title: Survey of mercury, cadmium and lead content of household batteries.
abstract: The objective of this work was to provide updated information on the development of the potential impact of heavy metal containing batteries on municipal waste and battery recycling processes following transposition of the new EU Batteries Directive 2006/66/EC. A representative sample of 146 different types of commercially available dry and button cells as well as lithium-ion accumulators for mobile phones were analysed for their mercury (Hg)-, cadmium (Cd)- and lead (Pb)-contents. The methods used for preparing the cells and analysing the heavy metals Hg, Cd, and Pb were either developed during a former study or newly developed. Several batteries contained higher mass fractions of mercury or cadmium than the EU limits. Only half of the batteries with mercury and/or lead fractions above the marking thresholds were labelled. Alkaline-manganese mono-cells and Li-ion accumulators, on average, contained the lowest heavy metal concentrations, while zinc-carbon batteries, on average, contained the highest levels.
authors.affiliation: BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Reference Materials, Richard-Willstätter-Straße 11, D-12489 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: sebastian.recknagel@bam.de.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Recknagel
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Radant
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kohlmeyer
mesh_terms: D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis*; D003625:Data Collection; D011211:Electric Power Supplies / Q000592:standards; D005062:European Union; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005858:Germany; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Alkaline–manganese; Analysis; Batteries Act; Battery; Button cell; Cadmium; EU Batteries Directive; Heavy metal; Lead; Lithium; Lithium-ion accumulator; Mercury; Mono-cell; Zinc chloride; zinc–carbon