Winsome lvj2

Rechargeable lithium-ion cells are all the rage in the battery world, since they power everything from our phones to EVs. But with their growth in popularity since they were commercially released in the 1990s, another type of battery has taken a backseat in research: non-rechargeable batteries. That’s a problem, especially considering how many devices, like pacemakers, rely on their functionality. Researchers at MIT are hoping to do something about this gap by refocusing on older battery systems and trying to improve their energy capacity by employing a new type of electrolyte.

“We know we needed higher energy density batteries to enable a longer life for devices like pacemakers,” says Haining Gao, an MIT postdoctoral fellow. “But there have been very few innovations in the past four decades. So we started there.”

Typically these non-rechargeable options, also called primary batteries, already have a higher energy capacity than rechargeable ones do, meaning they make good candidates for products like medical implants, which can’t be easily recharged (yet). But of course, like all primary batteries, even those in medical implants run out of juice eventually.

Here’s how they usually work.

“PFAS are a class of chemicals that are characterized by extremely long environmental persistence,” says Graham Peaslee, professor of physics at the University of Notre Dame who was not involved in the study. “The smaller PFAS don’t break down from exposure to sunlight, microorganisms, or anything else routinely, which means they can last for hundreds of years or longer in the environment once created.”

To avoid contaminating food or the environment with plastic particles from PTFE cookware, at-home chefs must use soft turners or non-sharp utensils that don’t scratch the surface during the cooking and cleaning process. Should there be any scratches on the cookware, replacement is recommended, says Fang.

Still, cracked surfaces aren’t the only thing to consider when cooking with Teflon. The coating can also release toxic chemicals into the air when it reaches extreme temperatures. There are several cases of individuals experiencing temporary, flu-like symptoms from polymer fume fever—as a result.

Peaslee says re-evaluating the necessity of Teflon-coated cookware may reduce our exposure to PFAS. He adds that it may have been marketed as a great new technology in the 1950s, but cast iron always worked just as well. Fluoropolymers are concerning for environmental and human health because they emit PFAS during production, processing, use, and end-of-life treatment. There are reasonable alternatives that will do less harm to the environment and not support the fluoropolymer industry, like ceramics or stainless steel, says Peaslee.

Although much is yet to be known about the impacts of microplastic pollution on the environment, reducing the use of plastics and improving the recycling process should be paramount, says Fang.

“In our daily lives, we have lots of plastic items surrounding us,” he adds. “Most of them can gradually release microplastics and nanoplastics in their lifetimes, as tested and confirmed in this study.”

Correction 11/16/22: The brand name Teflon has been removed when not directly referring to Teflon products.