Quantifying the environmental impacts and toxic lead pollution from the waste of solar power electrification in Africa.
19 April 2024
Quantifying the environmental impacts and toxic lead pollution from the current improper management of waste from solar power electrification initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa.
Christopher Kinally and Dr Alejandro Gallego Schmid (Tyndall Manchester) have published an article in the Journal of Applied Energy quantifying the environmental impacts and toxic lead pollution from the current improper management of waste from solar power electrification initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. The study was conducted with collaborators from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (the University of Manchester) and the University of La Rioja (Spain).
Millions of short-lived solar energy devices are being sold to households across sub-Saharan Africa each year as a strategy to increase access to electricity. However, there is a lack of infrastructure to safely manage the resulting toxic waste flow. This life cycle assessment is the first study to quantify the environmental impacts of off-grid solar technologies considering the current informal waste management practices: quantifying lead pollution from informal lead-acid battery recycling. Potentially life-threatening quantities of lead pollution are recorded to be released into densely populated communities from the informal recycling of one solar battery. Holistic solutions are highlighted as urgently needed to prevent off-grid solar electrification strategies across sub-Saharan Africa from posing public health burdens from lead exposure. Furthermore, detrimental design and usage practices are highlighted to compromise the carbon-saving potential of off-grid solar energy systems by restricting battery lifetimes – showing the importance of supporting local technical expertise in community energy access projects.
Waste management interventions are urgently needed to prevent solar electrification initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa from exacerbating health burdens from lead exposure.