Informal Used Lead-Acid (Automobile) Batteries (ULABs) Recycling
GOAL: Be able to Perform Effectively on Interprofessional Teams
STEP 1: Familiarize yourself with the global environmental issue of Recycling used lead-acid (automobile) batteries (ULABs)
STEP 2: Assemble a team of 3 Professionals
STEP 3: Present the problem to Professionals and solicit interventions based on their discipline
STEP 4: Prepare "Interprofessional Team Report"
Select 3 professions outside public health and medicine (see suggestions below).
For each profession, present ideas on various interventions in addressing the problem of the informal recycling of used lead-acid (automotive) batteries. You are encouraged to reach out to people in these professions and solicit their ideas. You will, of course, have to describe the situation with ULAB recycling and the health issues so please learn about this first. You are permitted to work in groups but the report must come from each individual.
The Issue and Problem: Informal ULAB Recycling
Lead-acid automotive and storage batteries are a very important commodity with an ever expanding global market. Due to their simple construction and components; namely lead, acid and plastic, they approach a global recycling rate of almost 99%. As a result, many informal ULAB recyclers collect batteries, break them apart, melt/smelt the lead and resell it (see references below). This activity could be a family buying and processing a few batteries a week to provide a source of income or larger backyard smelters which process dozens or hundreds of automotive batteries. Unfortunately, the informal recycling process is dirty and contaminates families and communities. The published scholarship on this subject is quite extensive (see YouTubes, websites and listed above).
The Assignment:
Interview a team of non-health professionals and explore options to reduce lead poisoning from informal battery recycling activities. But keep in mind that ULAB activities worldwide provide needed sustenance for millions of struggling families in low and middle income countries. So simply banning informal ULABs may not be the best option. Each discipline will likely approach this problem from a different angle and your assignment is to describe their approaches. Lastly, please advise your "professionals" that banning LAB is not an option.
SUBMISSIONS:
The report should integrate the interventions into a single coherent approach (if possible) and present the challenges in satisfying each intervention. It must also include a section on the lesson's learned in working on interprofessional (interdisciplinary) teams. The report could be written (1,500 words) or a narrated PPT, or YT video (<8 minutes). It must be well sectioned and referenced. The flow should be as follows:
1. Presentation of health risks associated problems
2. Professional #1 approach
3. Professional #2 approach
4. Professional #3 approach
5. Assessment of the various approaches and lesson learned
Recycling Used Lead-Acid (Automobile) Batteries (ULABS)
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Lecturer’s Name
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Introduction and Site Review
Used lead-acid (automobile) batteries (ULABs) are a significant source of environmental pollution that exposes humans to numerous health risks. Recycling companies conduct the processes without appropriate measures to control lead emissions (PureEarth, 2020). In many developing countries, lead poisoning is due to improper ULAB recycling and poor regulation (Haefliger et al., 2009). Sites for recycling ULABs are always in proximity with the community. It is common to find recyclers recycling ULABs and conducting smelting operations in open air and densely populated places. These activities release lead products into the atmosphere, soil and water bodies, polluting air, soil and water. Therefore, recycling ULABs is a public health concern because this business is associated with high levels of environmental emissions and occupational exposures (Tian et al., 2014).
According to World Health Organization (2017), there is no known safe exposure level to lead. Any level of lead exposure results in significant health impacts. When lead enters the body, it causes adverse health effects, including damage to the kidney, the nervous system, the hematopoietic system, the cardiovascular system and the reproductive system (Pure Earth, 2020). It also leads to impaired physical growth, retardation and death (World Health Organization, 2017). This report begins by examining the health risks associated with handling ULABs. It then covers interventions proposed by three professionals to reduce lead poisoning from informal battery recycling activities. The final section assesses the approaches and lessons learned throughout this inter-professional team report.
Professional I: Springfield Twp Staffs
Springfield Twp Staffs were one of the best parties selected to review the problem of the informal recycling of ULABs and propose options to reduce lead poisoning from the activity. Lead poisoning causes numerous health problems. One of them is kidney damage. Studies show that lead exposure increases blood pressure. High blood pressure for extended period damages the kidney. According to the WHO, leads exposure is estimated to account for about 3% of the global burden of chronic kidney diseases. Due to the risk of kidney damage caused by lead exposure that results from informal recycling of ULABs, Springfield Twp staffs proposed two solutions for the problem.
The first proposed solution was laying out instructions on the safe collection and recycling of ULABS without risking environmental pollution. The individuals suggested that every recycler should obtain permission and clearance from the Department of Environment (DoE) before collecting and recycling batteries. They insisted that the government should impose restrictions on improper disposal of ULABS in open spaces, waste bins, water bodies and other unauthorized disposal facilities. According to the Springfield Twp Staffs, all used batteries should be sent to the DoE-approved battery recycling operations. They justified their proposal on the grounds that lead products are hazardous waste that should be kept out of public reach. To ensure this proposal works properly, the representatives recommended that DoE bind the licensed ULABs recyclers to periodically submit reports about the volume of recycled products and recycling processes. These recommendations can guide recyclers to follow environmentally sound recycling processes.
The second intervention was education. The Springfield Twp Staffs proposed that the government should design education programs to create awareness of how to properly handle and recycle ULABs, and the health hazards associated with informal recycling. The participants felt that teaching parties involved in the recycling processes and the public would equip them with knowledge of safety measures for handling toxic lead. It is worth noting that most ULAB recyclers and some community members do not understand the health hazards or lead products. Through education programs, recyclers will understand the risks and take appropriate measures to prevent exposure. Community members will also take precautions to limit their exposure to lead products by avoiding recycling factories and warning their children from playing near the sites.
Professional II: TD banker (Muhammad Ali)
After interviewing Springfield Twp Staffs, I met Mr. Muhammad Ali, a TD banker who also gave his reviews. Lead-acid battery is a common type of battery used in cars. Others include Lithium ion and nickel cadmium batteries (United Nations Environmental Programme, n.d). However, lead acid batteries are the most commonly used in automotive industry because it is cost effective. One health issue associated with improper recycling of ULABs according to the banker is heart disease. WHO estimates that lead poisoning accounts for approximately 4.6% of cardiovascular disease. When lead enters the blood vessels, it harms the endothelial cells that line the vessels. This results in hardening of arteries, causing plaque to form in blood vessels. As a result, blood pressure increases, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Muhammad Ali quickly pointed out that although many citizens depend on the informal recycling of ULABs for their livelihoods, this activity exposes individuals to heart disease, which, if left unsolved, will lead to many deaths worldwide. According to the banker, the government's chief role is to protect its citizens from internal and external threats. Through its various organs and departments, the government must ensure that the public is safe from political, economic, environmental, and social hazards. Sinc...