WSD STEM Fair
Investigation
2020-21
McKayla (secondary level project)
Environmental Impact of Batteries on Animal and Human Health through Soil and Groundwater Contamination
Questions
What are the effects of batteries on animal and human health due to soil and groundwater contamination from corroded or discharging batteries?
Why I chose to do this investigation?
I was watching the news one day and heard about a little boy who died due to swallowing a button cell battery. I thought how could a battery that seems coated and protected kill anyone? The young 23 month old boy died 4 days after ingesting the battery. It had burned, “through his esophagus, intestines and aorta causing catastrophic bleeding,¨ according to the Daily Mail.
In my research I discovered how many batteries are dumped into our landfills every year. It is estimated up to 6 billion batteries are thrown away. When the batteries break down their polluting chemicals seep into our soil and groundwater below. Animals that may come in contact with landfill garbage or drink from groundwater sources can become infected with many illnesses, diseases and death. Humans consume these animals or drink from these same water sources which in turn causes many learning disabilities, illnesses, diseases, and death.
It is important that we become educated to the hazardous materials contained within batteries. Better disposal systems need to be put into place as billions of batteries are dumped into the United States landfills every year. Recycling is not enforced which is escalating the problem. A better designed battery needs to be patented and circulated within our economy.
Research
Batteries are made of toxic chemicals such as zinc, cadmium, lithium, mercury and lead. When batteries reach their life expectancy, coming in contact with other materials (such as meat) are put under heat or pressure they begin to release these harmful chemicals and toxins. These chemicals are released into the air, water and soil having a large impact on the air we breathe, water we drink and the environment for animals and microorganisms and the human body. Within 30 minutes of ingesting a button cell battery the chemicals can begin to burn through human tissue. Attacking the nervous system, causing depression, liver and kidney damage, headaches, seizures, skin irritations, asthma and decreased IQ. Animals that come in contact are not good for human consumption and their populations begin to decrease.
If we can learn to recycle we can save energy, reduce pollution, increase human health and save the environment. In 2015, it was the beginning of a new environmental friendly battery. This battery is being made by using salt and water. If successful the harmful chemicals that are currently being used will no longer be used and thrown into our landfills.
From the article BATTERY RECYCLING IS IMPORTANT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
4 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BATTERY DISPOSAL AND THE ENVIRONMENT “As batteries corrode, their chemicals soak into soil and contaminate groundwater and surface water. ... Lithium batteries can cause landfill fires that can smolder for many years. As a result, the toxic chemicals released into the air negatively affect our breathing and contribute to global warming.”
“When depleted batteries are tossed into the trash, they end up in landfills where they decay and leak. As batteries corrode, their chemicals soak into soil and contaminate groundwater and surface water. ... This means that when we drink from tap water faucets, we could be ingesting dangerous metals.”
Additionally, an overall excess of alkalinity in the body may cause gastrointestinal issues and skin irritations. Too much alkalinity may also agitate the body's normal pH, leading to metabolic alkalosis, a condition that may produce the following symptoms: nausea. vomiting.
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/alkaline-water-benefits-risks#risk-factors
Hypothesis
In my experiment I think the button cell battery on the bologna (simulating human tissue) and soil will have the fastest burn results because according to research when a button cell battery is swallowed within 30 minutes it begins to burn through human tissue. The button cell on just the lunch meat will have the second fastest reaction time due to it being similar to human tissue, but does not have soil to continue transfer. The button cell on the soil will have the slowest and least amount of reaction due to no bologna to help activate battery discharge. Finally, the button cell sitting on the counter will have no reaction due to nothing increasing its chemical decomposition.
Control:
Battery on the counter (not out of normal environment-no soil or bologna)
Constant:
Button cell batteries, time, location, measurements of soil and bologna
Independent Variables:
Environment for the button cell: counter, bologna (represents human body) soil, and bologna/soil
Dependent Variable:
Amount of battery burn/leakage.
Materials
Procedures
Analysis of the Data
In the charts you can see the average change over time within the 3 test areas. The button cell on the meat/soil and just meat had the greatest amount of discharge starting at the 60 minute mark. Over time the meat/soil plate had the most burn and discharge from the battery. It took 4 hours before discharge leaked out of the battery on just the soil. However, it does tell you that when batteries come in contact with a moist surface chemical discharge and corrosion begin to release chemicals to the environment around it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I chose to do this experiment because of a news broadcast about a little boy who died from accidentally swallowing a button cell battery. I thought if this can kill a little kid then what impact do all batteries have when thrown away? My hypothesis was correct in that the meat and soil would have the greatest reaction time. However by the end of the experiment both plates of meat had the same results. The battery laying on the soil had the slowest and least amount of reaction. The battery on the wet soil began to corrode on the sides. I know that if I continued the project over a longer period of time I would see more corrosion and chemical release form the batteries.
Now in comparing this to the environment, we know that we dump billions of batteries into landfills each year. Other trash that mixes with the batteries will only speed up the process of those harmful chemicals being released into our air, ground and water. The battery is in contact with the meat and other catalysts causing a reaction within 45 minutes. By the end of the experiment you could see the chemical burns on the meat and acid that had bubbled on its surface. You could also smell the chemicals that had been released. These chemicals released into the air and were now in contact with the soil below. I then thought what if it rains outside? Those chemicals are now washed further into the soil below. While on top of that our landfills push trash around and bury it into the ground. Those harmful chemicals are now pushed further into our soil and can affect the groundwater below.
Conclusion
Many health concerns that arise due to battery toxins are depression, infertility, seizures, headaches, kidney and liver damage, attacking the nervous system. Batteries contain sodium hydroxide which can burn lips and organs, nausea, and blurry vision. They also contain zinc which can cause diarrhea, high blood pressure, ulcerative colitis, cell disease, and eye disease. Lead is also in batteries and can cause kidney damage, speech and language impairment, nervous system damage, learning disabilities, infertility, and possibly death. Mercury can cause issues for the development of an unborn baby’s brain, heart issues, cancer, lung damage, and possibly death. Batteries also contain lithium which can cause respiratory issues, destroys pulmonary artery, neurological issues, and many environmental issues such as global warming.
It is obvious that batteries are terrible for human health and can even be deadly. The human body activates decomposition of the battery which releases many of the toxins stated above. Landfills too have similar activators that increase the break down of batteries releasing hazardous materials into the soil, air, and groundwater. It is vital to animal and human health to dispose of batteries properly or purchase salt water based batteries.
Model
Real World
Approximately 6 billion batteries are dumped in landfills every year in the United States. Batteries are supposed to be recycled or put in the appropriate receptacle. Unfortunately, they are put in the trash which allows them to corrode and spread harmful chemicals on the objects around them. In the landfills the chemicals can leak into the ground and travel into our groundwater. The chemicals and electrical discharge affects human health as well as pollution to our water sources. Fish can become contaminated which makes them not consumable and reduce populations. Chemicals that batteries can contain are lead, mercury, cadmium, lithium, and zinc. The electrical component of the battery can discharge sodium hydroxide. Although, we can recycle batteries humans still continue to throw them into landfills. If we can develop a more eco-friendly battery that is affordable or power source, we will be able to improve the quality of our environment and human health.
Doing it Differently or What Might Come Next
If I could redo this experiment I would take temperature readings to see if this escalates the release of chemicals since a landfill is exposed to outside elements.
I would also like to collect soil samples and have it analyzed for which pollutants leaked from the battery.
I would like to test a salt water battery and compare its corrosion and leakage to the button cell or alkaline batter.
I Wonder...
I wonder how much of a problem batteries are going to continue to be on our environment and human health with the increase of electric cars and their large lithium batteries?
Sources
Do you have any questions?