes and binders in lithium-ion batteries.
Those bis-FASIs are now showing up in soil, sediment, water, and snow surrounding manufacturing facilities, according to research published yesterday in the journal N...