A new investigation has uncovered that the U.S. auto industry’s dependence on inexpensive recycled lead from Nigeria is contaminating entire communities. As environmental rules in the U.S. and other countries have tightened over the past three decades, automakers have increasingly turned to recycled lead from places with weaker enforcement—Nigeria among them, according to reporting by the New York Times.
In Ogijo, the center of Nigeria’s lead-recycling operations, researchers found dangerous lead levels in every one of the 16 workers tested. The contamination extended far beyond the factory gates: 8 of 14 children and 41 of 56 adults who participated in the testing also showed harmful exposure. Soil and dust samples revealed lead concentrations as high as 186 times what is typically considered hazardous.
The U.S. imported enough Nigerian lead in 2024 to produce millions of car batteries, supplying major companies such as Ford, General Motors, Tesla, Amazon, Lowe’s, and Walmart. Although the auto industry promotes battery recycling as environmentally responsible, it has not committed to using only lead sourced from facilities that are certified as safe. Most companies declined to comment on the Times’ findings, though Volkswagen and BMW said they would review the issue.
Nearly all lead recycled in Africa is used for battery electrode plates, but because lead from many sources is mixed together during manufacturing, consumers have no way of knowing where the lead in their car batteries originated.
Nigeria’s government faces steep challenges—corruption, limited oversight, and inadequate health services—leaving regulators poorly equipped to control the industry. Authorities shut down five smelters, including True Metals, in September after researchers linked elevated blood-lead levels to airborne particles emitted from the plants. But within days, all of the facilities had reopened. “The government always says, ‘No, no, no, just give them time. Let’s get them to change,’” the town’s king said.
The Times provides further detail on its testing methods, while Vox outlines potential solutions—including shifting more responsibility to battery manufacturers by requiring them to accept used batteries in order to sell new ones, ensuring they are routed to licensed, safer recyclers.