Dental News - Do your homework on amalgam separators

Al Dube, USA

Wed. 29 June 2011

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If you haven’t been paying attention, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the process of preparing a federal rule to regulate dental offices on best management practices (BMPs) for dental facilities, which will include the required installation of amalgam separators. The proposed federal rule is scheduled to be released to the public around Nov. 1, with the final rule scheduled around Nov. 1, 2012.

The American Dental Association (ADA) issued BMPs as far back as 2003, with the most recent update in November of 2007. BMPs focus on the proper management of amalgam wastes within the dental facility. Amalgam waste is the contact and non-contact amalgam from expended amalgam capsules, unused scraps, chairside traps, vacuum pump filters and amalgam separator collection containers. BMPs seem to be common sense management issues; however, not everyone understands the implications of not following the simple protocols.

Because amalgam is composed of 50 percent mercury by weight, placing amalgam scraps or extracted teeth with amalgam restoration in bio-hazardous waste provides a direct line to the environment. Bio-hazardous waste is incinerated, releasing the mercury contained in the amalgam into the atmosphere. Some municipalities incinerate their trash while others use landfills, but in either case, the mercury is made available to enter into the environment.

Flushing amalgam down the drain places responsibility on the local sewer authority to remove the mercury before it can discharge to lakes, rivers and streams. Treatment plants are not designed to remove specific chemicals — typically only solids are removed — and thus a path is provided for mercury to enter the environment.

Amalgam separators are devices that capture solid particles, including amalgam from dental vacuum lines, prior to dental facilities discharging. Required statewide in 10 states and in many municipalities, these devices are the central part of the proposed EPA rule.

The EPA focus is on any dental facilities that place or remove amalgam. Mostly installed near the vacuum pump, amalgam separators have proven effective at reducing mercury loads to sewage treatment plants around the world by 50 percent or more. Solid sludge from treatment plants is incinerated, land filled or land applied, offering the mercury contained in the sludge to be environmentally available.

The ADA during the last decade has provided several articles in the ADA Journal relating to amalgam separators, providing test data and advice for installation and purchase of the systems. There are also several other recourses that can be found with a web search.

The first step is to be aware of the forthcoming regulation, as the EPA rule is a federal standard, and as such, failure to comply with this rule is a violation of federal law, which is not something to be taken lightly. Do a little research through the web and ask your dealers what they recommend.

With more than 30,000 amalgam separators already installed in the United States, there is a sales and service history with these devices that can assist in the purchase of an amalgam separator when your time comes.

About the author

Al Dube is national sales manager of SolmeteX.

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