Determination of methyl mercury in dental-unit wastewater.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this investigation was to establish whether monomethyl mercury (MMHg) is present in dental-unit wastewater and if present, to determine the concentration relative to total mercury.


METHODS
Wastewater samples were collected over an 18-month period from three locations: at the dental chair; at a 30-chair clinic, and at a 107-chair clinic. Total mercury determinations were completed using United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) method 1631. MMHg was measured utilizing modified USEPA method 1630.


RESULTS
The total mercury levels were found to be: 45182.11 microg/l (n=13, SD=68562.42) for the chair-side samples, 5350.74 microg/l (n=12, SD=2672.94) for samples at the 30-chair clinic, and 13439.13 microg/l (n=13, SD=9898.91) for samples at the107-chair clinic. Monomethyl Hg levels averaged 0.90 microg/l (n=13, SD=0.87) for chair side samples, 8.26 (n=12, SD=7.74) for the 30-chair facility, and 26.77 microg/l (n=13, SD=34.50) for 107-chair facility. By way of comparison, the MMHg levels for the open ocean, lakes and rain are orders of magnitude lower than methyl mercury levels seen in dental wastewater (part per billion levels for dental wastewater samples compared to part per trillion levels for samples from the environment).


CONCLUSIONS
Environmentally important levels of MMHg were found to be present in dental-unit wastewater at concentrations orders of magnitude higher than seen in natural settings.
Stone
Mark E
ME
Naval Institute for Dental and Biomedical Research, Building 1-H, 310A B Street, Great Lakes, IL 60088-5259, USA. mark.stone@ndri.med.navy.mil
Cohen
Mark E
ME
Liang
Lian
L
Pang
Patrick
P
D018057:Dental Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical
D018057:Dental Waste; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds