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Western Lake Superior Dental Waste Management Program
In 1992 WLSSD, in cooperation the local dental society started a project
to reduce the amount of amalgam waste being disposed into the sewer. We conducted
a survey of dentists on their waste management practices. A cooperative environmental
team was formed between WLSSD and
the N.E. District Dental Society and an informational brochure on managing special
wastes from dental practices was developed. We saw a reduction of mercury below
a major dental facility due to the reduction of cleaning out traps down the drain.
In 1995 an audit of 10 practices showed that much of the amalgam was being disposed in incinerated waste streams (infectious waste and solid waste). We developed a program to get amalgam to mercury recovery facilities and developed an educational program in order to train staff on how to recycle amalgam waste. The program included training at all the offices in our service area, presentations at local dental society meetings, presentations at dental assistants and hygienists schools, and continuing education classes for dentists and staff, and written material. Some of the presentations were done by dentists and dental assistants themselves.
In 1996 we began testing 3 different improved amalgam capture devices. In 2000 we installed 11 more devices in our largest dental building. In 2001 the WLSSD and our local dental society receive a local grant to purchase more devices. Since then we have had 31 more practices install devices for a total 45 practices with devices. Seven practices do not have amalgam capture devices. One refused, three have not been contacted, and three need some re-design of vacuum systems before equipment could be installed.
Over the 10 year period about 10% of my time has been spent on working on the dental waste management project. About $20,000 of grant money has been used for equipment but some has also been donated. About $100,000 of national grants (GLNPO and GLPF) has been used for development of BMP materials locally and for the Great Lakes States Dental Association.
Roughly 100 pound of raw mercury (no longer in use) has been collected from dentists in our service area. The dentists that collected excess mix, chair-side trap amalgam, vacuum pump trap sludge, and separator sludge recycle 1-2 pounds of mercury per dentist per year.
See attached spread sheets for trends at the POTW:
This project has been a cooperative effort and for many of us with a regulatory background this can be a change in the way we usually do things. But leadership of the local dental society can make this work very well because of peer-to-peer interaction with the dentists.
| WLSSD Effluent Mercury (1631) | |||||||
| YEAR | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| mean ng/l | 20.6 | 15.3 | 12.2 | 10.1 | 1.9 | ||
| # of samples | 1 | 1 | 27 | 6 | 19 | ||
| Separators installed | 3 | 11 | 11 | 20 | |||