Dental amalgam--environmental aspects
- Royal Dental College, Aarhus (Denmark)
Increasing knowledge about the risk of toxic effects caused by anthropogenic mercury accumulation in ecosystems has resulted in a growing pressure for reduction of the discharge of mercury waste. Consequently, the mercury waste problems of dental clinics have been given increased attention, and restrictions on handling and discharge of contaminated waste have been established in several countries. Major amalgam particles from trituration surplus of those produced during the carving and burnishing of new amalgam restorations are generally collected in coarse filters and sold for refinement. Minor amalgam particles released by production of new fillings or by removal of old restorations partly sediment in tubes and drains. The remaining particles are carried with the waste water stream to the local purifying plant. In Scandinavia, the industrial discharge of mercury-contaminated waste water has been reduced to a minimum. According to recent investigations, dental clinics appear to be responsible for the major amount of mercury collected in the sludge generated in purifying plants. If threshold values for heavy metal content, including mercury, are exceeded, the sludge is not allowed to be recycled as fertilizer. Installation of an approved amalgam-separating apparatus in dental clinics is now mandatory in several countries--for example, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. Approval of amalgam separators is based on national testing programs, including clinical or laboratory tests demanding 95-99% separating efficiency. 18 refs.
- OSTI ID:
- 6673887
- Journal Information:
- Advances in Dental Research; (United States), Vol. 6; ISSN 0895-9374
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DENTISTRY
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
MATERIALS RECOVERY
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
MERCURY
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
DENMARK
ECOSYSTEMS
SCANDINAVIA
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SWEDEN
SWITZERLAND
WASTE PROCESSING
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
EUROPE
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
METALS
PROCESSING
SEWAGE
SLUDGES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
320604* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Municipalities & Community Systems- Municipal Waste Management- (1980-)
540220 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)