Page 65 - CIJ Oct 2024 Digital Edition

WASTE MANAGEMENT

battery electrolyte, and dumping of of recycling hotspots, number of high lead exposure can cause
furnace residues are evident in many workers exposed etc.) remains miscarriage, stillbirth, premature
cities, according to the study. scarce and out dated, given the birth, and low birth weight.
Unregulated operations leach difficulty of tracking informal sector The Batteries Waste Management
considerable amounts of lead activity. (Amendment) (BWMR), Rules 2022
into the surrounding ecosystem, Informal recycling of used
including the air, soil, and water, lead-acid batteries is extremely mandate a formal battery collection
which leads to environmental dangerous for people and the system, authorising only specific
degradation and negative impacts on environment. A systematic agents to collect used batteries for
human health. Lead dust is released evaluation conducted in India recycling. However, on-ground
when batteries are broken and lead reveals that blood lead levels implementation is reportedly
components are melted, rising into (BLLs) among battery factory delayed. Informal recycling
the air and seeping into the ground. workers are over 10 times higher continues to dominate the ecosystem
Workers often touch lead than those of healthy, age-matched due to lower costs and a more
components directly without gloves. controls. Various small-scale extensive collection network. The
Lead also ends up migrating to studies of battery workers in India study also found there was a lack
nearby communities on workers’ report BLLs as high as 65.5 μg/ of awareness around lead poisoning
clothes, in hair, on shoes, on vehicle dL. A review of studies from 37 and that most were unaware that
developing countries finds that the
tyres, through storm water run-off, the health challenges faced by them
wind, disposal of contaminated average worker BLL is 47 μg/dL in
waste, etc. battery manufacturing plants and and their family could point to lead
64 μg/dL in recycling facilities. For
Since informal recyclers do not context, the Occupational Safety poisoning.
use pollution prevention technology and Health Administration (OSHA) There was also little to no
or comply with applicable guidelines require medical removal medical capacity for the appropriate
environmental and occupational of a worker if a BLL of 50-60 μg/dL diagnosis and treatment of lead
safety regulations, they face lower is reached, permitting them to return poisoning near ULAB recycling
fixed and operating costs. Their to work only after 2 consecutive hotspots.
collection network of kabadiwalas measurements below 40 μg/dL.
(door-to-door garbage collectors) The CPCB SOP for ULAB The study suggests key policy
visits retailers and consumers Recycling notes that individuals recommendations to mitigate this
more frequently than manufacturer with BLLs higher than 42 μg/ issue including reducing taxes
representatives. The convenience dL should be shifted to non-lead on used batteries to improve the
of door-to-door collection in activity areas until their BLL falls to cost-competitiveness of the formal
exchange for upfront payment is below 10 μg/dL. sector; mandating a reverse logistics
far more appealing for consumers An assessment of prevalence system to promote the collection
and retailers than the prospect of elevated blood lead levels and
of dropping off used batteries at risk factors in eight districts of of used batteries; institutionalising
collection centres. the city under study finds that occupational guidelines and
Given ULAB diversion to more than 90% of children and biological indices defining an action
level of lead in blood; entrusting
informal recyclers, formal recyclers 80% of pregnant women reported
face underutilised plant capacity blood lead levels above 5 μg/dL. monitoring and evaluation to a
and less feedstock than necessary to Children are particularly vulnerable third-party intermediary between
maintain operations. They are forced because they absorb 4-5 times as industry and government; improving
to depend on alternate sources of much lead as adults from a given medical capacity for the diagnosis
feedstock, such as remelted lead source, and can suffer from reduced and treatment of lead poisoning
imports or even remelted lead intelligence, lower educational near ULAB recycling hotspots;
from informal players. The study attainment and more delinquent and encouraging the mapping and
indicates that due to the lack of violent behaviour as a result of lead remediation of contaminated sites;
a robust collection process in the poisoning. conducting targeted public health
formal sector, formal recycling For children and adults alike,
plants often operate below capacity. cumulative lead toxicity over time campaigns among workers, health
Data required for sound and can attack the brain and nervous professionals and consumers;
promoting capacity-building of State
implementable policy amendments system and cause damage to
(e.g. proportion of market share multiple organs. Lead poisoning Pollution Control Boards/Pollution
of formal vs. informal recycling, can cause adults to suffer from Control Committees; improving
processes used by informal smelters, cardiovascular problems, access to alternative livelihoods; and
price differentials between formal immunotoxicity, and kidney initiating cluster development for
and informal systems, mapping damage. In pregnant women, ULAB recycling units. CIJ

Clean India Journal•OCTOBER 2024 65
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