| The Removal of Mercury from Dental-operatory Wastewater by Polymer Treatment Ernest D. Pederson, Mark E. Stone, and Victor G. Ovsey Naval Dental Research Institute, Applied Laboratory Science Department, Great Lakes, IL 60088-5259 USA Abstract
The mercury (Hg) content of dental-operatory wastewater has become an issue in many localities, and Hg removal is rapidly becoming a matter of concern for all dental clinics. This preliminary study tested the efficacy of polymers for the removal of Hg contaminants from the dental-unit wastewater stream. Two commercially available polymers were used to treat dental-operatory wastewater. Used separately, each polymer removed from 74.9% to 88.4% of the Hg from dental-wastewater supernatant. The polymers used in combination, within the recommended pH range, removed up to 99.9% of the total Hg from dental-wastewater supernatant. The estimated optimal concentration of the two polymers is approximately 2.33 ml of each per liter of waste, and more than 90% of the Hg may be removed with 0.13 ml/l. Results indicate that a combination of the two polymers may sufficiently reduce Hg levels to allow discharge of clarified supernatants into public sewer systems. Key words: amalgam, dental, mercury, polymer, wastewater. Environ Health Perspect 107:3-8 (1999) . [Online 4 December 1998] http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1999/107p3-8pederson/ abstract.html Address correspondence to E.D. Pederson, Naval Dental Research Institute, Applied Laboratory Science Department, Building 1-H, 310A B Street, Great Lakes, IL 60088-5259 USA. We thank B.L. Lamberts and P.L. Fan for assistance with manuscript preparation and P.L. Choo for providing the polymers. Supported by the Naval Medical Research and Development Command, Bethesda, Maryland, project 063706N M0095.006-0515. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Departments of the Navy or Defense, nor the U. S. Government. The use of commercially available products does not imply endorsement. Received 28 April 1998 ; accepted 4 August 1998.
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