HAZARDOUS CONSTITUENT | POSSIBLE EFFECTS |
---|---|
NICKEL | Causes dermatitis, sensitizer |
CADMIUM | Damages kidneys and lungs |
MERCURY | Toxic mercury vapor can damage brain and nervous system |
Discarding batteries poses a clear environmental danger. Batteries contain heavy metals, such as silver, nickel, cadmium, lead, mercury, lithium, manganese, and zinc, which can accumulate and concentrate in waterlife, wildlife, and humans. An example of the danger posed by batteries is that one mercury battery contained in six tons of garbage exceeds the allowable limit for mercury in solid waste as established by the federal government.
Use: Keep batteries away from children.
Do not, under any circumstances, put disc
batteries into your mouth. They are slippery and easily swallowed.
Storage: Keep away from flames and out of the reach of children.
Disposal: Mercury-oxide and silver-oxide button batteries are often collected by jewelers, pharmacies, and hearing aid stores who sell them to companies that reclaim the metals. Many communities across the United States are separating batteries from their waste stream and contracting with companies to provide recycling, neutralization, or proper disposal. Alkaline, carbon-zinc, and lithium batteries do not have a ready market available at present. Some recycling companies have recently started accepting nickel-cadmium batteries and are willing to provide collection containers and pay for bulk transportation to the processor and recycling facilities.