DD2009 Chairside AmalgamSeparator

Instruction ManualVersion 2.0 (January 2011)

taken directly at the chair are: Total Hg 21.438 mg/liter (ppm), MeHg 277.74 ng/liter (ppt), Hg0 24.06 mg/liter (ppb), Hg+2 54.00 mg/liter (ppb) and Hg0 bound to amalgam par culate 21.360 mg/liter (ppm).

The average daily Hg loading to dental-unit wastewater is exceedingly variable and in one study was seen to average 0.484 grams per chair per day (n=25, SD=0.420). Hg loadings from a dental chair in a second study were seen to average over 2 grams of Hg per day. The high density of amalgam (the specifi c gravity of dental amalgam is 11.6) results in average se ling veloci es ranging from 16.56 to 65.7 cm/hour, with over 90% of amalgam par culate se ling in 2 hours.

A consequence of this rapid se ling is the depo-si on of amalgam par culate in the wastewater lines leaving the dental chair. Determina on of residual Hg levels in dental vacuum lines dem-onstrated Hg levels averaging 29.6 grams/kg of pipe (range=0.710 grams/kg to 177 grams/kg, SD=55.4).

Toxicity Characteris c Leaching Procedure analysis (defi ned in USEPA Method 1311 and used to help determine if a waste is hazardous) demonstrated substan al levels of Hg leaching out of the lines. Hg levels in the leachate from one sample were high enough to meet the criteria of hazardous waste and suggest that dental wastewater lines might serve as a reservoir of Hg that can leach over me.

Oxidizing line cleaners used in some offi ces to disinfect wastewater lines can mobilize Hg from amalgam par culate and this may also be true for the Hg in amalgam sludge present in wastewater lines.

Introduc on – Mercury Contamina on of Dental-Unit Wastewater

The Mercury (Hg) content of dental-unit wastewater has become increasingly important to the dental profession and regula ons limi ng its release into the environment are becoming more pervasive. Hg is a toxic element that persists in the environment and bioaccumulates in the food chain. It remains among the top twenty hazardous substances listed on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)/ United States Environmental Protec on Agency (USEPA) priority list.

Hg release from dental offi ces has become an acute issue for the dental profession and has resulted in eff orts by regulators to mandate both the use of Best Management Prac ces (BMPs) as well as the installa on of amalgam separators (devices that remove mercury containing amalgam from dental wastewater). Data from Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) serving areas with installed bases of separators in dental offi ces suggest these devices can substan ally reduce Hg burdens to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).

Wastewater produced in the dental offi ce is a heterogeneous mixture of nearly all the materials used by den sts and their staff s together with ssue, blood, saliva, and microorganisms. Hg in

dental-unit wastewater ranges from large sized amalgam par cles, sub micron Hg-containing colloidal par culates and dissolved Hg species.

Par cle size distribu on experiments have shown that 90% of the Hg is located in par cles larger than 10 microns. 97.3% of the Hg in se led wastewater samples taken directly from the dental chair is in the form of elemental Hg (Hg0) bound to par culate. Hg is also present in the following forms: ionic Hg (Hg+2), dissolved elemental Hg (Hg0) and monomethyl Hg (MeHg). Mean concentra ons from se led wastewater

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Installa onInstalla on of the chairside amalgam separator varies as a func on of dental chair design. Photographs of typical installa ons are shown below and may be a useful guide. The separator is placed under the dental chair and spliced in line with the high volume evacua on lines. The unit ships with both 1/2 inch and 5/8 inch nylon hose barb fi ngs. The 1/2 inch fi ngs are shipped a ached to the separator and have black vinyl caps. These fi ngs can be removed (by unscrewing them) and the 5/8 inch fi ngs screwed into the two ports. The 5/8 inch fi ngs have red vinyl caps.

The separator has two NPT ports: one is the “inlet” port and is located “off axis”. The second port is the discharge and is located in the center axis of the separator. It is important to have the “inlet” port connected to the HVE p (i.e. coming from the pa ent) and the “outlet” port connected to the vacuum source (dental vacuum pump).

In many dental chairs, the vacuum hose is “snaked” inside the chair and subject to sharp bends which limit the air fl ow through the hose. A short direct connec on from the fl oor to the separator improves air fl ow and prevents debris from occluding the hose.

It is recommended that the chairside trap remain in use. The trap prevents large pieces of debris from clogging hoses. In some cases the chairside trap can be removed. By bypassing the chairside trap, all debris will be collected by the amalgam separator.

We recommend the use of the Dental EZ Flowcheck™ vacuum gauge to measure chairside vacuum levels before and a er installa on of the fi ltra on unit. The Flowcheck™ dental vacuum fl ow measurement device is available from Dental EZ corpora on (h p://www.dentalez.com/ramvac/accessories/fl owcheck.html).

Dental EZ Flowcheck dental vacuum measurement device. Used to measure air fl ow (quality of dental vacuum) at the HVE p. More informa on can be obtained at h p://www.dentalez.com/ramvac/accessories/fl owcheck.html

The Dental EZ Flowcheck™ provides a good way to check to see if HVE vacuum performance at the chairside is being met. Using the Flowcheck™ lookup chart, 7 scfm of air fl ow at the HVE p would translate into approximately 1.5 inches of Hg at sea level.

There is a dra ISO standard for dental vacuum systems, ISO/PDTS 22595-1. The dra ISO standard calls for an air fl ow of at least 250 liters/minute (4.1 liters/second) at the HVE p. Tes ng of the DD209 chairside amalgam separator has demonstrated minimal impact on suc on quality. Air fl ow measurements with the Dental EZ Flowcheck™ on a dental unit with a chairside fi lter has measured air fl ows of 4.4 liters per second.

The Department of Defense Medical Military Facili es Design and Construc on Criteria (Military Handbook-1191) calls for the following dental vacuum system opera ng criteria to be met:

21 to 27 kPa (6 to 8 in-Hg) with a minimum vacuum of 21 kPa (6 in-Hg) to be maintained at the farthest HVE inlet

A fl ow rate of 3.3 liters/second (7 standard cubic feet per minute).

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The DD2009 amalgam separator shown installed on a Dental EZ chair. The unit is placed on the fl oor next to the chair. It can be located inside the fl oor mounted junc- on box if space permits. The unit shown

here is place to the side of the chair but can be move to any loca on that is con-venient. The unit shown here has the 5/8 inch nylon hose barb fi ngs with the red vinyl caps. For some installa ons, the HVE hose may have to be relocated outside the chair. Velcro® fasteners can be used to mount the unit to the dental chair, keep-ing the unit off the fl oor.

The photograph at the le shows the infl ow side of the DD2009. Note that the infl ow port is “off axis”. This side of the separator is connected to the HVE line coming from the pa ent. Note the red vinyl cover over the 5/8 inch infl ow port of the separator. When the separator is loaded with debris and needs changing, the red vinyl cover is placed over the port to prevent any leak-age of debris from the separator.

The photograph at the le shows the out-fl ow side of the DD2009. Note that the ou low port is in line with the long axis of the separator. This side of the separa-tor is connected to the vacuum source. Note the red vinyl cover over the 5/8 inch ou low port of the separator. When the separator is loaded with debris and needs changing, the red vinyl cover is placed over the port to prevent any leakage of debris from the separator.

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Amalgam Waste Recycling Issues

Although mercury in the form of dental amalgam is very stable, amalgam should not be disposed of in the garbage, infec ous waste “red bag,” or sharps container. Mercury containing amalgam waste generated in the dental operatory can on occasion meet the requirement of a hazardous waste. Amalgam should not be rinsed down the drain. Some communi es incinerate municipal garbage, medical waste, and sludge from wastewater treatment plants. If amalgam waste ends up being incinerated mercury vapor can be released to the environment due to the high temperatures used in the incinera on process. Increasingly, local communi es are enac ng restric ons on the incinera on of wastes containing mercury.

Contact you local environmental specialist prior to disposal of any mercury containing hazardous waste.

The disposable chairside amalgam separa on system has been tested and passed the ISO 11143 protocol. A copy of the tes ng cer fi cate is in-cluded at the end of this manual.

ISO 11143 Cer fi ca on

Vacuum Line Cleaner Eff ects on Hg Levels Vacuum line cleaners are recommended by some manufacturers of dental vacuum systems to help keep the lines from plugging and to limit the for-ma on of odors from the breakdown of wastes remaining in the lines. Tes ng by Naval Ins tute for Dental and Biomedical Research and oth-ers has shown that the chemical makeup of line cleaners can have important eff ects on dissolved Hg levels in dental wastewater. Oxidizing line cleaners, especially chlorine containing products like sodium hypochlorite (bleach) can mobilize or dissolve Hg contained in amalgam par cles found in vacuum lines.

Points of Contact

For addi onal informa on, please contact the following individuals:

Ray Mendlik: rmg04sales@aol.com

Dennis J. Duel: denno413@aol.com

Mark Stone: mark.stone@med.navy.mil

The chairside fi lter/amalgam separator will need to be changed when vacuum levels fall below recommend values (see the manual for additional details). The used fi lter (still connected to vacuum lines) should be placed in a tray that will collect any spilled wastewater, preventing it from contacting the operatory fl oor. The photograph above shows a chairside fi lter placed in such a tray. Note that the vacuum lines are still connected to the fi lter: The infl ow side of the fi lter is connected to the HVE tip and the outfl ow side is connected to the vacuum pump.

Instructions for Changing Out Chairside Filters

The infl ow side of the fi lter is angled up at approximately 45 degrees and the vacuum hose is pulled off the infl ow side hose barb. The end of the vacuum lines should be kept in the tray to trap any wastewater that may remain in the lines. Any wastewater that collects in the tray should be disposed of appropriately. DO NOT pour any of the wastewater down the drain since it may contain substantial amounts of mercury. The red vinyl cap is then placed over the infl ow hose barb which seals this side of the fi lter.

The red vinyl cap has been placed on the hose barb to keep any wastewater from leaking out of the fi lter.

The fi lter is now inverted so that the outfl ow side is up. The outfl ow vacuum hose is separated from the fi lter and the red vinyl cap is placed securely over the outfl ow hose barb.

Photograph showing the used fi lter disconnected from the vacuum lines. The red vinyl caps are securely placed on both ends and the used fi lter is ready for recycling.

h t h h i th d filt di t d f

Flexible Vinyl Tethered Safety Cap

Nylon Hose Adaptorconnects to 5/8" Rubber Hose

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)Plastic Housing Coversealed to housing with industrial-strength ABS cement able to withstand pressures up to 10 PSI and/or vacuums up to -30 inHg

Paper Labelto identify inward/outward

flow connections

0.5 Micron Water FilterWoven Polypropylene Fiber

filter with polypropylene core

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)Plastic HousingABS plastic is resistant to contamination and/orleeching of Hg Mercury from amalgams.

Nylon Hose Adaptorconnects to 5/8" Rubber Hose

Flexible VinylTethered Safety Cap

Paper Labelto identify inward/outward

flow connections

8.4"

4.8"4.8"

Hg AMALGAM SEPARATOR(DD2009)

COMPONENT SPECIFICATION SHEET

DATED 7/27/09

OVERALL DIMENSIONS

Test report No. 2969/05 Page 1 of 2 File-No.: 2.4-1013/05 Hlg 14.02.2006

Test report No. 2969/05

RWTUV Systems GmbH Unternehmensgruppe TUV NORD

Langemarckstrafle 20 45141 Essen

Tel.: 0201 825-0 Fax: 0201 825-2517

www.tuev-nord.de

about the test of a technical equipment

Applicant:

Naval Institute for Dental and Biomedical Research Building 1-H, 310A B Street Great Lakes, II 60088-5259 USA

Order No.: 20702287

This report contains 3 text pages.

Designed: 14.02.2006 by:

Reviewed: 14.02.2006 by: V k.

All copyright and joint copyrights with respect to studies, assessments, test results, calculations, presentations, etc., drafted by RWTUV Systems GmbH shall remain the property of RWTUV Systems GmbH. RWTUV Systems GmbH's contractual partner may use assessments, studies, test results, calculations, presentations, etc., drafted within the scope of the contract only for the purpose agreed in the contract or agreement. It is not permissible to pass on to third parties the reports, assessments, test results, calculations, presentations, etc., drawn up by RWTUV Systems GmbH or to publish them in abridged form, unless the parties to the contract have concluded a written agreement on the passing on, presentation or publication of extracts from them.

Headquarters

TDV NORD CERT GmbH

Langemarckstrasse 20 45141 Essen Germany

Phone: +49 (0) 201 825-0 Fax: +49 (0) 201 825-2517

Board of Management

Dr. rer. nat. Klaus Kleinherbers

Dipl.-Ing. Volker Klosowski

Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Dr. -Ing. Wilhelm Wick

Registration Office

Amtsgericht Essen

HRB 9976

USt.-IdNr.: DE811389923

Steuer-Nr.: 111/5706/2193

Dresdner Bank AG, Essen

Bank Code: 360 800 80

Account No.: 0525543000

BIC (SWIFT Code): DRESDEFF360

IBAN Code: DE 96 36080080 0525543000

Test report No. 2969/05 File-No.: 2.4-1013/05

Page 2 of 2 14.02.2006

Applicant:

Naval Institute for Dental and Biomedical Research

Building 1-H, 310A B Street

Great Lakes, II 60088-5259

USA

Reference/Equipment: NIDBR Amalgamseparator S/N 5336-0.5 NIDBR Amalgamseparator S/N 5336-15

Date of receipt: 2005 - 12

Type of examination: Information Test

Test regulations: DIN EN ISO 11143: 2002-12

Testing period: 2005-12 — 2006-01

Test location: Technology centre of

RWTUV Systems GmbH

Annex (No. of pages): 1. Measuring and test results (2 pages)

Test result: The referenced units are in compliance with the above requirements.

Annex 1 of Testreport No. Page 1 of 1 File-No.: 2.4- 14.02.2006

Test program Separation degrees EN ISO 11143:2002-12 Dental Equipment-Amalgam Separators

Test Date: 10. - 14.02.2006

Expert: I-11g

Applicant:

Naval Institute for Dental and Biomedical Research

USA

Test object: Classification: Maximum water flowrate:

Amalgam sample:

Membrane filters: Balance:

Number of tests performed:

NIDBR Amalgamseparator S/N 5336-0.5 Type 3: Filtration system 0,51/min

Becker Mefltechnik GmbH, 71364 Winnenden, Germany ISO 11143 Standardprobe Charge : 100416-11/04 Schleicher + Schuell AE100 + ME29 + ME28 Kern 434 Ser. No.: 118100

6

Separation degrees of empty amalgam separator with maximum flowrate:

No. 1

97,4 % 2

97,5 % 3

97,7 Average:

97,5 %

Separation degrees of full amalgam separator with maximum flowrate:

No. 1

96,8 % 2

96,9 % 3

96,8 % Average:

96,8 %

Value of the efficiency with maximum flowrate:

96,8 %

The NIDBR Amalgam separator S/N 5336-0.5 pass the test.

Essen, 14.02.2006

For the contents:

You are here: EPA Home Aging Initiative News and Events News From EPA EPA Will Propose Rule to Protect Waterways by Reducing Mercury from Dental Offices

EPA Will Propose Rule to Protect Waterways by Reducing Mercury from Dental OfficesCONTACT: Jalil Isa isa.jalil@epa.gov 202-564-3226 202-564-4355

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 27, 2010

Existing technology is available to capture dental mercury

WASHINGTON —The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced it intends to propose a rule to reduce mercury waste from dental offices. Dental amalgams, or fillings containing mercury, account for 3.7 tons of mercury discharged from dental offices each year. The mercury waste results when old mercury fillings are replaced with new ones. The mercury in dental fillings is flushed into chair-side drains and enters the wastewater systems, making its way into the environment through discharges to rivers and lakes, incineration or land application of sewage sludge. Mercury released through amalgam discharges can be easily managed and prevented.

EPA expects to propose a rule next year and finalize it in 2012. Dental offices will be able to use existing technology to meet the proposed requirements. Amalgam separators can separate out 95 percent of the mercury normally discharged to the local waste treatment plant. The separator captures the mercury, which is then recycled and reused.

Until the rule is final, EPA encourages dental offices to voluntarily install amalgam separators. Twelve states and several municipalities already require the installation of amalgam separators in dental offices.

Aging Initiative

Page 1 of 2EPA Will Propose Rule to Protect Waterways by Reducing Mercury from Dental Offices ...

1/8/2011http://www.epa.gov/aging/press/epanews/2010/2010_0927_2.htm

Approximately 50 percent of mercury entering local waste treatment plants comes from dental amalgam waste. Once deposited, certain microorganisms can change elemental mercury into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish, shellfish and animals that eat fish.

Fish and shellfish are the main sources of methylmercury exposure to humans. Methylmercury can damage children's developing brains and nervous systems even before they are born.

More information on mercury from dental offices.

More information on mercury and the environment.

View all news releases related to water.

http://www.epa.gov/aging/press/epanews/2010/2010_0927_2.htmLast updated on Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Page 2 of 2EPA Will Propose Rule to Protect Waterways by Reducing Mercury from Dental Offices ...

1/8/2011http://www.epa.gov/aging/press/epanews/2010/2010_0927_2.htm