By : SABAHKINI.NET SPECIAL TEAM
LEAD exposure and its dispensation into the atmosphere are principally due to industrial processes and human activities rather than natural causes. Human activities such as mining, manufacturing and the burning of fossil fuels contribute greatly to lead disposition into the environment.
Eventually lead that is released to the air from industry or burning of fuels and waste will settle down and stick to soil particles. It does not move from soil to underground water or drinking water unless the water is acidic or "soft". The lead content of soil varies depending upon the surroundings (“Heeding The ‘Smog’ Signal About Lead Poisoning” published by the National Poison Centre, 1997 – Appendix 7).
Another main result of human activity which contributed to spread of lead in the environment is the lead acid battery. About 6 million tons of lead is used annually, on a worldwide basis, of which roughly three-quarters goes into the production of lead-acid batteries, which are used in automobiles, industry and a wide range of other applications.
Much of this existing demand for lead is met through the recycling of secondary material and in particular from lead recovered from used lead acid batteries. “In most countries the battery companies themselves are not taking back their product. There is no product support. Therefore, most of the recycling done is very informal and on a small scale” (“BEST Battery Program Aims to Reduce Lead Battery Poisoning in Asia” published by Planet Green, 01 January 2009 – Appendix 2).
In many cases the local recycling operations are not managed in an environmentally sound manner – much of the recycling is done on an informal basis, in unhygienic and dangerous conditions and resulting in serious lead poisoning of the recyclers themselves and the neighbouring communities - and release lead contaminated waste into the local environment and eco systems in critical quantities. In short, they do not have a closed system.
The backyard recyclers put the battery into something like a wok, makes a fire out of wood or coal, pretty soon that lead is melted. This is a very crude system. Backyard recyclers release more of the lead into the environment. Approximately 30 percent (%) or so of lead contained in a lead acid battery that weighs 12 to 14 kilograms gets into the environment every year through the backyard recyclers process and that poses quite of a problem (“BEST Battery Program Aims to Reduce Lead Battery Poisoning in Asia” published by Planet Green, 01 January 2009 – Appendix 2).
Throughout the informal recycling process, there are opportunities for exposure. Most often the lead acid battery, which contains lead particulates, is haphazardly dumped on the ground, waste pile or into the nearest body of water. As the lead plates are melted, lead ash falls into the surrounding environment, collects on clothing, or is directly inhaled by people in close proximity.
Soil containing lead compounds can turn to dust and become airborne, enabling the lead compounds to be easily inhaled or ingested in a variety of ways. Lead can also leach into water supplies. If burnt in incinerator, it will be released into the air (“Heeding The ‘Smog’ Signal About Lead Poisoning” published by the National Poison Centre, 1997 – Appendix 7).
It has been reported that around the world, about 830,000 people die every year through illnesses linked to exhaust fumes and industrial smog which engulf many cities of the Third World. In Latin America alone the figure stands at 115,000. The remaining are in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.
Some of these concerns have been voiced out at the First World Congress on Air Pollution in Developing Countries held in San Jose, Costa Rica late October 1996 All in all, 17 billion people, mostly city-dwellers in developing countries are said to be at risk from lead poisoning, warned the World Bank in recommending a worldwide phasing out of leaded petrol (“Heeding The ‘Smog’ Signal About Lead Poisoning” published by the National Poison Centre, 1997 – Appendix 7).
The modern industry of lead recycling is carried out through the closed system. The factory is equipped with a collection system and closed furnace, so that anything that gets out will go through a filtration system.
A large modern plant will have less manual labour and will have modern pollution control equipment to reduce the emissions coming out of the stack (“BEST Battery Program Aims to Reduce Lead Battery Poisoning in Asia” published by Planet Green, 01 January 2009 – Appendix 2).
The problem with lead is when you heat it up and melt it, as when you are making or recycling a battery, the lead gets airborne and it contaminates soil and dust. This is how most people in the environment get most of their exposure. Some places have somewhere around 95% (percent) efficiency in lead battery recycling. Only 5% (percent) of a battery is lost to the environment.
Whereas backyard smelters in developing countries are about 50% (percent) efficient (“BEST Battery Program Aims to Reduce Lead Battery Poisoning in Asia” published by Planet Green, 01 January 2009 – Appendix 2). Blacksmith Institute estimates that over 12 million people are affected by lead contamination.
In Malaysia, there are presently three (3) licensed operators in the formal sector with a total licensed recycling capacity of 48,000 tonnes of lead acid batteries per annum. With the addition of Metal Reclamation’s new facility this capacity will be increased to 120,000 tonnes. This capacity is spread out as follows:
(i) Metal Reclamation (Industries) Sdn. Bhd. - 96,000 tonnes wet batteries;
(ii) Tai Kwong – Yokohama Battery Industries Sdn. Bhd. - 12,000 tonnes wet batteries; and
(iii) Intercedar Industry (M) Sdn. Bhd. - 12,000 tonnes wet batteries
(“Malaysian Experience on Bridging the Domestic Supply-Demand Gap for Lead for Battery Manufacturing and Making Lead Recovery Environmentally Sound and Economically Viable – Some Lessons from Out Recent Investment Project”, published by Metal Reclamation (Industries) Sdn Bhd, 20 – 22 September 2001 – Appendix 15).
The approximate current year demand for lead and lead alloys by the major lead consuming industries in Malaysia is in the region of 90,000 tonnes. The breakdown of its use are-
(i) Batteries - 50,000 tonnes;
(ii) power cables – 5,000 tonnes
(iii) lead- tin solders – 5,000 tonnes; and
(iv) litharge (non battery use) – 30,000 tonnes
(“Malaysian Experience on Bridging the Domestic Supply-Demand Gap for Lead for Battery Manufacturing and Making Lead Recovery Environmentally Sound and Economically Viable – Some Lessons from Out Recent Investment Project”, published by Metal Reclamation (Industries) Sdn Bhd, 20 – 22 September 2001 – Appendix 15).
The approximate current year supply of lead wastes and scrap from the various sources is in the region of 41,000 tonnes from the following resources-
(i) Used lead acid batteries – 35,000 tonnes;
(ii) Lead dross and sludge – 4,000 tonnes; and
(iii) Cables sheathings – 2,000 tonnes.
(“Malaysian Experience on Bridging the Domestic Supply-Demand Gap for Lead for Battery Manufacturing and Making Lead Recovery Environmentally Sound and Economically Viable – Some Lessons from Out Recent Investment Project”, published by Metal Reclamation (Industries) Sdn Bhd, 20 – 22 September 2001 – Appendix 15)
The shortfall in supply is overcome by:
(i) Increasing collection efficiency - Currently, Metal Reclamation obtains its supply of scrap from scrap dealers throughout the country. It is currently developing plans to set up collection centres in various regions around the country to obtain a larger share of the available scrap;
(ii) Import virgin and secondary lead bullion; and
(iii) import of used lead acid batteries.
(“Malaysian Experience on Bridging the Domestic Supply-Demand Gap for Lead for Battery Manufacturing and Making Lead Recovery Environmentally Sound and Economically Viable – Some Lessons from Out Recent Investment Project”, published by Metal Reclamation (Industries) Sdn Bhd, 20 – 22 September 2001 – Appendix 15)
Another typical benefit of recycling lead through the highly efficient smelting factories are:
(i) Usable by-products instead of wastes for final disposal in landfills - The low lead slag from the furnace and the calcium sulphate from the flue gas desulphurising plant are suitable raw materials for the cement industries; and
(ii) Low process waste generation resulting in negligible waste disposal costs - The only major item for disposal to landfill that is attributed to our process is the furnace lining which, happens only once a year.
(“Malaysian Experience on Bridging the Domestic Supply-Demand Gap for Lead for Battery Manufacturing and Making Lead Recovery Environmentally Sound and Economically Viable–Some Lessons from Out Recent Investment Project”, published by Metal Reclamation (Industries) Sdn Bhd, 20 – 22 September 2001 – Appendix 15)
From the information stated in paragraphs 32 to 36 above, even if the three smelters are running at the efficiency rate of 95%, it would mean that 5% or 2,400 tonnes of lead and which can reach a peak of up to 6,000 tonnes are released into the air per annum at the Klang Valley and Ipoh through the so called highly efficient lead recycling plant.
A study conducted in the year 2000 on the influence of exposure and socio economic variables on the blood lead level of Malaysian school children revealed that the percentage of school children in Kuala Lumpur with excessive blood lead of 10 mcg/dl or greater is the highest that is 11.73%.
Kuala Lumpur School children have a 25 times greater risk of having excessive blood lead levels compared to Kemaman’s and Setiu’s school children (“Blood Levels of Urban and Rural Malaysian Primary School Children” by Jamal Hisham Hashim; Zailina Hashim; Ariffin Omar; & Shamsul Bahari Shamsudin, published by Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 2000 – Appendix 16).
With the release of such high dosage of lead into the air every year, how many children, man and woman do we intend to expose to the danger of lead poisoning? How many lives, acres of vegetation, rivers and water resources are we willing to sacrifice to ensure that the three lead recycling operators can carry out their business and profits out of it?
It is also a known fact now that approximately 3,000 tonnes of lead contained in power cables which are used as underground cables are lost either temporarily or forever. As such they pose as a real threat for lead poisoning in the soil and also to the underground water table which is dangerous for consumption by human, plant or animal.
The usage of low lead slag from the furnace and the calcium sulphate from the flue gas desulphurising plant as raw materials for the cement industries ensures that consumers who uses such cement or lives or works within the environment containing cement made from the said materials are also exposed to lead poisoning.
And finally the disposal of lead dross and sludge of approximately 4,000 tonnes through landfill is the final nail to the coffin that confirms that lead recycling activity contributes the poisoning of the earth by the same amount per annum. This too will poison anything that comes into contact with the said lead waste.
At this juncture, it is ironic to note that the Department of Environment, who is the competent authority in Malaysia to issue licence for lead and other hazardous wastes recycling industries has issued licenses for lead wastes recycling industries (the Environmental Quality (Clean Air) Regulations 1978 and the Environmental Quality (Sewage and Industrial Effluents) Regulations 1979) despite the fact that lead toxicity is dangerous to human life, animal, plant and the environment.
TO BE CONTINUE…..
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