Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Environmental Aspects

  • Chapter
Biocompatibility of Dental Materials

Abstract

All hazardous wastes from dental clinics must be handled according to applicable regulations, and the dental team must therefore be adequately informed and trained to collect and handle such waste according to current regulations. This chapter provides basic information on the background of regulations, as well as recommendations on how to handle waste from dental materials. For environmental reasons the use of dental amalgam is subject to restrictive regulations in a number of countries. Therefore, special emphasis is given to environmental aspects of the use of dental amalgam, and a review of the possible dental contribution to general mercury pollution from non-dental sources is provided.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. ADA Council on Scientific Affairs: Dental mercury hygiene recommendations. J Am Dent Assoc 130, 1125 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Anderson, C.T.: Community-wide dental mercury study. MCES and Minnesota Dental Association Report. MCES report no. 01-507 (2001).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Arenholt-Bindslev, D., Larsen, A.H.: Mercury levels and discharge in waste water from dental clinics. Water Air and Soil Poll 86, 93–99 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Arenholt-Bindslev, D., Sundberg, H.: Trygt i munden – farligt i miljøet? (Safe in the mouth – an environmental hazard?) Tandlægebladet 103, 83–90 (1999). [Also published in Tandläkartidningen (S) 91, 51–57 and Finnish Dent J 7, 160–171 (1999).]

    Google Scholar 

  5. Arenholt-Bindslev, D.: Environmental aspects of dental restorative materials: A review of the Danish situation. In: Mercury in the environment. Eds. D. Laudal et al. Sewickley, AWMA and EPA publishing, pp. 471–481 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Arenholt-Bindslev, D.: Environmental aspects of dental materials. Eur J Oral Sci 106, 713–720 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Balogh, S., Liang, L.: Mercury pathway in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Water Air Soil Poll 80, 1181–1190 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Batchu, H., Chou, H., Rakowski, D., Fan, P.L.: The effect of disinfectants and line cleaners on the release of mercury from amalgam. J Am Dent Assoc 137, 1419–1425 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Berlin, M.: Mercury. In: Friberg, L., Nordberg, G.F., Vouk, V.B. (eds): Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals. Amsterdam, Elsevier 1986, pp 387–446.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Carpi, A., Lindberg, S.E.: Sunlight-mediated emission of elemental mercury from soil amended with municipal sewage sludge. Environ Sci Technol 31, 2085–2091 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Christensen, C.L., Skårup, S., Maag, J., Jensen, S.H.: Mass flow analyses of Mercury 2001. Environmental Projekt no. 917 2004. Ministry of the Environment, Danish Environmental Protection Agency, Copenhagen 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Clarkson, T., Magos L.: The toxicology of mercury and its chemical compounds. Crit Rev Toxicol 36, 600–662 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Fan, P.L., Arenholt-Bindslev, D., Schmalz, G., Halbach, S., Berendsen, H.: Environmental issues in dentistry – mercury. Int Dent J 47, 105–109 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Fischer, W., Bohrer, G..: Amalgamentsorgung im Bereich Abwasser. [Amalgam release to the waste water stream]. Schweiz Monatschr Zahnmed 99, 61–68 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Gräf, W., Sühs, L., Pfarrer, R.: Die Umweltbelastung durch Quecksilber, Silber, Entwickler und Fixierer aus Zahnärtzlicher Praxis. [Environmental burden from mercury, silver, radiographic developers and fixatives from dental clinics] Zahnärztl Mitteil 78, 214–218 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Grandjean, P., Cordier, S., Kjellström, T., Weihe, P., Budtz-Jørgensen, E.: Health effects and risk assessments. In: Pirrone, N., Mahaffey, K.R. (eds): Dynamics of Mercury Pollution on Regional and Global Scales. Springer Science, New York 2006, pp 511–538.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Hansen, J.C., Danscher, G.: Organic mercury: an environmental threat to the health of dietary-exposed societies? Rev Environ Health 12, 107–116 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Haller, B., Kropp R., Götze, W., Logemann, E.: Quecksilberdampmessungen bei der Aufbewahrung von Amalgamproben in verschiedenen Flüssigkeiten. [Mercury vapour release from amalgam test specimens stored under different storage conditions]. Dtsch Zahnärztl Z 42, 758–762 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Hogland, W., Jensson, B., Petersson, P.: Kvicksilverutsläpp från Tandvårdsverksamheten i Lund. (Mercury outlet from dental clinics in Lund, Sweden) Internrapport 31, 32 University of Lund (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Hylander, L.D., Lindvall, A., Uhrberg, R., Gahnberg, L., Lindh, U.: Mercury recovery in situ of four different dental amalgam separators. Sci Tot Environ 366, 320–336 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Hylander, L.D., Lindvall, A., Gahnberg, L.: High mercury emissions from dental clinics despite amalgam separators. Sci Tot Environ 362, 74–84 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  22. International Organization for Standardization: ISO 11143: Dental equipment – amalgam separators. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Jones, D.W.: Putting dental mercury pollution into perspective. Br Dent J 197, 175–177 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Kehrig, H, Malm, O., Akagi, H., Guimaraes, J.R.D., Torres, J.P.M.: Methylmercury in fish and hair samples from the Balbina reservoir, Brazilian Amazon. Environ Res 77, 84–90 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Kunkel, P., Cook, K., Mueller P., York B.: Investigation of the fate of mercury in wastewater treatment processes. Water Environ Tech 8, 49–53 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Lindqvist, O., Johansson, K., Aastrup, M., Andersson, A., Bringmark, L., Hovsenius, G., Håkanson, L., Iverfeldt, Å., Meili, M., Timm, B.: Mercury in the Swedish environment. Recent research on causes, consequences and corrective methods. Water Air and Soil Poll 55, 1–251 (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Malm, O.: Gold mining as a source of mercury exposure in the Brazilian Amazon. Environ Res 77, 73–78 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Maxon, P.A.: Global mercury production, use and trade. In: Pirrone, N., Mahaffey, K.R. (eds): Dynamics of Mercury Pollution on Regional and Global Scales. Springer Science, New York 2006, pp 25–50.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Mahaffey, K.R., Mergler, D.: Blood levels of total and organic mercury in residents of the Upper St. Lawrence River basin, Quebec. Association with age, gender, and fish consumption. Environ Res 77, 104–114 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Matter-Grütter, C., Baillod, R., Imfeld, T., Lutz, F.: Quecksilber-Emissionsmessungen in einem Krematorium. [Mercury emission measurements in a crematorium] Schweiz Monatsschr Zahnmed 105, 1023–1028 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  31. WHO: Mercury – environmental aspects. Environmental health criteria 86. World Health Organization, Geneva 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Mohapatra, S.P., Nikolova, I., Mitchell, A.: Managing mercury in the Great Lakes: an analytical review of abatement policies. J Environment Management; 83, 80–92 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Mörner, S., Nilsson, T.: Kvicksilverutsläpp från Göteborgs krematorier. (Mercury release from crematories in Gothenburg, Sweden) Göteborg: Göteborgs Kommun (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  34. Nieschmidt, A.K., Kim, N.D.: Effects of mercury release from amalgam dental restorations during cremation on soil mercury levels of three New Zealand crematoria. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 58, 744–751 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  35. Pirrone N., Mahaffey K.R.: Where we stand on mercury pollution and its health effects on regional and global scales. In: Pirrone, N., Mahaffey, K.R. (eds): Dynamics of Mercury Pollution on Regional and Global Scales. Springer Science, New York 2006, pp 1–21.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Renzoni, A., Zino, F., Franchi, E.: Mercury levels along the food chain and risk for exposed populations. Environ Res 77, 68–72 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  37. Rivola, J., Krejci, J., Imfeld, T., Lutz, F.: Feuerbestattung und Quecksilberumweltlast. [Cremation and mercury release to the environment] Schweiz Monatschr Zahnmed 100, 1299–1303 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  38. Senkpiel K., Pasch J., Ohgke H., Heckert, J.: Bestimmung der absoluten Quecksilber-Tages- und Stundenfracht im Abwasser einer Zahnärtzlichen Behandlungseinheit. [Measurements of the absolute daily and hourly release of mercury from a dental unit] Hyg Med 14, 283–288 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  39. Senkpiel, K., Pasch, J., Ohgke, H., Beckert, J.: Zur ionogenen Freisetzung von Quecksilber aus Dentalamalgam im Abwasser und Klärschlamm. (Mercury ions released from dental amalgam to the waste water stream and to sewage) Zbl Hyg 188, 254–261 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Shaw, M.: Reduction in mercury loading to four Toronto area sewage treatment plants due to implementation of an amalgam separator bylaw. Report from the Toronto Sewer District. http://www.epa.gov/region5/air/mercury/meetings/June04/shaw.pdf. Cited July 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Stone, M.E.: The effect of amalgam separators on mercury loading to wastewater treatment plants. Can Dent J 32, 593–600 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  42. Stonehause, C.A., Newman, A.P.: Mercury vapour release from a dental aspirator. Br Dent J 190, 558–560 (2001).

    Google Scholar 

  43. Sutow, E.J,. Hall, G.C., Maclean, C.A.: Effectiveness of wet and dry mercury vapour suppressant systems in a faculty of dentistry clinic. J Oral Rehabil 31, 822–826 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  44. Wilson, N.H., Bellinger, E.G., Mjör, I.A.: Dental practice and the environment. Int Dent J 48, 161–166 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Dentistry, Århus University, Århus, Denmark

    Dorthe Arenholt-Bindslev

Authors
  1. Dorthe Arenholt-Bindslev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Arenholt-Bindslev, D. (2009). Environmental Aspects. In: Biocompatibility of Dental Materials. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-77782-3_13

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-77782-3_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-77781-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-77782-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation