Options for Dental Mercury Reduction Programs : Information for State/Provincial and Local Governments

By Diroff, Nicole

Book Id: WPLBN0000072628
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 0.6 MB
Reproduction Date: 2007

Title:	Options for Dental Mercury Reduction Programs : Information for State/Provincial and Local Governments
Author:	Diroff, Nicole
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Ecology, Natural resource issues, Environemtal protection
Collections:	Environmental Awareness Library Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	United States Environmental Protection Agency


Citation APA MLA Chicago Diroff, B. N. (n.d.). Options for Dental Mercury Reduction Programs : Information for State/Provincial and Local Governments. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.cc/

Description
Excerpt: Through the Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy (GLBTS), Canada and the United States have committed to reduce the use and release of mercury. A Mercury Workgroup, led by Environment Canada and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), promotes activities that will reduce mercury releases to the Great Lakes Basin, utilizing the GLBTS analytical framework for achieving virtual elimination of mercury from the Great Lakes. This analytical framework involves a four-step process of 1) information gathering; 2) analysis of current regulations and programs; 3) identification of cost-effective options to achieve further reductions; and 4) implementation of actions to work toward the goal of virtual elimination. This report is an effort by the Mercury Workgroup co-chairs to contribute toward the process of utilizing this analytical framework, with a focus on steps 2 and 3.

Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2.0 POTENTIAL BENEFITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3.0 ISSUES OF TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3.1 BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3.2 AMALGAM REMOVAL SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 3.3 RESIDUAL MERCURY IN LINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 3.4 ACTION OF LINE CLEANERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 3.5 DISPOSAL OF DENTAL MERCURY WASTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4.0 CASE STUDIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 4.1 KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 4.2 SEWER USE BY-LAW IN TORONTO, ONTARIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 4.3 WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR SANITARY DISTRICT, DULUTH, MINNESOTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 4.4 NORTHEAST OHIO REGIONAL SEWER DISTRICT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 5.0 ESTABLISHING A MERCURY REDUCTION PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 5.1 LEADERSHIP AND RESOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 5.2 OUTREACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 5.3 REGULATORY VS. VOLUNTARY APPROACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 5.4 MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 5.5 PRACTICAL ISSUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 5.6 CONCLUSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 6.0 REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 APPENDIX A. ADA BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR AMALGAM WASTE A-1 APPENDIX B. NEORSD ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER AND BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1 APPENDIX C. OTHER DENTAL MERCURY PROGRAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1 APPENDIX D:AMALGAM SEPARATORS APPROVED BY KING COUNTY . . . . . . . D-1 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Effect of Some Oxidizing Line Cleaners on Mobilizing Mercury from Amalgam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Figure 2. As Part of King County’s Voluntary Program, Dentists Were Promoted As EnviroStars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Figure 3. Mercury Levels in WLSSD Influent (pounds per day) from 1993 to 200225 Figure 4. Mercury Levels in WLSSD Sludge (PPM dry) from 1999 to 2003 . . . 26 Figure 5. Mercury Levels in WLSSD Effluent (parts per billion) from 1994 to 200246 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Amalgam Separators Evaluated by the ADA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Table 2. Costs and Features of Selected Amalgam Separators . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Table 3. NEORSD Mandatory Best Management Practices for Dental Mercury Discharge Minimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Table 4. NEORSD Recommended Best Management Practices for Dental Mercury Discharge Minimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Table 5. Installation Factors Checklist for Dentists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38