Batteries: The Effects Of A Galvanic Battery

Many people are unaware of the daily negative impact they have on the environment. For example, the majority of the human population uses basic household products which contain toxic chemicals in their ingredients. It is most common that when people dispose of products they will either dispose of them in the trash or pour them down the drain of their sink. Unfortunately, “two-thirds of aquatic life is considered to be an endangered species because of improperly disposed chemicals and other waste…those chemicals are washed into rivers, which feeds waterfalls and then goes into the ocean” (Espinoza, 2014). This careless disposal of household toxic wastes is harming the ecosystem and contaminating water quality in a variety of ways.
One of
Not only can batteries have a toxic effect on humans but if disposed of improperly they can damage water quality and wildlife. “A battery is a package of one or more galvanic cells used for the production and storage of electric energy by chemical means. A galvanic cell consists of at least two half cells, a reduction cell and an oxidation cell. Chemical reactions in the two half cells provide the energy for the galvanic cell operations” (Chieh, n.d.). Figure one shows the way the chemistry behind a voltaic cell works ("Batteries: Electricity," 2013). There are different kinds of batteries but some of the toxic metals found in batteries are cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel, lithium, and electrolytes (Kattenburg, n.d.). Once in the landfills, toxic chemicals in the battery can be released. When acid rain falls on a landfill, the soil absorbs the toxic chemicals from the batteries and those chemicals are ultimately found in groundwater (Dillon, 1994, p. 3). Mercury, one of the toxic chemicals found in batteries, is known for poisoning animals and plants. One adverse effect of improper disposal of batteries is humans are eating fish that have consumed mercury which can lead to illness and death (Dillon, 1994, p. 3).
There have been multiple acts put into motion to decrease the waste and overall uncleanliness of the water. Nonetheless, it can all begin with how people are disposing chemical products, such as batteries,
These chemicals are a result of phosphate in detergent and is highly recommended to purchase organic, phosphate- and APE-free cleaning products. Furthermore, while some of the most dangerous wastes are flammable, sensitive, destructive or toxic in America are “regulated under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Congress developed an exclusion for household waste. Under this exclusion, found in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 261.4, wastes generated by normal household activities (e.g., routine house and yard maintenance) are excluded from the definition of hazardous waste” ("Hazardous Waste," n.d.). Particularly, wastes under the household hazardous waste prohibition must fulfill two conditions: “the waste must be generated by individuals on the premise of a temporary or permanent residence, and the waste stream must be composed primarily of materials found in wastes generated by consumers in their homes” ("Hazardous Waste," n.d.). These acts are set in place in order to reduce contamination of the water and to overall educate the public of the damage