From the UAS War between Russia and Ukraine to Lithium Battery Pollution

In response to climate change, countries around the world are accelerating the pace of energy transition. Replacing fuel-powered vehicles with electric vehicles is widely recognized as an effective measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Although electric vehicle batteries emit a large amount of carbon dioxide during their production process due to the development and use of raw materials, the carbon dioxide emissions during their operation are far lower than those of fuel-powered vehicles. However, to achieve its relative emission reduction effect, it must be a small electric vehicle, and its driving distance must exceed 100,000 kilometers. In addition to pollution during the production process, the disposal of discarded batteries from electric vehicles is also a major challenge that electric vehicle companies and climate and environmental organizations must face. However, since the promotion of electric vehicles has only been going on for more than ten years, this discussion is still at the theoretical level today, and people lack understanding of the specific impact of lithium battery pollution. However, the four-year-long Russia-Ukraine war has brought painful lessons to people.

The Chemical Pollution and Physical Threats of Lithium Batteries

The most frequently used weapon in the Russia-Ukraine war is unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Both sides use hundreds of UAVs per day on average. Ukraine has rapidly developed from a country that did not produce UAVs into a UAV superpower with an annual output of over 4.5 million units within just four years. Most of the UAVs used in the conflict have been shot down within Ukraine, and their debris are scattered in densely populated areas and agricultural regions. These UAVs are equipped with lithium batteries. When they burn, explode, or disintegrate, they do not disappear into thin air but leave behind a large amount of residue.

Some government agencies and environmental organizations in Ukraine have already begun to document the environmental impact of UAVs, including fires caused by UAV attacks and measurable environmental pollution resulting from the dispersion of substances.

The batteries installed in UAVs have the same chemical composition as those in electric vehicles, although their quality varies, their basic principles are similar. Once a battery is pierced, crushed, or ignited, it releases a large number of compounds that pollute soil and rivers. In addition to lithium, batteries may also contain nickel, cobalt, manganese, copper, aluminum, carbon, especially electrolytes, which can produce byproducts when burned. A battery is not simply a "block," but a small chemical reactor wrapped in metal and plastic shells.

These metals slowly migrate in the soil, especially under acidic conditions, and accumulate in the topsoil. Particularly cobalt and nickel, which are toxic to organisms at certain concentrations.

When batteries burn, they also release carbon residues, polymers, adhesives (such as polyvinylidene fluoride), and thermal decomposition products.

How long can this soil pollution last? It depends on the type of soil, drainage conditions, pH level, and climate. Experts believe that without human intervention, it may take several years or even decades to return to near the initial state for metals and fluorinated pollutants. This means that the pollution can have a lasting impact on the productivity of the land, the quality of crops, or the quality of pasture.

Moreover, the complexity of the pollution problem in Ukraine lies in its dispersibility. The pollution points are not concentrated in a few known locations, but in thousands of scattered locations, which cannot be accurately mapped during wartime. This dispersal makes any overall assessment extremely complex.

Aside from chemical pollution, discarded UAV batteries also pose direct physical dangers. A damaged lithium battery that is not fully discharged may remain unstable for several months. If the battery is flattened, pierced, or severely deformed, thermal runaway may occur. This poses a risk to agricultural production. When people are harvesting, plowing, or operating heavy machinery, batteries buried underground or partially covered may be pierced by blades or wheels, causing intense combustion. The burning not only releases toxic gases but also quickly spreads to other areas of the field, which could lead to uncontrolled fires in dry summers.

This danger explains why some Ukrainian farmers prefer to let the land lie fallow rather than risk serious accidents by farming.

As such, lithium batteries, as a core component of modern warfare, bring a slow, widespread, and irreversible form of pollution to the soil. This observation reminds us that any technology based on high-energy batteries, whether civilian or military, will bring real environmental risks once it falls outside a strict management framework.

Conditions for Recycling Car Batteries

Of course, compared to UAVs that fall into fields, electric vehicles have at least one advantage: they are registered, tracked, and rarely "lost" in remote areas. But this advantage comes with the premise that the supply chain must be truly safe and reliable.

Yes, in the automotive industry, people generally believe that batteries will be recycled. This is indeed the case in theory. However, the actual implementation must meet the following three conditions simultaneously: first, the disposal of batteries must be collected, second, there must be traceability to know the source and components of the batteries, and finally, there must be recycling technology and industrial processing capabilities. Any of these three conditions missing would make battery recycling nothing more than empty words.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1856826911015948/

Disclaimer: The article represents the views of the author.