Green Recycling of Used Lead Acid Batteries –

An Imperative Need

By
Dr. R. S. Mahwar, Environmental Adviser, ILZDA
Former Additional Director, Central Pollution Control Board
(Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change), Govt. of India

International Conference & Exhibition on Lead Batteries

14 & 15 November 2016, New Delhi
 Green Recycling of Used Lead Acid Batteries (ULAB)

 Beyond Compliance to the Guidelines/Standard Operating Procedures

for the Environmentally Sound Management/Recycling of ULAB.

 What does Beyond Compliance mean in ULAB recycling ?

• Minimum Consumption of Resources

• Minimum Generation of Wastes/Residues

• Minimum Emissions of Lead

• Minimum Emissions of Global Warming or Green House Gases

• No or Minimum Adverse Impact on Health & Environment

 Guidelines/Standard Operating Procedures for the
Environmentally Sound Management/Recycling of ULAB

 International Guidelines
• Basel – Technical guidelines for the environmentally sound management
of waste lead-acid batteries (2003)
• UNEP – Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of Used Lead
Batteries in the Mediterranean (2016)
• Commission for Environmental Cooperation-US, Mexico & Canada -
Environmentally Sound Management of Spent Lead-Acid Batteries in
North America: Technical Guidelines (2016)

 Govt. of India Guidelines

• Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Govt. of India
(MoEFCC) - Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) - Recycling of Lead
scrap/used lead acid batteries.
<http://www.moef.nic.in/sites/default/files/SOP-Lead_1.pdf>
 Environmentally Sound Recycling* of ULAB in India

 Registration of ULAB Industries

• As per Rule 6 of the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and
Transboundary Movement) Rules 2016 for procurement of the Lead
Scarp/ULAB

 Registration Application Requirements

• Consent to Establish under the Water and Air Acts
• Undertaking that the ESR Facilities have been set up
• Certificate of Registration from the District Industry Centre
• Proof of installed capacity
• Membership - Common Facility for Treatment and Disposal of Hazardous
Wastes (TSDF)
• Details of the Process Flow Diagram (PFD), Air Pollution Control System
(APCS) and Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP)
• Details of onsite facilities for storage of the process residues and other
wastes
(* SOP- MoEFCC)
 Environmentally Sound Recycling of ULAB in India
 Minimum Facilities/Compliance Requirements

 Smelting Furnace
• Box Furnace with Air Pollution Control System
• Rotary Furnace with Air Pollution Control System

 Air Pollution Control System (APCS)

• Cooling System
• Cyclones
• Bag Filter with Shaker Arrangement
• Alkali Scrubber
• ID Fan
• Stack (height minimum 30 metres) with port hole and platform for
emission monitoring and access ladder.
 Environmentally Sound Recycling of ULAB in India
 Minimum Facilities/Compliance Requirements (Contd.)

 Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) for the treatment of the scrubber water,
plastic case washings, acid neutralization etc.

 Separate and secured covered space (impervious flooring) for process

residue storage.

 Battery Breaking Area to be connected to APCS & ETP.

 More than 5000 MTPA capacity plants to have mechanical/automatic

battery breaking units with noise control measures and fume extraction
system connected to APCS and arrangements for waste water treatment
into ETP.
 Environmentally Sound Recycling of ULAB in India
 Minimum Facilities/Compliance Requirements (Contd.)

 Standards for Lead

• Lead in work area (8-hr avg.) : 0.05 mg/m3
• Lead in emission through stack : 10.0 mg/Nm3
• Lead in effluents : 0.10 mg/l
• Lead in factory premises near boundary wall (24-hr avg.) : 1.0 µg/m3

 Workers Medical Examination and Blood Lead Levels

• Medical examination at least once a year for lead levels in blood and
urine.
• Acceptable level in Blood : 10 µg/dl
• Workers having lead in blood greater than 42 µg/dl to be shifted to non-
lead activity areas and given special medical treatment till the lead levels
come back to acceptable level.
 Beyond Compliance Measures in ULAB Recycling Industry
 Optimization of the Furnace Operation Parameters as per the feed material
characteristics.

 Minimization of Heat Loss

• Raw Material Charging
• Molten lead tapping

 Proper Operation and Maintenance of the APCS

• Helps maintaining efficient fume extraction
• Helps maintaining negative pressure at the charging points

 Industry Compatibility with the Predominant Wind Direction

• Industry location down stream the settlements/sensitive areas
• Natural air flow through APCS area
• Natural air flow thorough sheds housing melting furnaces/refining pots
 Beyond Compliance Measures in ULAB Recycling Industry
 Decontamination Station (DCS)
• DCS not found in any of the industries (20+) visited
• Major cause of lead carry over with shoes, clothes
even to the homes and public places involving
movement of workers/staff after duty.
• Worker’s Canteen...? Not found in any of the industries (20+) visited

 Plastic Recovery
• Washings versus residual contamination
(hardly given much attention)
• Storage of plastic items (seen even on roof tops)
• Sale to Authorised Recyclers (???)
 Beyond Compliance Measures in ULAB Recycling Industry
 Storm Water Management
• Storm water is the major source of lead carry over with run off and
subsequent contamination of soil, surface water and ground water in
ULAB Industry.

 Spent Sulphuric Acid Supply

• Battery Making Industries
• Other User Industries/CETP
• Use of the Sulphuric Acid Neutralization (ETP) Sludge (Gypsum) in
Cement industries.

 Selection of the Automatic Battery Breaker (ABB)

• ABB is an Energy Intensive System
• Continued availability of ULABs for its Sustainable Use
• Requirement of Caustic Soda Solution for Acid Neutralization/pH Control
• Sodium Sulphate recovery (Lead Contamination ?)
• Permissible limits for discharge of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
• Possibility of TDS discharge through marine outfalls in coastal areas
 Beyond Compliance Measures in ULAB Recycling Industry

 Imports/Exports
• Only if unavoidable
• Preferably only Lead Plates

 Installation of Photovoltaic System

on the Roof for Power Generation

 A large plant (Bin Nawi Group) of 1,00,000 tonnes/year ULAB recycling

capacity is being set up in Abu Dhabi (Commissioning expected in 2018)*
• The plant will have a 14,000 square meters photovoltaic system on its
roof and the power generated will meet majority of the plant’s energy
need
(* Source: < http://www.gauff.net/en/news/articles/article/gauff-power-plant-
batterie-recycling-fabrik-in-abu-dhabi.html>)
 Key Aspects for Green Recycling of ULAB

 Installation of Photovoltaic Systems for Solar Power Generation, on the

roofs/sheds

 Receiving Raw Materials (Vehicle Movement, Unloading etc)

 Separation (Battery Breaking, Components Separation etc)

 Containment (Covered & Secured Storage of Lead Bearing Materials)

 Purification (Discharges/Emissions/Plastics (Lead Carry Over, pH & TDS)

 Smelting & Refining (Heat Loss/Fugitive Emissions)

 Decontamination Station*

 Storm Water Management*

(*Needs Urgent Attention)

 Concluding Remarks
 Lead Acid Batteries to play a major role in the storage of Electrical
Energy.

 Lead Acid Batteries demand will increase with increase in the production
of power from renewable sources.

 Used Lead Acid Batteries recycling is part of the life cycle of the Lead
Acid Batteries.

 Green Recycling of Used Lead Acid Batteries is and shall be an imperative

need.
Thank You