Lithium from electronic waste can contaminate water supply

A lithium battery is seen at a store that collects electronic waste in Santiago, Chile, Aug 12, this year. — Reuters

Lithium from batteries that power smartphones, tablets and electric cars may contaminate tap water, a Korean study suggests.

Drinking water can contain a little lithium because the mineral occurs naturally in the Earth's crust and in soil and bodies of water. But even with the rapid rise of consumer electronics powered by lithium batteries in recent years, research to date hasn't offered a clear picture of how much production and disposal of these products might increase lithium levels in drinking water, the study team notes in Nature Communications.