INDUSTRY INSIGHT
BETTER HEARING
SPONSORED CONTENT
Proper Disposal of Hearing Aid Batteries
T
he disposal of hearing aid batteries depends on the battery
and whether it contains mercury. Mercury-free battery options
CAN be disposed of with household waste. To determine if your
hearing aid batteries are mercury-free, refer to the packaging. If the
battery package does not say “mercury-free,” assume it is not safe to
toss. Batteries that contain mercury should be recycled responsibly via
a recycling center that accepts batteries with mercury.
One example of a brand that uses mercury in some of its products is
PowerOne. PowerOne sells both mercury-free and mercury-containing
batteries. Although it is a German company it does sell batteries to
U.S. vendors, typically audiology offices. Should you need a mercury-
containing battery, ask your audiologist to obtain this for you.
It is common for audiologists to carry both mercury-free and
mercury-containing batteries since some hearing aids do not operate
well on mercury-free batteries. Hearing aids can be sensitive to varying
voltage readings. A perfectly good mercury-free battery may be read
by the hearing aid as having a low voltage and cause the hearing
aid to emit false “Low battery” warnings, or the hearing aid may shut
down when battery levels briefly drop. This stems from mercury-
free batteries having overall less stable voltage patterns. Battery
manufacturers are improving their batteries every year to deal with
these issues and hearing aid manufacturers are also changing how
hearing aids monitor battery levels. However, there are many hearing
aid users who find, for now at least, that mercury-containing batteries
are a necessity.
Hearing aids that are more likely to need mercury-containing
batteries include high-power hearing aids, hearing aids that take size
10 batteries, and earlier digital models.
Pro Tips for getting better life from your batteries:
1. Allow batteries to “air up” when you peel the sticky tab. This
means that you should wait for one to two minutes after peeling
the sticker before you place the batteries inside the hearing aids.
Hearing aids are more air-tight, and fresh batteries need more
oxygen in the first minute to fully activate. Don’t snuff out your
batteries!
2. Don’t store batteries in humid areas of your home, such as your
kitchen or bathroom. Do not keep batteries in the refrigerator!
3. Keep your hearing aids dry, including the batteries. If you have
been sweating, take your battery out and wipe it off with a
tissue. Built-up moisture in the battery compartment will lead to
rusting of the battery. Over time this can actually damage the
hearing aids too!
Ask your audiologist where to drop-off your batteries.
This Industry Insight was submitted by Dr. Suzanne Yoder, Audiologist and Owner of HearWell Center.
HearWell Center 412.254.8934; [email protected], www.hearwellcenter.com.
About HearWell Center — HearWell Center, located in Forest Hills, PA, provides the highest
standard of care to patients with, or at high risk to hearing and vestibular disorders, in a
respectful, friendly and professional environment. Audiologist Dr. Yoder maximizes the
patient experience and enhances quality of life through individual-based audiology services
including hearing tests, diagnostics, education, counseling, treatments, rehabilitation and
devices (such as hearing aids, hearing protection, assistive devices and alerting devices).
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