Dental Amalgam— Environmental Aspects
Dental Amalgam— Environmental Aspects
复制标题
牙科汞合金——环境方面
作者：
D. Arenholt
由于对生态系统中人为汞积累所造成的毒性影响风险的认识不断提高，减少汞废物排放的压力也越来越大。因此，牙科诊所的汞废物问题得到了更多的关注，一些国家已经对受污染废物的处理和排放规定了限制。在新汞合金制品的雕刻和抛光过程中产生的研磨剩余物中的主要汞合金颗粒通常收集在粗过滤器中，并出售用于精炼。生产新填料或清除旧填料所释放的少量汞合金颗粒部分沉积在管道和排水管中。剩余的颗粒随废水流被带到当地的净化厂。在斯堪的纳维亚，工业排放的汞污染废水已减少到最低限度。根据最近的调查，牙科诊所似乎是净化厂产生的污泥中收集的汞的主要来源。如果超过了包括汞在内的重金属含量的阈值，则不允许将污泥作为肥料回收利用。在一些国家，例如瑞士、德国、瑞典和丹麦，牙科诊所中安装经批准的汞齐分离装置现在是强制性的。汞合金分离器的批准基于国家测试方案，包括要求95-99%分离效率的临床或实验室测试。
Increasing knowledge about the risk of toxic effects caused by anthropogenic mercury accumulation in ecosystems has resulted in a growing pressure for reduction of the discharge of mercury waste. Consequently, the mercury waste problems of dental clinics have been given increased attention, and restrictions on handling and discharge of contaminated waste have been established in several countries. Major amalgam particles from trituration surplus of those produced during the carving and burnishing of new amalgam restorations are generally collected in coarse filters and sold for refinement. Minor amalgam particles released by production of new fillings or by removal of old restorations partly sediment in tubes and drains. The remaining particles are carried with the waste water stream to the local purifying plant. In Scandinavia, the industrial discharge of mercury-contaminated waste water has been reduced to a minimum. According to recent investigations, dental clinics appear to be responsible for the major amount of mercury collected in the sludge generated in purifying plants. If threshold values for heavy metal content, including mercury, are exceeded, the sludge is not allowed to be recycled as fertilizer. Installation of an approved amalgam-separating apparatus in dental clinics is now mandatory in several countries-for example, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. Approval of amalgam separators is based on national testing programs, including clinical or laboratory tests demanding 95-99% separating efficiency.