- Lithium-ion batteries are the most common type of battery found in electric vehicles.
- Scientists found that the products contained PFAS or ‘forever chemicals’ found in air, water, snow, soil and sediment.
- Research calls for better battery technology and recycling to reduce PFAS pollution.
Scientists have uncovered a new source of dangerous “forever chemicals” pollution: the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries found in most electric vehicles.
Some lithium-ion battery technologies use a class of chemicals called PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which help make the batteries less flammable and conduct electricity. Scientists have found high levels of PFAS in air, water, snow, soil and sediment samples near plants that produce the chemicals in the U.S., Belgium and France, according to a peer-reviewed study in the journal Natural Communication.
PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they build up quickly in the environment, humans and animals and don’t break down for thousands of years. They have been linked to a number of health conditions, including liver damage, high cholesterolIndonesian: low birth weightIndonesian: and chronic kidney disease.
The findings underscore how shifting to cleaner cars and renewable energy is key to addressing the climate crisis, but comes with its own set of consequences that are still emerging and understudied. While the environmental and health impacts of mining lithium and other minerals used in batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and other technologies have been well documented, it is only now that researchers are exposing lithium-ion batteries as a source of PFAS pollution.
“Reckless [carbon dioxide] emissions with innovations like electric cars are important, but they should not come at the cost of increased PFAS pollution,” said Jennifer Guelfo, an associate professor of environmental engineering at Texas Tech University and one of the study’s authors, in a statement.
It’s a global concern because lithium-ion batteries are used worldwide, the study said. The same class of PFAS was recently detected at low levels in water in Europe and China, but the source of the contamination was unclear.
The specific class of PFAS that Guelfo’s team found are called bis-perfluoroalkyl sulfonimides, or bis-FASI. The scientists tested more than a dozen lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and consumer electronics like laptops, and found bis-FASI in varying concentrations.
It’s hard to know how widespread the chemicals are in specific lithium-ion batteries because there hasn’t been enough research, said Lee Ferguson, an associate professor of environmental engineering at Duke University and one of the study’s authors.
Guelfo said bis-FASIs are comparable to “old, well-known” chemicals like PFOA, in part because they are very difficult to break down and studies show they alter the behavior of aquatic organisms at low concentrations. PFOA has been phased out in the U.S. but continues to contaminate drinking water.
This study is the first “end-to-end” evaluation of the environmental impacts of bis-FASI in lithium-ion batteries. The effects of bis-FASI on humans have not been studied.
The scientists detected the chemical bis-FASI at parts per billion levels — far higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s limit for PFAS in drinking water set in April. Strategies to remove PFAS from drinking water could also remove bis-FASI, the study said, which should be used more widely because of EPA regulations. But the chemical’s manufacturers and some water companies have challenged the agency in court.
There are other routes of exposure to bis-FASI. Air emissions data show the chemical can migrate to areas far from production sites. The chemical can also seep into the environment from landfills, where most lithium-ion batteries end up.
The study said only about 5% of lithium-ion batteries are recycled, and by 2040, there could be about 8 million tons of lithium-ion battery waste.
Guelfo said scientists, engineers, manufacturers and policymakers need to develop battery technologies and recycling solutions that don’t worsen PFAS pollution.
“We need to really evaluate the chemicals that are used in sustainable energy infrastructure,” Guelfo said. “We need to evaluate it now before it becomes a broader issue. We have an opportunity to really maximize the sustainability idea.”
Companies including 3M, Solvay and Arkema hold patents for bis-FASI or advertise its production or use, the study said. (In December — after the study was conducted — Solvay spun off its specialty and applied chemicals business into a new entity called Syensqo. The lithium battery business is housed there.)
The scientists focused their research on areas near the company’s manufacturing plants in Minnesota, Kentucky, Antwerp, Belgium, and Salindres, France.
3M has been producing PFAS for decades and last year agreed to a $10 billion settlement with U.S. cities over claims the company contaminated drinking water with the permanent chemicals. 3M said it would stop all PFAS production by the end of 2025.
The company settlement follows other agreements by Chemours, DuPont and Corteva to pay $1.19 billion to help resolve thousands of lawsuits.
Correction: July 8, 2024 — This story was updated to clarify the name of one of the companies producing electric vehicle battery materials. Following the investigation, Solvay spun off its lithium battery business into a new entity called Syensqo.
