Biochar's Role in Cleaning Up Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Sites

Lithium-ion batteries are a huge part of our energy landscape. The US lithium-ion battery market generated a revenue of USD 87.8 million in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 526.9 million by 2030. (1)

With more lithium-ion batteries being produced, stored, and transported, more fires are breaking out.

The causes of these fires range from faulty products to improper storage. With this battery solution to our energy problem, we’ve created more problems. The risks associated with lithium-ion batteries are great and we need to be aware of them and how to control them.

American BioChar has developed products that can be used for soil remediation after a lithium-ion battery fire.

Click here to learn more about how one of our NAKED Char, remediates soil contaminated after a lithium-ion fire

What are the Risks Associated with Lithium-Ion Batteries?

Key Points

Lithium-ion battery fires are caused by faulty manufacturing, improper storage conditions, or battery puncture
A lithium-ion battery fire creates a tremendous amount of heat, which triggers more batteries to ignite, creating a self-sustaining cycle, called “thermal runaway”
Most fire departments allow a battery fire to burn itself out, emitting a range of toxic chemicals into the air and on to the soil
The storage time for lithium-ion batteries between production and transport to end use can be from a few weeks to months.

Lithium-ion batteries need to be stored at only 40%-60% charge in temperature, humidity, and ventilation-controlled environments. Proper storage conditions are essential to prevent degradation of the battery life and to prevent fires caused by thermal runaway. For transit, regulations often require a charge of 30% for safety.

These fires are the result of improper storage, a manufacturing defect, or in transit, an accident. But whatever the cause, they quickly get out of hand primarily due to thermal runaway

What is Thermal Runaway?

Thermal runaway is a chain reaction within a battery cell that is very difficult to stop once it’s started. The temperature inside a battery reaches a critical point, which causes a chemical reaction that produces even more heat. This additional heat accelerates the chemical reactions, creating a vicious and self-sustaining cycle.

The consequences of thermal runaways are exceedingly high temperatures, toxic gas emissions, and when battery casings explode, shrapnel everywhere. The toxic gases permeate the air and neighborhoods surrounding lithium-ion manufacturing facilities are quickly evacuated until air monitors record the air is safe to breathe. But are those neighborhoods safe after a thermal runaway event in a manufacturing facility?

“A burning lithium-ion battery releases toxic gases that harm health and the environment. These emissions can settle on surfaces and persist in the air, creating risks even after the fire is out.” Source: IAFC – Lithium -Ion Battery Fires (2)

What are the Toxic Consequences from a Lithium-Ion Battery Fire?

Living near a lithium-ion battery factory that has experienced a fire can pose significant health risks, especially if you consume food grown in the contaminated soil. There are both immediate and long-term health implications. (3)

There are numerous ways a li-ion fire is hazardous to human and environmental health

There are both immediate health impacts and long-term health implications

Chemicals from these fires persist in the soil, are taken up by plants, and get into the human food chain

The contaminants from a li-ion fire can be inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through our skin

Immediate Health Risks from a lithium-ion fire: Inhaling fumes from one of these fires causes coughing, breathing difficulty, and lung irritation. Toxic gases like hydrogen fluoride (HF) released during a fire can cause severe burns and eye irritation. (4)

Long-Term Health Implications: The toxic substances released from a lithium-ion battery fire persist long after the fire has been extinguished. Chemicals such as Carbon monoxide (CO), Hydrofluoric acid (HF), Acrolein, Lithium oxide (Li2O), Benzene, and Manganese compounds have serious health effects for humans and entire ecosystems.

These chemicals persist in the soil, and when crops are grown in these contaminated soils, the plants take up these pollutants. Chronic exposure to these compounds, even in small amounts, can lead to neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, leukemia, respiratory disease, and death.

These contaminants can be inhaled, absorbed through our skin, or ingested. The entire ecosystem is degraded as a result of a fire and the leaching of toxic chemicals. These fires are happening with frightening frequency.

“When that energy is released in an uncontrolled manner, it generates heat, which can turn certain internal battery components into flammable and toxic gases.” Source: NFPA – Lithium-Ion Battery Hazards (5)

The lithium-ion battery fire in Moss Landing, CA in January resulted in unusually high concentrates of heavy metals in the adjacent Elkhorn Slough Reserve. According to the CalCoastNews.com, “Soil tests performed following the fire showed a dramatic increase in nickel, manganese and cobalt, was found. Scientists studied soils in an approximately two-miles radius of the Vistra battery storage facility.” (6)

According to a report by KREM2, the recent lithium-ion battery fire in Spokane, Washington “…will transition into an environmental cleanup contractor, and they will do testing, and we will work with them to determine the remediation levels for the soils or any other contamination on the site,” said Sean Thompson with Ecology. (7)

We don’t really know the long-term implications of a lithium-ion battery fire on human health or the ecosystem. During and after a fire the air and water quality are tested for contaminants, but the soil only much later. When air monitors record acceptable levels of contaminants evacuation orders are lifted. People move back into their homes before soil testing is completed. The effects of exposure to these contaminants for humans, their pets, and the ecosystem is unknown. At the Hillyard fire at the MaxAmps Lithium battery manufacturing facility in Spokane, Washington a spokesperson for the Spokane Fire Department said they weren’t concerned about toxic exposure in the air, because “…the wind today for us is good…that’s getting that smoke up out of here, dilutes it just like it is with water.” (7)

The long-lasting effects of the contaminants in the soil, how they impact the ecosystem, and the effects on human health are worth a much more thorough investigation than most fire departments or municipalities have undertaken.

Methods for Soil Remediation at Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Sites

The removal of contaminants from the soil after a chemical fire of any kind is difficult and expensive. This is especially true of the remediation of soil after a lithium-ion battery fire. The type of remediation used depends on factors such as the type and extent of contamination, site conditions. and regulatory requirements.

The most common methods for soil remediation unfortunately are excavation and removal and soil washing. These move the contamination from one place to another, not remediating the soil. These methods are disruptive, complex, involve additional chemicals, and can cost upwards of $200.00 per cubic yard of contaminated soil.

Other methods such as phytoremediation or thermal desorption (heating the soil to volatilize and remove contaminants) are less common but often just as costly. Fire departments and municipalities are beginning to look at biochar to adsorb heavy metals and other contaminants.

Biochar blends have soil benefits the other methods do not, and the cost is lower – from $30- $100 per cubic yard. They also leave the soil better than before the fire with toxic chemicals replaced by soil nutrients and beneficial microbiology. With a biochar blend such as VITAL Blend, soil can be remediated and cover crops planted to begin the process of phytoremediation.

For the soil specifically on the manufacturing facility property or highway (in the case of an accident) a more aggressive biochar product such as NAKED Char is used to capture the contaminants, so they are unavailable for plant, animal, or human uptake.

Biochar: Solution for Soil Remediation after a Lithium-ion Battery Fire

What is biochar and how can it remediate such contaminated soil? Biochar is a form of carbon that is produced through pyrolysis, burning in the absence of oxygen, of any organic matter. The composition of the type of organic matter, or feedstock, determines the properties of the resulting biochar

Key Points

Biochar immobilizes the contaminants from a li-ion fire

American BioChar’s NAKED Char produced from Southern Yellow Pine has the highest porosity to effectively remediate contaminated soil

VITAL Blend is a biochar/humate mix that remediates soil while kickstarting microbial populations and nutrient cycling

Biochar acts by attracting and binding pollutants within the pore structure making them unavailable for plant uptake

Biochar is a natural and cost-effective method to remediate severely contaminates soil from lithium-ion fires

Not all biochar is created equal. Biochar made from organic materials like animal manure, human manure, and other waste products tend to have heavy metals that may not be good for your soil.

The size of the pores in the original feedstock, hardwood, softwood, or hemp stalks determine the pore size in the finished biochar product. At American BioChar our analyses have found Southern Pine to have a pore structure that is perfect for soil remediation. Just like in the child’s story of Goldilocks, the pores are not too large, not too small, just right. Our NAKED Char product has the porosity, pore distribution and size, that remediates contaminants such as heavy metals, petroleum, and excess salts.

Biochar, just by itself, isn’t as effective at soil remediation as a biochar with humates added to “charge” the biochar product. Nature has an amazing ability to clean up many messes if given a little help. The biochar acts as a habitat for microbes, and the microbes bring the molecules of contaminant into the biochar pores. Together, organic matter, microbes, and biochar can clean up a sizeable human contamination.

How Does Biochar Clean Up Soil from a Lithium-Ion Battery Fire?

The pollutants that fall from the air during a manufacturing facility fire cover the soil, homes, plant materials, and all inhabitants of that ecosystem. Biochar immobilizes those pollutants, heavy metals, and other contaminants in its myriads of pores.

And you know about static cling? That electrostatic force that attaches your sock to your shirt when taken out of the dryer? Biochar has an electrostatic force that attracts and holds contaminants.

The unique pore structure of biochar provides a large surface area for contaminants to adhere. It also contains various functional chemical groups such as carboxyl, hydroxyl, and phenolic groups that bond with contaminants. These functional groups give biochar a high ion exchange capacity.

Why Consider Biochar for Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Remediation?

It’s imperative to consider biochar for remediating lithium-ion battery fire-contaminated sites for several reasons.

Heavy Metal Adsorption: Lithium-ion battery fires release heavy metals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese into the soil. Biochar’s high surface area and porous structure allow it to adsorb these heavy metals, reducing their bioavailability and preventing them from leaching into groundwater.

Soil Health Improvement: Biochar can improve soil structure, increase water-holding capacity, and enhance microbial activity. This is crucial for restoring soil health after contamination and promoting the recovery of vegetation.

Cost-Effective and Sustainable: Biochar is a cost-effective and sustainable solution for soil remediation. It can be produced from various biomass sourced, making it an environmentally friendly option compared to traditional remediation methods.

Support for Phytoremediation: Biochar can enhance the effectiveness of phytoremediation, where plants are used to extract heavy metals from the soil. By improving soil conditions and providing a habitat fort beneficial microbes, biochar support the growth roof these plants and accelerates the remediation process

Long-Term Stability: Biochar remains stable in the soil for long periods, providing ongoing benefits for soil health and contamination control. This long-term stability makes it a reliable solution for managing contamination sites.

Not all biochar products will remediate the soil effectively. We have formulated our NAKED Char specifically to attract and hold ions in the soil. Whether those ions are heavy metals or other contaminants, the porous structure of our Souther Pine NAKED Char is the most effective. This product is best for the immediate fire site. The biochar will take up the contaminants but will continue to attract nutrient ions so that any vegetation you try to grow will be stunted for a few years.

Our VITAL Blend is charged with humates that make the remediation process effective and better for residential neighborhoods surrounding lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities. The biochar blend takes up the contaminants while also reinvigorating the soil biology. This kick starts soil health and plant growth.

The lithium-ion battery isn’t going away anytime soon. And batteries are needed to store energy produced by other clean energy sources such as solar and wind. We need to learn how to manufacture, store, and transport this highly effective energy solution to avoid unnecessary contamination.

These lithium-ion battery fires are considered a new problem for most fire departments. If water is sprayed on it, the batteries can arc and start new fires. If the fire is left to burn out, toxic chemical emissions in the air end up in the surrounding air, water, and soil.

We are committed to remediating the soil from toxic contaminants. With our biochar products you can begin the remediation process with blends for increased soil health, microbial activity, and efficient nutrient cycling.