Exide lead contamination

Pallet of scrap lead-acid automotive batteries ready to be recycled

Exide was one of the world's largest producers, distributors and recyclers of lead-acid batteries. Lead-acid batteries are used in automobiles, golf carts, fork-lifts, electric cars and motorcycles. They are recycled by grinding them open, neutralizing the sulfuric acid, and separating the polymers from the lead and copper. In the US, 97 percent of the lead from car batteries is recycled - which is the highest recycling rate for any commodity. Most states require stores to take back old batteries.[1]

Since 2010, operations at seven Exide lead-acid battery plants have been linked to ambient heavy metal levels that posed a health risk to the environment and thousands of residents in neighborhoods surrounding the Exide plants.[2] Exide has been found to be a significant source of lead emissions and/or contamination in Crescentville, Philadelphia (1920 - 1978); Los Angeles County; Frisco, Texas; Muncie, Indiana; Salina, Kansas; Bristol, Tennessee; Reading, Pennsylvania; and Forest City, Missouri.[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYT 2011-12-09 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Christensen, Kim; Garrison, Jessica (May 29, 2013). "Battery recycler Exide's problems aren't just local". LA Times. Retrieved March 31, 2018.