Presence of arsenic in different types of MTA and white and gray Portland cement.
OBJECTIVE
The presence of arsenic in various types of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and Portland cements were evaluated to verify if they comply with the ISO-recommended limit for water-based cements of 2 mg arsenic/kg material.


METHODS
An amount of 5 mL of hydrochloric acid was added to 2 g each of MTA and Portland cement to be analyzed. After 15 minutes, the material was filtered and the volume of supernatant was diluted with reagent-grade water up to 40 mL. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry readings were performed in triplicate.


RESULTS
The following mean values were obtained: CPM (Egeo, Buenos Aires, Argentina) 11.06 mg/kg; CPM sealer (Egeo) 10.30 mg/kg; MTA-Obtura (Angelus, Londrina, PR, Brazil) 0.39 mg/kg; Experimental MTA: 10.30 mg/kg; White MTA-Angelus (Angelus) 1.03 mg/kg; Gray MTA-Angelus (Angelus) 5.91 mg/kg; ProRoot-MTA (Dentsply/Tulsa Dental Specialties, Tulsa, OK) 5.25 mg/kg; Gray Portland cement (Votorantim Cimentos, Cubatão, SP, Brazil): 34.27 mg/kg; and White Portland cement (Cimento Rio Branco, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil) 0.52 mg/kg.


CONCLUSIONS
All tested materials presented arsenic in their composition. The form of arsenic was not analyzed nor the toxicity of the arsenic found. Only MTA-Obtura, White MTA-Angelus, and White Portland cement presented arsenic levels below the limit set in the ISO 9917-1 standard.
Monteiro Bramante
Clóvis
C
Department of Operative Dentistry, Dental School of Bauru, University of São Paulo, Bauru, SP, Brazil.
Demarchi
Ana Claudia Cardoso Oliveira
AC
de Moraes
Ivaldo Gomes
IG
Bernadineli
Norberti
N
Garcia
Roberto Brandão
RB
Spångberg
Lars S W
LS
Duarte
Marco Antonio Hungaro
MA
D017607:Aluminum Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D003738:Dental Cements / Q000737:chemistry*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D017640:Silicates / Q000737:chemistry*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D003738:Dental Cements; D004338:Drug Combinations; D010087:Oxides; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D017640:Silicates; C472247:accelerated Portland cement; C086631:mineral trioxide aggregate; D001151:Arsenic