Button Batteries Pose A Threat To The Environment
Sunday March 27, 2005
Button Batteries, the little batteries commonly used in watches, hearing aids, and children's toys and novelties, could pose a threat to the environment. They contain mercury, which is hazardous to human health as well as to the environment. If not properly disposed or recycled, these batteries could leak mercury out into the air when incinerated, thus polluting the air and water. Mercury has found to affect the brain development of human fetuses.
Lawmakers in the State of Maine are striving for a ban of these button batteries which are commonly found in many toys such as electronic books, musical toys and more. The ban may be difficult to impose, since it affects such a wide range of products, but atleast it should be made mandatory to recycle these batteries, and not just dispose of them in the trash.
One hopes that gradually an alternate to these button batteries will be found and put into existance as the awareness of mercury poisoning and mercury environmental hazards are made well known.
For more details, you can read the complete article on The Maine Sunday Telegram.
Lawmakers in the State of Maine are striving for a ban of these button batteries which are commonly found in many toys such as electronic books, musical toys and more. The ban may be difficult to impose, since it affects such a wide range of products, but atleast it should be made mandatory to recycle these batteries, and not just dispose of them in the trash.
One hopes that gradually an alternate to these button batteries will be found and put into existance as the awareness of mercury poisoning and mercury environmental hazards are made well known.
For more details, you can read the complete article on The Maine Sunday Telegram.