Cadmium emissions during production

In addition, two sets of data from the Battery Association of Japan (BAJ), formerly known as the Japan Storage Battery Association (JSBA), equally clearly demonstrate that the levels of cadmium emissions to air and water in Japan have decreased steadily over the period from 1980 through 1992 in spite of the greatly accelerated production of NiCd batteries in Japan during that same time period (Mukunoki and Fujimoto 1996). Japan is the world s largest producer of NiCd batteries, and currently accounts for over 70% of the world s NiCd battery production. If there is any country where potential enviromnental contamination by cadmium from NiCd battery manufacture should be... 

The human health and environmental issues associated with nickel-cadmium batteries arise mainly from the ultimate disposal of the spent batteries. In general, occupational exposures to and manufacturing wastes and emissions from nickel, cadmium, cobalt and other materials in NiCd battery production are well regulated and controlled. There is virtually no danger of nickel or cadmium exposure during normal use of NiCd batteries. Even when NiCd batteries are disposed of in landfills, there is little danger of risk or exposure, at least in the short to mid-term, to nickel or cadmium from the battery s electrodes since they are always encased in at least two layers of steel or plastic or both. 

The SEI data is based mainly on earlier emission numbers for NiCd battery manufacturing, whereas the OECD monograph data represents updated emissions in the European Union as of 1994 compared to total volumes of cadmium utilized for NiCd battery production, based on information from the International Cadmium Association. All of this data indicates that most of the cadmium remains in the product and is not lost during NiCd battery manufacturing. A similar conclusion can be inferred with respect to nickel and cobalt, the other materials in a NiCd battery which might be likely to be regarded as hazardous and contribute to an adverse environmental impact. Iron, of... 

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