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With unauthorised smelting, lead
escapes into the environment in
several ways. Take a look. |
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Lead is released in the workplace
atmosphere as dust or fumes |
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Air borne particles settle on
workmen’s
skin / clothing |
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Particles falling on the floor, stick
to
clothes or are swept into dust |
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Lead particles being heavy, enter
soil
and sub-soil |
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Lead is inhaled by workmen and
settles
in lungs |
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Minute lead particles are ingested
with
food and drink |
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Whenever you hand over your used
battery to a street side vendor, chances
are it may find its way to the unorganised
sector where it is smelted in an open
furnace. Allowing the scrap lead particles
to roam unchecked in the air, contaminate
workers, permeate the soil and
groundwater as well. With tens of
thousands of unorganised battery
re-builders in action, scrap lead particles
contaminate all organic life: vegetation,
fish, meat, poultry, livestock and in the
process, humans. Even low doses of lead
exposure can cause kidney failure,
cerebro-muscular failure, slowdown of
nerve conduction, continuous abdominal
discomfort, anemia, hypertension and
more. In neighbourhoods, exposed to
open lead furnaces, there have been
cases of spontaneous abortion. |
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The answer lies in handling
used batteries responsibly. As
responsible citizens,
we can
work together to keep our planet
and the next generation
free of
avoidable hazards. On our part,
we collect used batteries
at regular
intervals from our authorised
dealers in closed trucks
and have
them recycled only by smelters,
authorised by the Ministry of
Environment. We urge dealers to
insist on collection of the battery
after use, each time they sell
a battery. Make sure that you return
your used battery to the authorised
dealers only. This will ensure that
your used battery will never
pollute the environment and
endanger the health of your
children. Let’s join hands to keep
life on earth clean, beautiful and sustainable. |
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