Batteries have long been big polluters. Their insides contain chemical electrolytes which allow us to power our electronics, but are toxic when disposed of. Now scientists say they have developed a battery that replaces those polluting chemicals with water instead.
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00:00batteries have long been polluters that's because their insides contain chemical electrolytes which
00:08allow us to power our electronics but are toxic when disposed of now scientists say they have
00:14developed a battery that replaces those polluting chemicals with water instead they're calling them
00:19aqueous metal ion batteries or water batteries and they use magnesium or zinc and water instead
00:25of more toxic materials what's more because they're made of water they also won't catch
00:29fire or explode if mishandled or stored improperly like traditional batteries might here's one of
00:34the researchers developing the water batteries Tianyi Ma to explain just some of the benefits
00:39these batteries can be very low cost highly safe and environmental friendly he goes on to say that
00:46now they just need to develop new electrode materials which will help increase the battery's energy
00:51density adding that water batteries have the potential to replace acid-based batteries in
00:55the home in the next three years and lithium-ion batteries in the next five to ten years and
01:00that's good news especially considering how difficult it is to dispose of large current-gen batteries and
01:06how dependent upon them we're becoming their current battery iteration can power a light for 12 hours
01:11on just one day's charge from a solar panel