In the technology world, bitterants are used in various ways to keep people safe. A bitterant is an otherwise-harmless chemical that makes something taste really bad. Here’s some info and trivia about bitterants that you might find useful or interesting.
Compressed Air
Many of us commonly buy cans of compressed air, used for dusting and cleaning our electronics. Canned air is readily available at Walmart, Amazon and lots of other stores that sell computer supplies. And as you buy this item, you should know that some (but not all) contain bitterants.
They put bitterants in some compressed air to discourage inhalant abuse. As you shop for compressed air, you may want to pay special attention to the labelling, if this is important to you. Also, I have to mention: Please do not spray these compressed air cans at any animals. The bitterants could be extremely unpleasant to cats and dogs, and possibly harmful to smaller creatures.
Nintendo Switch Game Cartridges
Nintendo puts a bitterant on each of the game cartridges they manufacture for the Switch console. Why? Those little game cards are a choking hazard, due to their size. Nintendo is thinking of all of the families that buy their games. And they’re taking a proactive step to protect our children and pets, who might put a game cartridge in their mouth out of curiousity.
If you ever touch your tongue to a Switch game cartridge (DON’T DO THIS!), the horrendous taste will linger for a long time.
Batteries
Bitterants are sometimes added to smaller batteries (sometimes called “button-cell” batteries). These do not pose a choking hazard, but far worse. Swallowing a small battery can cause permanent internal damage or even death.
However, there is a reason to not have a bitterant on small batteries. Some electronics cannot function well with bitterant-treated batteries, because the coating is nonconductive. Bitterant can prevent the battery from powering the device! This has been noted with Apple Airtags, and some Garmin devices. It could also affect the remote functionality of some car keys. As a result, I now see bitterant-treated batteries for sale that include a coating-removal wipe!
I know everyone’s situation is different, so just factor this all in when buying small batteries for your household.