More than 5,000 metric tonnes of sulphuric acid may enter Sri Lanka’s environment each year through improper lead-acid battery recycling, the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) has warned.
The organisation said more than 2,000 lead-smelting operations are reportedly working across the country without adequate environmental safeguards. It said the scale of the industry raised concerns over the uncontrolled disposal of acid, lead, cadmium and arsenic, and over the exposure of workers and nearby communities to serious health risks.
The CEJ said waste produced during battery recycling, including discarded slag and residual acid, can contain lead, cadmium and arsenic. These substances pose risks to human health and the environment if they are not handled and disposed of safely. It named the handling of sulphuric acid as a major concern and said environmental requirements and licensing procedures were not adequately covering the disposal of battery acid and toxic residues.
The CEJ called for stricter enforcement of existing environmental laws, effective monitoring of both registered and unregistered recycling facilities, and a formal system to collect, treat and recycle the sulphuric acid and other hazardous waste that the industry generates. It said preventing lead poisoning requires coordinated action by regulators, industry operators, waste-management companies and the public.
The warning was made during activities held in Sri Lanka from 18 to 24 October to mark the global lead poisoning prevention awareness week, under the theme “From Detection to Prevention”. The campaign is coordinated by the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) and its member organisations.
The CEJ said its programmes included awareness sessions on electronic waste and lead hazards for schoolchildren and for waste-handling workers of the Kolonnawa Municipal Council. Leaflets explaining common routes of lead exposure were distributed and a digital campaign was run. An online discussion led by CEJ Chairman Hemantha Withanage also covered the challenges of lead-acid battery recycling, with presentations by Alda Dubey of India’s Toxics Link and Sudesh Nandasiri of Ceylon Waste Management (Pvt) Ltd.
Background
Lead exposure is a major public-health concern because no level of exposure is considered safe. Children are particularly vulnerable, as lead can interfere with brain development and cause lasting damage to cognitive and neurological function. In adults, exposure can contribute to cardiovascular and kidney problems.
The problem extends beyond battery recycling. Lead can enter the environment through poorly managed industrial waste and electronic waste, and unsafe handling can expose workers and nearby residents to contamination.
Internationally, IPEN and its member organisations have been campaigning for a complete ban on lead in paint and for stronger controls on the trade in hazardous chemicals under the Rotterdam Convention framework.
What it means
People who live near battery recycling or lead-smelting sites, and those who work at them, are the readers most directly affected by the CEJ’s concerns. The group said the actual scale of the industry, including unregistered operations, needs to be established so that authorities can check whether facilities meet environmental and occupational safety standards.
The CEJ said prevention, effective regulation and responsible waste management should take priority over remedial action after contamination has occurred.
