Sri Lanka is confronting a serious and largely invisible environmental emergency. More than 5,000 metric tonnes of sulphuric acid may be entering the country's soil, water, and air every single year — not from industrial accidents or natural disasters, but from the unregulated recycling of lead-acid batteries. The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) has sounded a loud alarm, warning that the scale of this problem is far greater than most people realise and that urgent regulatory action is needed before the damage becomes irreversible.
The Scale of the Problem
According to the CEJ, more than 2,000 lead-smelting operations are currently active across Sri Lanka, the vast majority of them functioning without adequate environmental safeguards. These facilities — many of them informal or backyard operations — process used lead-acid batteries, which are commonly found in vehicles, motorcycles, and backup power systems. While battery recycling itself is not inherently harmful, doing so without proper controls releases a cocktail of dangerous substances into the surrounding environment.
Lead-acid batteries contain two primary hazardous materials: lead and sulphuric acid. When batteries are improperly dismantled or processed, sulphuric acid can spill into the ground and nearby water sources. Lead particles and fumes, meanwhile, can contaminate soil and air. The CEJ estimates that the cumulative volume of sulphuric acid being released through these operations could exceed 5,000 metric tonnes annually — a staggering figure that underscores just how widespread and systemic the problem has become.
Health Risks to Communities
The communities living closest to these informal smelting sites bear the heaviest burden. Lead is a potent neurotoxin with no safe level of exposure, particularly for children. Even low-level exposure to lead can cause irreversible cognitive damage, developmental delays, and behavioural problems in young children. Adults exposed to elevated lead levels face increased risks of cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, and reproductive health issues.
Sulphuric acid, meanwhile, poses acute risks to skin, eyes, and the respiratory system. Workers at unregulated recycling sites often handle these materials without adequate protective equipment, placing themselves in direct danger. Nearby residents may be exposed through contaminated groundwater, polluted air, or direct contact with waste materials that are frequently dumped without proper disposal protocols.
The CEJ has stressed that these are not hypothetical risks. Communities near informal battery recycling operations in Sri Lanka are already experiencing elevated exposure to these toxins, and the long-term public health consequences could be severe and far-reaching if the situation is not addressed promptly.
Environmental Contamination
Beyond the immediate human health impact, unregulated battery recycling is causing significant damage to Sri Lanka's natural environment. Lead contamination of soil can persist for decades, rendering agricultural land unproductive and posing ongoing risks to anyone who comes into contact with it. Waterways contaminated with sulphuric acid and heavy metals can suffer devastating effects on aquatic ecosystems, killing fish and other wildlife and disrupting the delicate balance of freshwater habitats.
Sri Lanka's biodiversity is already under significant pressure from deforestation, climate change, and urbanisation. The additional burden of toxic contamination from battery recycling threatens to compound these existing challenges, potentially causing long-term harm to ecosystems that are already vulnerable. Once lead enters the food chain through contaminated soil and water, it can accumulate in plants and animals, eventually reaching human populations through the food they consume.
Why Regulation Has Fallen Short
The existence of more than 2,000 unregulated smelting operations points to a significant gap in Sri Lanka's environmental governance framework. The CEJ has highlighted that existing regulations have either not been enforced effectively or do not adequately cover the informal recycling sector. The rapid growth of vehicle ownership and the widespread use of battery-powered backup systems has driven strong demand for battery recycling services, creating a thriving informal market that has outpaced regulatory oversight.
Economic factors also play a role. Formal, compliant recycling operations face higher costs due to the need to invest in proper waste management infrastructure and protective equipment. Informal operators, by cutting corners on safety and environmental compliance, can offer cheaper services — creating a market dynamic that inadvertently rewards irresponsible behaviour.
What Needs to Happen
The CEJ is calling on Sri Lankan authorities to take immediate and decisive action. This includes strengthening and enforcing environmental regulations governing battery recycling, conducting systematic inspections of existing smelting operations, and establishing clear standards for the safe handling and disposal of battery waste. The organisation also advocates for greater public awareness about the dangers of improper battery disposal and the importance of using certified recycling facilities.
Sri Lanka has an opportunity to get ahead of this crisis before the environmental and public health toll becomes even more severe. The warnings from the CEJ are clear: without urgent intervention, the toxic fallout from unregulated battery recycling will continue to poison communities and ecosystems for generations to come. The time for action is now.