Amalgam Separators Part 1

Kelly Beauregard Na-onal Marke-ng Manager SolmeteX A division of Layne Christensen 50 Bearfoot Road Northborough, MA 01532 800-­‐216-­‐5505 SolmeteX —  Founded 1994 as a water treatment company —  Clean Water Company —  Develop, Commercialize Technologies for Removing Heavy Metals from Water —  Patented & Patent Pending Resins & Processes —  ISO 11143 Cer-fied Amalgam Separators What we know about Mercury Mercury is a neurotoxin. High levels of Hg in fish. (42 states have mercury fish advisories) EPA under pressure to reduce mercury POTW’s need to meet Na-onal Pollutant Discharge Elimina-on System (NPDES) permits issued by EPA EPA since 2006 has issued new NPDES with lower limits for mercury on influent and effluent discharge limits. (5 yr cycle) Den-st: Contributor to wastewaters Den-sts have been designated in many studies as one of contributors of mercury to Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW’s) or sewage treatment plants. (Dental contribu-ons to POTW’s is mostly in the form of amalgam, a solid bound compound, which sebles into sewage sludge) What is Dental Amalgam? Dental amalgam, some-mes referred to as “silver filling,” is a silver-­‐colored material used to fill (restore) teeth that have cavi-es. Dental amalgam is made of two nearly equal parts: liquid mercury and a powder containing silver, -n, copper, zinc and other metals. Amalgam is one of the most commonly used tooth fillings, and is considered to be a safe, sound, and effec-ve treatment for tooth decay. Ac-on from ADA Since 2003 the American Dental Associa-on has published BMP’s for dental offices Current version 2007 hbp://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/
topics_amalgamwaste.pdf ADA BMP Do’s and Don'ts —  Do —  Use Pre-­‐capsulated amalgams —  Recycle used amalgam capsules —  Salvage non-­‐contact amalgam for recycling —  Salvage contact amalgam for recycling —  Use chair-­‐side traps and salvage what’s collected —  Salvage vacuum pump filters where applicable —  Manage amalgam waste with recycling where ever possible —  Don’t —  Use bulk mercury —  Toss used amalgam capsules into “Red Bag” or trash —  Toss contact and non-­‐contact amalgam in “Red Bag” of trash —  Rinse of flush amalgam down the drain —  Use oxidizing line cleaners —  Use bleach when applicable What needs to be managed Dental amalgam capsules Chair side Traps Vacuum pump filters Liquid mercury Amalgam Separator US Regulated States States Separa-on Rate — 
98% 95% 95% 98% 95% 99% 99% 95% 95% 95% — 
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Dead Lines Maine December 31, 2004 New Hampshire October 1, 2005 Connec-cut
January 11, 2006 Massachusebs June 22, 2006
Vermont
January 1, 2007 New York
May 12, 2008
Rhode Island July 1, 2008
New Jersey
October 1, 2009 Oregon
January 1, 2010 Michigan
December 31, 2013 All are require to meet ISO 11143 Cer-fica-on Local Areas States
Dead Lines Separa-on Rate —  Wichita -­‐ KS
June 1, 2001 95% —  King County (WA)
June 1, 2003 95% ADA says that also the coun-es of Duluth (MN), Boulder —  Palo Alto -­‐ CA
March 31, 2005
95% (CO), Colorado Springs (CO), Highlands Ranch (CO), —  Fort Collins -­‐ CO
July 1, 2005 95% Fountain (CO), Livermore (CA), the Metro Coun-es (MN) and Solon (OH) have mandates for amalgam separators. —  San Francisco Bay Area January 1, 2007
95% —  Eau Claire -­‐ WI
January 1, 2008
95% San Francisco and surrounding Bay Areas communi-es are: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, East Palo Alto, El —  Watertown -­‐ WI
January 1, 2008
95% Cerrito, Emeryville, Kensington, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, —  Milwaukee -­‐ WI
February 1, 2008
95% Mountain View, Oakland, Richmond Annex, Union —  Racine -­‐ WI
February 1, 2008
95% Sanitary District (Freemont), Newark, Union City). —  La Crosse -­‐ WI
March 26, 2008
95% —  Neenah Menasha -­‐ WI June 1, 2008 95% —  Dane County -­‐ WI
December 31, 2008
95% —  Waukesha -­‐ WI
December 31, 2008
95% —  Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District -­‐ WI
December 31, 2008
95% —  Chippewa Falls -­‐ WI
April 1, 2009 95% —  Albuquerque June 30, 2010 95% —  Bernalillo County -­‐ NM June 30, 2010 95% —  Menomonie – WI
July 1, 2010 95% —  Central Marin Sanita-on Agency / Las Gallinas Valley – CA December 31, 2010 95% —  San Josè / Santa Clara -­‐ CA
07/2009 -­‐ 12/2010
95% Exemp-ons Exemp-ons to this Rule: Orthodon-cs, Periodon-cs, Endodon-c, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (Surgery, Radiology, Pathology) * *If these special-es place or remove amalgam, the office is not exempt. Mandate vs. Voluntary 90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
Maine Dental Association
NY: 8.0% through
May 2007
20%
Connecticut State Dental Association
Massachusetts Dental Association
New Hampshire Dental Association
10%
New York Dental Association
Months Prior to Effective Regulation Date
Months After Effective Regulation Date
24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
-2
-4
-6
-8
-1
0
-1
2
-1
4
-1
6
-1
8
-2
0
-2
2
-2
4
0%
Na-onal proposed rule Dental Amalgam Effluent Guideline EPA is ini-a-ng an effluent guideline rulemaking for dental facili-es to reduce discharges of mercury to the environment. The agency intends to focus its technology assessment on amalgam separators. EPA is preparing a regulatory proposal for review and the expected proposal date is to be determined. Background Across the United States, many states and municipal wastewater treatment plants (publicly owned treatment works (POTWs)) are working toward the goal of reducing discharges of mercury to POTWs. Mercury is a concern to human health because it is a persistent bioaccumula-ve toxic element. Many studies have been conducted in an abempt to iden-fy the sources of mercury entering these POTWs. According to the 2002 Mercury Source Control and Pollu-on Preven-on Program Final Report prepared for the Na-onal Associa-on of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), dental clinics are the main source of mercury discharges to POTWs. A study funded by the American Dental Associa-on (ADA) es-mated in 2003 that 50 percent of mercury entering POTWs was contributed by dental offices. EPA es-mates that den-sts discharge approximately 3.7 tons of mercury each year to POTWs. EPA es-mates there are approximately 160,000 den-sts working in over 120,000 dental offices who use or remove amalgam in the United States – almost all of whom discharge their wastewater exclusively to POTWs. Mercury-­‐containing amalgam wastes may find their way into the environment when new fillings are placed or old mercury-­‐containing fillings are drilled out and waste amalgam materials that are flushed into chair-­‐side drains enter the wastewater stream. Some of the waste amalgam par-cles that reach the sewer system seble out in the sewers, and some are carried to POTWs. The physical processes used in POTWs remove about 90% of the mercury received in wastewater. The mercury removed from wastewater then resides in the biosolids or sewage sludge generated during primary and secondary treatment processes. What are Amalgam Separators? —  Amalgam Separators are “Solid Collectors” —  they capture the amalgam by default by removing amalgam along with other sedimenta-on that flows through the dental waste stream. —  which can consist of not only amalgam but prophy paste, air abrasions, tooth fragments, etc… —  They func-on with the use of the vacuum and the waste water flow to capture the solids. How do Amalgam Separators work? —  Sedimenta-on —  Let material seble to the bobom by gravity —  Mechanical Filtra-on —  Filter placed in line —  Chemical —  Chela-ng or ion exchange resins and materials —  Centrifugal —  Spin the solids to the side Understanding the ISO 11143 Cer-fica-on Standard ISO 11143 is a “SOLID” standard only Mercury is not in the standard —  Tes-ng is performed under posi-ve pressure not vacuum Lab Scale only —  Designed to capture 99% of solids not total mercury —  Designed to beat a solid par-cle standard. Understanding Amalgam Separators —  Amalgam Separators capture “Mercury” by default not by design —  Designed to beat a solid par-cle standard. —  Designed to capture 99% of solids not total mercury —  Separators are installed on vacuum side in most cases. Amalgam Separators Rebec Catch 400 Solid Box A B Dental Addi-onal Separators (Solid) DRNA BullFroHg Addi-onal Separators (Solid) Air Tech Guardian Addi-onal Separators (Opaque) Metasys ECO II