References

US Environmental Protection Agency. 40 CFR Part 441 – Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Dental Category. 2017. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-06-14/pdf/2017-12338.pdf
American Dental Association. 2007. http://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/amalgam-separators (Accessed 6 August 2017)
Information on the Final Rule 40 CFR 441. 2017. http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/ (Accessed 6 August 2017)
Vandeven JA, McGinnis SL. An assessment of mercury in the form of amalgam in dental wastewater in the United States. Water Air Soil Pollut. 2005; 164:349-366
US Environmental Protection Agency. 2016. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-06/documents/dental-office_tedd_dec-2016.pdf (Accessed 6 August 2017)
Chou HN, Angled J. An evaluation of amalgam separators. JAMA (Journal of the American Dental Association). 2012; 143:920-921

American dentists now required to use amalgam separators

From Volume 44, Issue 8, September 2017 | Pages 692-693

Authors

Charles John Palenik

GC Infection Prevention Consultants, 5868 East 71st Street, E-117 Indianapolis, Indiana 46220, USA

Articles by Charles John Palenik

Article

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated a standard to reduce discharges of mercury from dental offices into Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs). The Rule requires emitting dental offices to use amalgam separators and the ADA's Best Management Practices for amalgam waste.1,2

The Final Rule became effective on 14 July 2017. New construction must comply immediately. Offices discharging amalgam without separators have three years to comply, while those in partial compliance have ten years. Required documentation includes use, installation and maintenance of amalgam separators, as well as baseline and monthly inspection records.1,3

Dental offices are not major mercury contributors, being responsible for less than 1% of all man-made mercury released into the environment. However, dental offices are the main source of mercury (as much as 50%) discharged into POTWs. The EPA estimates 5.1 tons of mercury, as well as 5.3 tons of other metals, present in dental waste amalgam are released into POTWs annually. Most amalgam mercury (99.5%) remains as a solid,3,4,5 even after wastewater treatment. Mercury in amalgam can also enter the environment through incineration, landfilling and wastewater sludge. Aquatic bacteria can convert any soluble amalgam mercury into methymercury, a highly toxic chemical.1,3,4

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Dental Update and reading some of our resources. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Up to 2 free articles per month
  • New content available