On the batteries, you can see a sign indicating that they must not be thrown into a regular trash can, but must be handed over to a special recycling center. The reason is that one small battery can do a lot of harm to the environment.
What is the harm of batteries
Just one finger-type battery thrown into a trash can contaminate about 20 square meters of soil or 400 liters of water with heavy metals - mercury, lead, cadmium, nickel, zinc, manganese, lithium. They can accumulate in humans and animals, causing serious harm to health.
So, for example, mercury is one of the most dangerous toxic substances for humans. It affects the liver and kidneys, the nervous system and the brain, causing diseases of the respiratory system, nervous disorders, disorders of the locomotor system, hearing and vision impairment.
Lead mainly accumulates in the kidneys, it causes nervous disorders and diseases of the brain, joint and muscle pain, can damage the fetus in the womb, and inhibit the growth of the child.
Cadmium is a cancer-causing carcinogen. It accumulates in the thyroid gland, bones, kidneys and liver, and negatively affects the functioning of all organs.
How harmful substances are spread from batteries
According to statistics, in Moscow alone, over 15 million batteries end up in a landfill every year. In incinerators, they burn, releasing dioxins into the atmosphere - toxic compounds that cause cancer and reproductive system disorders, weaken the health of children and slow down their development.
Dioxins also get into the ground and water, then into plants that people use. They spread over long distances, affecting the entire population, so it does not matter if a person lives in the immediate vicinity of an incinerator or not. They penetrate into the soil, groundwater and reservoirs. Boiling water from heavy metals, unlike bacteria, does not help.
Even if the batteries are not burned, their bodies gradually corrode and deteriorate in water or soil, after which harmful substances are released from them into the environment.
How to minimize damage
In various stores and organizations, the reception of batteries is organized, from where they are then handed over to recycling points. You can also find out the addresses of such points in your city and take the batteries there.
When buying batteries, it is better to take those that say "mercury-free", "cadmium-free". You can also buy rechargeable batteries that are used many times, one battery can replace a thousand or more conventional batteries that will not end up in the trash can.
