isikhulu imiphunga elahlwayo izibalo zokudayiswa nokusetshenziswa e-United States zidweba isithombe esidangalisayo. Lokhu kuyiqiniso ikakhulukazi uma ucabangela inani lemfucuza ekhiqizwa yile mikhiqizo. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi njalo ngomzuzwana abanye abantu abasha baseMelika ngokusebenzisa emihlanu bayasetshenziswa imiphunga elahlwayo.
Inkinga ngenani elikhulu lama-vapes alahlwayo nsuku zonke ukuthi yonke le mikhiqizo yakhiwe ngamabhethri e-lithium-ion asebenzisekayo kabusha. Uma ubala zonke izibalo abantu baseMelika balahla ama-vapes alahlwayo angaba yizigidi eziyi-150. Le mikhiqizo ine-lithium eyanele yokwakha amabhethri ezimotweni zikagesi ezingaba ngu-6,000.
I-Lithium iyimpushana emhlophe esetshenziswa ku-90% wamabhethri aphinde ashajwe atholakala ezimotweni zikagesi, ama-smartphone kanye nenqwaba yamadivayisi kagesi ashajwa kabusha. Inkinga ukuthi i-lithium ayitholakali kalula futhi inqubo yokuyikhipha iyinkimbinkimbi impela. Kakade intengo ye-lithium ibilokhu ikhuphuka eminyakeni embalwa edlule futhi kulindeleke ukuthi iqhubeke nokukhuphuka kuze kube ngu-2025 lapho kulinganiselwa ukuthi umhlaba uzoqala ukubhekana nokushoda okukhulu kwalesi simbiwa esingavamile. Njengoba sekuvele kunezinselelo zokuhlinzekwa kwezidingo, bekulindeleke ukuthi okungenani abaningi baqaphele ukuthi bayisebenzisa kanjani imikhiqizo equkethe le nsiza eyivelakancane.
I-Truth Initiative ibisebenzela ukuqeda ukubhema kanye ne-vaping phakathi kwentsha iminyaka embalwa e-USA. Ocwaningweni lwakamuva lolu hlelo olwenziwe, isigamu salabo abathi basebenzise i-vape esetshenziswayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ezimbili kwezintathu zalezo imiphunga elahlwayo ezazisetshenziswa zazilahlwa kudoti wasendlini. Iningi lale mikhiqizo lakhiwe ngamabhethri e-lithium-ion ashajwayo. Nokho, zihloselwe ukulahlwa uma sezisetshenzisiwe. Yilapho inkinga yokudambisa izigidi zamabhethri e-lithium-ion awusizo isuka khona.
Ngokusho kwe-Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), abantu abaningi balahla ngokungalungile ama-vapes abawasebenzisile kudoti wasendlini ngoba le mikhiqizo ibhalwe ngokungalungile ukuthi “iyalahlwa”.
Ngokukaprofesa u-Alissa wase-University of California Davis, isidingo samabhethri e-lithium-ion sizokhula ngokuphindwe kahlanu kule minyaka eyishumi ezayo. Lokhu kwenza ukulahla ama-vape alahlwayo ngamabhethri aphinde ashajwe kube umqondo omubi.
Ngaphandle kokushoda kwe-lithium, ukulahla lezi imiphunga elahlwayo ziphinde ziveze enye inkinga kuzazi zemvelo. I-lithium inobuthi futhi inamandla okubamba umlilo. Isibonelo, ngokwemibiko ye-EPA mayelana nemililo engama-245 eyenzeka ezikhungweni zemfucuza phakathi kuka-2013 kuya ku-2020 yabangelwa ngokuqondile amabhethri e-lithium-ion. Kunesigameko somlilo obangelwe yibhethri ye-lithium-ion lapho izicishamlilo ezine kudingeke ukuthi ziphuthunyiswe esibhedlela zishe kabi ngamakhemikhali. Ngakho-ke, akusho ukuthi ukulahla imikhiqizo enamabhethri e-lithium kudoti wasendlini kuyingozi yokuphepha.
Ngokuka-Kendell, i-US isazothuthukisa amanethiwekhi amahle kakhulu okugaywa kabusha kwe-lithium. Lokhu kwenza kube nzima kubathengi ukuthi bazi ukuthi bangabhekana kanjani nemikhiqizo emincane ngamabhethri e-lithium-ion njengama-vapes. I-EPA ithi kusukela ngo-2021 ibisebenza ukulungisa le nkinga. Ithi ukwandisa umzamo wokubuyisela amaminerali abalulekile okuhlanganisa i-lithium emikhiqizweni esetshenziswe kabusha kungenye yezinhloso zayo. Kodwa-ke, kulindeleke ukuthi le nkinga iqhubeke isikhathi eside njengoba imikhiqizo ye-vaping eyimikhiqizo ethandwa kakhulu ezweni, ikakhulukazi entsheni.
