Can Solar Panels Be Bad For Your Health?

There are a variety of environmentally damaging byproducts of energy sources used today. Fossil fuels, coal burning and nuclear power all come with different problems, which include greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. An increase in public awareness of these issues, along with the very real threat of global warming that has manifested in recent years has led to more interest in alternative forms of energy. One of the most obvious forms of alternative energy has been sunlight, which many believe to be the future answer to all of the world's energy problems. Within the field of solar power, photovoltaic solar panels have been the leading technology. Throughout many proactive states such as California and various European countries, companies have successfully implemented the use of photovoltaic solar panels as a primary source of renewable, alternative energy and look to increase their use. As is the case with many forms of new technology however, solar panels pose an often unrealized threat to human health.

It has recently been discovered that the production and disposal of photovoltaic solar panels cause a variety of serious health issues and concerns. Though solar panels are green technology, the product's composition is surprisingly toxic. In order to make more efficient solar panel technology, companies have been forced to use a variety of chemicals that are known to pose serious health risks to human beings. Among the most dangerous of these chemicals include nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), cadmium and arsenic. Nitrogen trifluoride is a dangerous gas with the potential to create exponentially more greenhouse gas emissions than carbon dioxide. Cadmium, arsenic and as many as fifty other chemicals found in solar panels are known to be highly toxic, cancer causing agents. The threat of these various chemicals is present for workers who manufacturer these products, because they are exposed to the chemicals at even more prevalent rates. The issue of disposal is even more pressing. The expected life of solar panels is estimated to be between 15-20 years, but this number is a generous. As solar panels need to be replaced, millions of pounds of obsolete products will need to be disposed of. This will be an issue worldwide, but especially in areas that are known to improperly dispose of chemical waste such as China. Hazardous chemicals from disposed solar panels will pose the threat of leaking into the ground and air, causing many long term environmental and health risks. Apart from the discovered health issues associated with solar panels, many are concerned with the issues that have yet to be discovered. As research increases, a wide range of additional health problems may be discovered.

Though the health and environmental risks of solar panel production and disposal are numerous, they are not enough to eliminate the use of solar panels. Though they contain hazardous chemicals, solar panels still produce efficient, clean, renewable energy. The problems of solar panel disposal are being addressed by experts and one would hope that strategies will be created to make the practice less of an environmental threat. In addition, companies are investing a great deal of money into improving solar panel production methods to reduce the presence of toxic chemicals. As technologies improve, the health risks of solar panels will decrease and increase their appeal as a widely implemented, viable source of alternative energy.