Assessment of Informal Used Lead Acid Battery Recycling and Associated Impacts in Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s economy has evolved rapidly from one based primarily on agriculture to a more diversified service and manufacturing economy. While this evolution has helped Bangladesh move up the income scale, it has also created new pollution control and environmental health challenges that may be outpacing the government’s capacity to regulate industries and mitigate environmental health risks. This challenge is particularly acute with respect to the used lead acid battery (ULAB) recycling industry and the exposures to toxic lead pollution that result from informal and substandard recycling.