“A lot of people think the use of lithium-ion batteries is a good thing right now, but it is important to explore the effects that may be coming down the road.”
From cell phones to watches to electric cars, lithium-ion rechargeable batteries power a myriad of devices. With the growing adoption of this technology, there is a concern about the potential environmental impact as more lithium enters the ecosystem through electronic waste. Researchers have discovered that lithium can accumulate in a common Southern crustacean, the crawfish, shedding light on the implications for public health and the environment, especially as the season for catching and eating mudbugs ramps up.
The findings of the researchers will be presented at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society.
“As aquatic organisms, crawfish have the ability to absorb significant amounts of lithium from water. Since crawfish are consumed by other creatures, including humans, studying them allows us to observe how lithium moves through the food chain and potentially impacts us,” explains Joseph Kazery, a biology professor.
Joseph Kazery,
Two undergraduate students, Andrew Doubert and Javian Ervin, working in Kazery’s lab at Mississippi College, are sharing the results of their experiments on the uptake of ionic lithium by different organs of crawfish and the influence of seasonal temperatures. “If crawfish are bred near polluted areas, they could be exposed to lithium through runoff, with potential effects that are not fully understood yet,” states Ervin. “As someone who consumes crawfish, this issue holds personal significance for me.”
Although lithium contamination is not new, the increasing use of lithium-ion batteries raises concerns about its environmental impact. Kazery highlights the importance of properly disposing of lithium-ion batteries to prevent them from ending up in landfills, which could lead to lithium becoming a significant environmental contaminant.
Research shows that crawfish, being fully aquatic organisms, can serve as powerful bioindicators of lithium contamination in the environment. The accumulation of lithium in crawfish can subsequently be passed through the food chain to predators, including humans, through direct consumption or indirectly via fish that feed on crawfish.
During their experiments, the team fed crawfish with ionic lithium to study its accumulation in different organs. The results showed that the gastrointestinal tract had the highest concentration of lithium, followed by the gills, hepatopancreas, and abdominal muscle. This suggests a potential for increased lithium accumulation in predators further up the food chain.
Ervin’s investigation into the effects of temperature on lithium uptake revealed that warmer temperatures led to greater lithium accumulation in certain parts of the crawfish, indicating that lithium levels may be highest during warm months. The study also noted a decrease in crawfish weight in warmer water, although the connection to lithium accumulation remains unclear.
“A lot of people think the use of lithium-ion batteries is a good thing right now, but it is important to explore the effects that may be coming down the road,” concludes Doubert.
Comments
