A production line of lithium ion cells for electric vehicle batteries. SweetBunFactory / iStock / Getty Images Plus

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A new study has found yet another source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) pollution: lithium ion batteries, an important component of clean energy tech and electronics.

According to the research, published in the journal Nature Communications, lithium ion batteries contain a sub-class of PFAS that can have a lasting impact on air and water and an ecotoxicity level similar to other notable PFAS, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). 

PFOA and other PFAS do not break down in the environment, which is why these compounds are often referred to as “forever chemicals.” As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has documented, PFOA has been found in surface water, groundwater, soil and air, and PFOA has the potential for bioaccumulation and/or bioconcentration in wildlife.

Further, according to the American Cancer Society, which was not involved in the study, PFOA exposure may increase risk of certain types of cancer, including kidney and testicular cancers.

PFOA and some other PFAS have been phased out in the U.S., but novel PFAS, such as the bis-perfluoroalkyl sulfonimides (bis-FASIs) analyzed in the recent study, are taking the place of some of these older compounds.

However, researchers are now raising concerns over the impacts these other types of PFAS could have on the environment. 

The researchers collected samples of soil, sediment, snow, surface water, groundwater and tap water at 87 sites near industrial facilities in Kentucky, Minnesota, Belgium and France. Across the board, the team found high levels of bis-FASIs. According to the researchers, bis-FASIs can lead to behavioral changes and changes in the fundamental energy metabolic processes of aquatic wildlife.

The team also revealed that these compounds may also pollute the air around industrial facilities, which could lead to more widespread distribution and contamination.

The researchers explained that bis-FASIs are being used for lithium ion batteries and clean energy infrastructure and technology, which is essential to curbing the worst impacts of climate change. 

“Our results reveal a dilemma associated with manufacturing, disposal, and recycling of clean energy infrastructure,” Jennifer Guelfo, an author of the study and an associate professor of environmental engineering at Texas Tech University, said in a statement. “Slashing carbon dioxide emissions with innovations like electric cars is critical, but it shouldn’t come with the side effect of increasing PFAS pollution. We need to facilitate technologies, manufacturing controls and recycling solutions that can fight the climate crisis without releasing highly recalcitrant pollutants.”

Although the researchers found that the bis-FASIs did not break down in the environment, they did determine that these compounds could be reduced in water using the same treatment methods for removing other PFAS from water, such as ion exchange.

“These results illustrate that treatment approaches designed for PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) can also remove bis-FASIs,” said Lee Ferguson, an author of the study and an associate professor of environmental engineering at Duke University. “Use of these approaches is likely to increase as treatment facilities are upgraded to comply with newly enacted EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels for PFAS.”

The study authors explained that experts across a variety of fields, from scientists to lawmakers, will need to work together to reduce the impact that developing clean energy infrastructure may have on the environment.

“We should use the momentum behind current energy initiatives to ensure that new energy technologies are truly clean,” Guelfo said.

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