TY - JOUR

T1 - Lithium-Ion Batteries as Ignition Sources in Waste Treatment Processes—A Semi-Quantitate Risk Analysis and Assessment of Battery-Caused Waste Fires

AU - Nigl, Thomas

AU - Baldauf, Mirjam

AU - Hohenberger, Michael

AU - Pomberger, Roland

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

PY - 2021/1

Y1 - 2021/1

N2 - Increasing occurrences of waste fires that are caused by improperly discarded lithium-based portable batteries threaten the whole waste management sector in numerous countries. Studies showed that high quantities of these batteries have been found in several municipal solid waste streams in recent years in Austria. This article reveals the main influence factors on the risk of lithium-based batteries in their end-of-life and it focuses on the quantification of damages to portable batteries during waste treatment processes. Hazards are identified and analysed and potential risks in waste management systems are comprehensively assessed. In two scenarios, the results showed that the potential risks are too high to maintain a sustainable form of waste management. According to the assessment, a small fire in a collection vehicle is located in the risk graph’s yellow region (as low as reasonably practicable, ALARP), while a fully developed fire in a treatment plant has to be classified as an unacceptable risk (red region of risk graph). Finally, basic recommendations for action were made.

AB - Increasing occurrences of waste fires that are caused by improperly discarded lithium-based portable batteries threaten the whole waste management sector in numerous countries. Studies showed that high quantities of these batteries have been found in several municipal solid waste streams in recent years in Austria. This article reveals the main influence factors on the risk of lithium-based batteries in their end-of-life and it focuses on the quantification of damages to portable batteries during waste treatment processes. Hazards are identified and analysed and potential risks in waste management systems are comprehensively assessed. In two scenarios, the results showed that the potential risks are too high to maintain a sustainable form of waste management. According to the assessment, a small fire in a collection vehicle is located in the risk graph’s yellow region (as low as reasonably practicable, ALARP), while a fully developed fire in a treatment plant has to be classified as an unacceptable risk (red region of risk graph). Finally, basic recommendations for action were made.

KW - Fire hazards

KW - Lithium batteries

KW - Portable batteries

KW - Risk modelling

KW - Waste management

KW - portable batteries

KW - lithium batteries

KW - fire hazards

KW - risk modelling

KW - waste management

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85098853733&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/pr9010049

DO - 10.3390/pr9010049

M3 - Article

VL - 9

SP - 1

EP - 12

JO - Processes : open access journal

JF - Processes : open access journal

SN - 2227-9717

IS - 1

M1 - 49

ER -