Flame retardants in some batteries might be making fires worse

As wildfires devastated communities in southern California over the past three weeks, an unknown number of highly combustible lithium-ion batteries found in everything from Apple AirPods to Tesla Cybertrucks were engulfed in flames and released dangerous chemical pollutants into the air. Many batteries, particularly in E-Bikes and other products with plastic recharge battery enclosures, have flame retardants added to their outer coatings in an effort to limit their flammability. But researchers writing this week in the journal Environmental Science & Technology say those flame retardants don’t seem to be doing much to quell a fire’s spread and may actually be releasing more health-endangering toxins into the air.




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