The Eco-Dentistry Association™(EDA), an international membership association formed to promoteenvironmentally sound practices in dentistry, recently announced itssupport of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) efforts tocurtail mercury waste from dental offices.
The EPA has stated its intention to propose a rule next year requiringall dental practitioners to separate the mercury from dental amalgamwaste before disposal. The rule would not be finalized until 2012.
The EPA is recommending that dental offices voluntarily install andutilize “existing technology,” such as amalgam separators—a move the EDAstrongly supports.
“Voluntarily and promptly installing a separator is the responsiblethings to do,” said Susan Beck, director of the EDA. “Otherwise, dentaloffice mercury waste ends up burdening local water treatment plants inthe very communities in which dentists practice.”
According to the EPA, 50% of the mercury entering local waste treatmentplants—about 3.7 tons each year—comes from dental amalgam. Amalgamseparators, however, can take 95% of the mercury out of the amalgamwaste that is discharged to local treatment plants.
