The researchers considered occupational accidents as well as emissions of toxicants, particles, greenhouse gases, and their subsequent health effects. In a recent life cycle assessment study focusing on health impacts, the researchers Rickard Arvidsson, Mudit Chordia and Anders Nordelöf from Chalmers University of Technology show that when all upstream processes of the battery cell are included, some other materials contribute equally or more than cobalt. In addition to lithium, nickel, and manganese, these include natural graphite and copper. While the harsh working conditions are undeniable and should be addressed, lithium-ion batteries also contain other key materials. The human rights organization Amnesty has released reports about the harsh working conditions in artisanal cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including child labor, abuse, and severe, sometimes lethal accidents. It’s a cathode material in many lithium-ion batteries used in high-end electric vehicles. This advantage grows even larger now that batteries are increasingly produced at larger and larger scale, especially if those factories too are powered by renewable electricity.īut there is one critical sustainability issue often highlighted related to lithium-ion batteries: the material cobalt. There is daunting evidence that vehicles powered by lithium-ion batteries have lower emissions than those powered by fossil fuels, when charged with renewable electricity. Lithium-ion batteries have witnessed an exponential growth world-wide and enabled products ranging from personal computers to electric vehicles.
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