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Pollution Prevention (P2) for Dental Offices 621210
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Opportunities may exist to save a significant amount of money for your
business and simultaneously protect the environment through P2.
What is P2? P2 is the use of materials, processes, or practices that
eliminate or reduce the creation of pollutants or waste at the source. P2
consists of a variety of strategies and techniques that strive to avoid the
production of waste and the subsequent costly and sometimes dangerous waste
management activities. Waste avoidance or reduction may result in increased
facility efficiencies as well as significant savings from lowered waste
management costs, raw materials costs, reduced insurance and worker safety
costs. There is, therefore, the opportunity to simultaneously improve your
bottom line - and protect the environment.
Where can I obtain information? The Business & Environmental Service
Centers have compiled a library of P2 reference materials that may help you
identify and adopt P2 measures appropriate to your business. For local P2
information, call 1-800-GOV-1-STOP. The following publications may be requested
online:
What are the benefits of P2?
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Business Cost Savings: You may realize -
reduced energy costs, operational costs, production costs,
raw materials costs, transportation costs, treatment and
disposal costs, compliance permits, monitoring and
enforcement costs.
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Environmental Protection: Your employees and
patrons will appreciate your leadership in the
implementation of business practices that are economically
viable, sustain natural resources and diversity, and
enhance the quality of life for present and future
generations.
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Regulatory Relief: It is easier to achieve and
maintain compliance once P2 measures have been
implemented.
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Reduced Liability, Exposure, and Health Risk:
Less waste means less liability for environmental problems
at both on-site and off-site treatment, storage and
disposal facilities. Reducing waste also means less
potential risk to human health and safety and reduced
worker exposure to toxic chemicals.
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Reduced Energy Consumption: Energy conservation
and energy use efficiency will reduce costs and the risk
of power outages.
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What new technologies reduce costs and promote P2?
- Reduce Hazardous Waste:1 generated during x-ray development to
minimize waste disposal costs. New technology has been developed
specifically for the dental industry that uses a simple, low-cost
filtering system on panoramic x-ray machines, which diminishes patient
x-ray exposure by 40 percent while improving the final image. Silver
recovery units remove silver from the spent fixer and permit the
remaining effluent to be discharged to the drain. Depending on the
size of the dental operation, the system may actually turn a profit
from the sale of the reclaimed silver. Some x-ray developing system
cleaner solutions contain chromium and may be regulated as hazardous
waste, so request a chrome-free alternative from the x-ray chemical
supplier.
- Mercury:2 flushed down the drain goes straight into the ocean.
Mercury arrives at wastewater treatment plants every day. The plants
then release most of this mercury to the environment through treated
effluent and sludge disposal. A significant source is from the
discharge of scrap amalgam and mercury waste into sink drains in
dental offices. Mercury can be prevented from entering the
environment with a few easy steps. Never rinse traps in the sink.
The trapped mercury-containing amalgam will go directly to the sewer
and wastewater treatment plant, which is not equipped to handle it.
Do not put mercury-containing waste in medical waste containers.
Incineration and solid waste disposal can release mercury directly
into the environment. Check with your waste hauler about specific
handling requirements for each mercury-containing waste stream.
- Dental Amalgam:3 is a solid stable restorative material consisting
of a 1:1 mixture of metallic mercury and an alloy powder of silver,
tin and copper, and possibly other metals. Technologies are
available to prevent amalgam from entering the sewer system. Most
vacuum systems contain drain traps, a simple modification that may
remove up to 90% of amalgam from wastewater. Amalgam separating
devices may remove up to 99% of amalgam from wastewater.
Sedimentation units reduce the speed of down flow of water with
baffles or tanks to allow amalgam particles to settle. Centrifuge
units spin the water out to the sides of the unit. Ion exchange
units use polymers to capture small particles, and are often used in
conjunction with sedimentation units.
What are the P2 alternatives for dental offices?
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Waste Stream |
Health/ Environmental Concerns |
Pollution Prevention Alternatives |
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Mercury from amalgam fillings |
Release of mercury vapors, contamination of water and/or sludge
from wastewater treatment plants |
Recycle waste amalgam particles or use composite fillings |
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Silver from x-ray film and fixer |
Silver contamination of water and/or sludge from wastewater
treatment plant |
Recover silver from film and fixer |
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Chromium in x-ray system cleaners |
Contamination of water and/or sludge from wastewater treatment
plant |
Use a non-chromium cleaner |
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Lead shields, bitewings, and foils from x-rays |
Solid waste |
Recycle or send to a dental charity for reuse |
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