Awareness and behavior related to battery usage and disposal among students at Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy in 2022

Abstract

Along with the rapid increase in the usage of electricity devices, the demand for batteries has been dramatically increasing; thus the amount of used batteries disposal is enormous. Improper disposal of used batteries can lead to environmental pollution and pose a great risk to human health. Research on battery usage and disposal is limited in Viet Nam. This study aims to investigate awareness and behavior among students of Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy regarding their usage and disposal of batteries. A crosssectional study was implemented with 377 fulltime students participating. Results show that in general, students have good awareness about battery usage (69%), but have low awareness about the disposal of used batteries (28%). The majority of students put used batteries in household bins, only 11% of students took used batteries to battery collection points. The reason for this inappropriate disposal is a lack of knowledge about available battery collection points. Therefore, public education and the media should focus on encouraging university students to minimize battery usage and to dispose used batteries properly.