Home

Dental Amalgam Program

Sidebar: 

The Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) is required by the Regional Water Quality Control Board (ORDER No. R2-2007-0077) to initiate a program with the dental community of Castro Valley to maximize proper amalgam disposal practices and to facilitate installation of approved amalgam separators. Following the Dental Amalgam Program Presentation at Castro Valley Sanitary District on Jan 6, 2010, an ordinance incorporating the program was adopted on Feb 2, 2010. The requirements of the Program include use of Best Management Practices (BMPs), installation and maintenance of approved amalgam separator, submittal of documentation as proof of compliance, training staff and maintaining training records for 3 years and, coordinating with CVSan staff to inspect the dental facility. 

Compliance Dates:

• By June 30, 2010, submit ‘Self Certification of Amalgam Management Requirement’. 

• By Jan 1, 2011, install an approved amalgam separator

• By Jan 31, 2011, submit ‘Self Certification of Amalgam Separator Installation’.

• Beginning Feb, 2011, CVSan Staff will inspect each facility and provide a certificate of compliance.

Exempt Facilities:

Facilities that practice one or more of the following are exempt from the Dental Amalgam Program requirements, as long as the practice does not remove or replace amalgam fillings:
•  Orthodontics
•  Periodontics
•  Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
•  Radiology
•  Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine
•  Endodontics
•  Prosthodontics 

Best Management Practices (BMPs) in Dental Offices:

Pursuant to the Regional Water Quality Control Board Order No. R2-2007-0077, the Castro Valley Sanitary District has implemented a Dental Amalgam Program to meet Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) requirements for mercury discharged into San Francisco Bay.  The following BMPs are required of all dental offices (except exempt facilities) located in Castro Valley Sanitary District.

1. Vacuum Pump/ Suction Requirement: Vacuum pumps should be equipped with filters. Clean or replace central vacuum filters regularly. During restoration procedures, maximize use of the high speed suction (vacuum) and rubber dams, thereby, more amalgam waste is captured.

2. Selection of Amalgam Capsules: Do not use bulk liquid mercury. Use pre-measured amalgam capsules of various sizes, to provide better mixing and reduce waste.

3. Selection of Line Cleaners: Do not use bleach and other chlorine-containing products when cleaning the vacuum system, as it dissolves mercury out of amalgam. Line cleaning products must have a pH that does not invalidate the warranty of the vacuum pump or amalgam separator manufacturer.

4. Amalgam Waste Handling Techniques: Do not rinse amalgam-containing traps, filters or containers in the sink or other sanitary sewer connection. Change traps per manufacturers recommended frequency. Do not place amalgam waste with regular solid waste or medical waste.

Contact Amalgam: Collect used capsules, chair-side screens and traps, vacuum system screens and filters in a large airtight plastic container for recycling.

Non-Contact Amalgam: Collect non-contact amalgam scrap separately in small airtight plastic containers from each operatory, for recycling.

Mixed Scrap Amalgam: Disinfect extracted teeth with amalgam fillings and collect them in airtight mixed amalgam scrap-recycling containers. Use transparent bottle traps under sinks and cuspidor drains of each operatory. Collect waste from traps and place them with other mixed scrap amalgam waste.
Do not add water or waste fixer to any of these containers. Keep them dry at all times.

5. Recycling Amalgam Waste: Have a licensed hazardous waste hauler pick up amalgam waste for recycling.

6. Staff Training: Train staff annually in proper handling and disposal of amalgam materials. Also train new staff when hired. Maintain training log for all employees, for 3 years and make sure that records are readily available for inspection.

Some Useful References: