Battery chips are pieces of casings from car or truck batteries that have been broken and drained of battery acid to recycle the lead inside the battery.
- The chips generally are about the size of a matchbook or smaller.
- They can be blue, red, or green, but are most often black.
- After years of being exposed to the elements they make take on a dullish appearance, similar to a dark-colored stone.
Click to see more pictures of battery chips
Homes in Dakota County that had a home septic system installed or repaired in the 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s may have car battery parts buried underground. These pieces or chips from broken car battery casings contain a large amount of lead and may cause a threat to your child's health if they are dug up.
If you see chips or battery pieces in your yard, e-mail the Dakota County Public Health Department or call 651-554-6115. An environmental health specialist can help you determine the exposure risk and what you can do to control the exposure.
How dangerous are these chips?
Lead is a very toxic substance. If a child swallows or sucks on a chip or on fingers that have handled chips, the child's blood lead level could increase. Eating or swallowing soil contaminated by lead battery chips could also cause a child’s blood level to rise. The more frequent the exposure to lead, the more likely the possibility of long-term health effects.
If there are lead battery casings in my septic system but they're still underground, is my family safe from exposure? Is it seeping into our drinking water?
Exposure is very unlikely if the chips remain underground. There is no evidence that the lead is seeping into the groundwater. Most homes in the developed cities in Dakota County are connected to municipal water supplies, though several thousand homes still use private wells as a water source. Routine tests of municipal water supplies have shown no indication of contamination from lead battery chips.
How should I look for these chips?
Look in your yard, particularly where you see bare soil or in areas where there has been digging in the past. If you have dug a garden, planted trees or landscaping materials, installed a play system (swing set) or sandbox or outdoor clothes line pole, then you might have brought battery chips to the surface.
What should I do if I find car battery chips?
E-mail the Dakota County Public Health Department or call 651-554-6115 to arrange for a free on-site assessment. An environmental health specialist will help you determine the exposure risk and what you can do to control the exposure.
Can I throw battery casing chips in the garbage?
No. The chips could contain high levels of lead. If you find battery casing chips, try to avoid touching them.
Where have battery casings chips been found in Dakota County?
Battery chips have been found in areas of Eagan, Inver Grove Heights, Mendota Heights, and Rosemount. (Check how close your home is to areas where battery chips have been found.)
Why are battery chips appearing in Dakota County?
In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, used battery casings were recycled and broken up, and the chips used as filler material in some underground residential sewage systems or drain fields.