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Department of Ecology News Release - Aug. 14, 2003
03-158
OLYMPIA - Dentists across Washington will be asked to install equipment that extracts dental amalgam from their waste water, under an agreement between the state Department of Ecology (Ecology) and the Washington State Dental Association (WSDA).
Dental amalgam, which is used in nearly half of all fillings, contains mercury and other metals. Small amounts of amalgam may be rinsed down the drain when fillings are removed or replaced, and the mercury may then be released into the environment.
Last spring, Ecology and the state Department of Health issued a "mercury action plan" that calls for reducing identifiable sources of mercury that may be released into Washington's environment. While most mercury releases in Washington come from consumer products, such as fluorescent lights and thermometers, as well as from automobile exhaust and the coal-fired power plant in Centralia, dental offices do generate some mercury waste.
"A single dental office may not be a large source of mercury contamination, but improving how all dental offices manage waste will reduce their cumulative effects," said Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons. "We're pleased to have the dental association working with us to make progress on our mercury action plan."
For more than a year, WSDA has worked with dentists across the state to improve their waste management practices. The association plans to increase its efforts through workshops, Web-based information and printed reminders. Ecology will enhance those efforts by providing technical assistance to dental offices on the "best management practices" for amalgam, x-ray and lead wastes.
The "best management practices" for amalgam include installing separators in their drains and properly disposing of all scrap amalgam waste from traps, filters and separators at a licensed treatment, storage, disposal or recycling facility.
King County's wastewater utility already requires dental offices to use the best management practices and install amalgam separators. Other local governments have not adopted similar requirements, but state hazardous-waste regulations apply to all businesses that dispose of products containing mercury in concentrations greater than 0.2 parts per million.
The agreement between Ecology and the state dental association outlines a two-year voluntary compliance period during which the state will exercise enforcement discretion.
"There are many substances that have safe and beneficial uses in a medical office, but which can be hazardous if they get loose in the environment," Fitzsimmons said. "We are working with the Dental Association in a collaborative manner to show dentists how to collect and manage their wastes safely.
"This is an approach we would like to take with other business sectors as well," he added.
Mercury released into the environment can concentrate in the food chain and cause various health problems, particularly for infants and young children. The state Department of Health has issued several advisories about eating certain mercury-contaminated fish in Washington; they are available at http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/oehas/EHA_fish_adv.htm. (Link removed 06/04/07.)
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Media contact: Sheryl Hutchison, Communication Director, 360-407-7004
Dave Hemion, WA State Dental Association, (206) 448-1914
Link to the MOU: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/pbt/documents/mou-ecy-wsda.pdf
Mercury Action Plan Web site: http://www.mercurymess.org
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
