Full Text
Hazardous Waste Requirements All generators of hazardous waste must obtain an EPA ID Number. Containers with hazardous waste must be labeled properly. Hazardous waste must be stored in closed containers. The con- tainer must be compatible with the na- ture of the stored waste. Storage area must be inspected once a week for leakage or deterioration. A licensed hauler must be utilized, Hazardous waste records and mani- fests must be kept on-site and avail- able upon Inspector’s request. Dental offices must comply with hazardous waste applicable require- ments: Hazardous waste materials com- monly generated by dental offices are: Amalgam Waste Ignitable Waste Mercury Waste Photographic Fixer Waste containing Lead Waste containing Chromium OTHER DENTAL WASTE & Pollution Prevention DENTAL OFFICE Did you know that Dental Offices generate waste which when improperly discharge into the sanitary sewer they may end up in our local waterways harming the environment? BMP #7 - X-Ray Developer Cleaner Waste cleaner solutions that contain chro- mium are a hazardous waste. • Do not discharge cleaner containing chro- mium into the sanitary or storm sewer. • Switch to environmentally safe cleaners products. BMP #8 - Lead Foil Intra-oral dental packets contain lead foil which may be hazardous. • Remove lead foil from used packet and send it for metal recycling. • Do not place lead foils in the garbage. BMP #9 - Organic Solvents Flammable waste can cause explosions in the sanitary sewer system, injure workers and damage plumbing. • Never pour flammable materials such as alcohol, ether, acetone, xylol, or chloro- form down the drain. • Disinfectants with formaldehyde and glu- taraldehyde solutions cannot be dis- charged into the sanitary sewer unless solutions meet local standards. • Use only the quantity of disinfectant nec- essary to do the job and, where possi- ble, use autoclave to sterilize. The City of Brighton developed this brochure to assist you with waste management practices at your dental office. Please keep your facility in compliance with federal, state and local regulations. DENTAL OFFICE POLLUTION PREVENTION Ph: [PHONE REDACTED] Fax: [PHONE REDACTED] www.brightonco.gov CONTACT INFORMATION City of Brighton - Public Works 22 S. 4th Ave. Brighton, CO 80601 ---PAGE BREAK--- EPA estimates that dental offices contribute over 70% of the mercury in sewage. BMP # 1 - HOUSEKEEPING Store hazardous, recyclables, medical and non- hazardous wastes in separate and appropriate contain- ers. Follow the hauler’s requirements for each type of waste. Inspect containers regularly for damages or leaks. Re-package immediately. Never discharge mercury, amalgam waste or untreated fixer into the drain. Mercury from amalgam and silver from used x-ray fixer should be recycled. BMP # 2 PRODUCT SUBSTITUTION Product substitution practices include using alternative environmental friendly products or technologies that generate less toxic waste, such as: Precapsulated amalgam instead of bulk mercury Digital radiography Non-hazardous biodegradable detergents Non-chromium x-ray developer system cleaners For Dental Offices BMP # 3 - EMPLOYEE TRAINING Remind employees of the importance of pollution pre- vention on the job. Provide Material Safety Data Sheets and have a Spill Response Plan available. Train person- nel on proper hazardous material and waste handling, storage, disposal and recycling. BMP # 4 - AMALGAM WASTE Amalgam waste is a hazardous waste because contains 50% of mercury (Hg), and also silver (Ag) in high con- centrations. • Amalgam should be recycled by a licensed recycler or disposed of as a hazardous waste by a licensed hauling company. Never discard amalgam into the sewer or garbage. • Limit the amalgam generated to the amount needed for each restora- tion. Retrieve excess amalgam during placement with gauze. • Use appropriate protection equipment and proper work area when handling amalgam. Collect and store waste amalgam in a designated, airtight container and label it properly. • Keep a log of generation & disposal for 3 years. • Use pre-capsulated dental amalgam to eliminate bulk mercury. Emp- tied dental amalgam capsules containing no visible materials can be disposed of as a non hazardous waste. • Follow spill cleanup procedures. Keep a mercury cleanup kit on-site. Mercury collected from spills should be treated as hazardous waste. • Due to modern high-speed dental instruments very fine waste parti- cles are generated. To remove fine amalgam from wastewater, a pre- treatment equipment is required. PRE-TREATMENT OPTIONS 1. AMALGAM SEPARATOR 99% of Hg and Ag removal. Different removal technolo- gies are available (sedimentation, filtration, chemical binding or ion exchange). Unit requires ongoing mainte- nance: some units need daily decanting, while others require replacement of filter or containments 2. CHAIRSIDE TRAPS 40% Hg removal. Captures and screens large pieces of amalgam. Removal depends on the screen size se- lected. Traps need to be cleaned daily. Disposable traps are preferable to reusable traps. 3. VACUUM FILTER PUMPS 20% Hg removal. Removal depends on the filter screen size selected. Filters must be change at least BMP #5 - X-RAY FIXER Spent x-ray fixer is a hazardous waste because con- tains silver. • Never drain fixer down the drain. Collect spent fixer and store liquid in a closed container properly labeled. • Do not mix waste fixer with other solutions. • Spent fixer solution may be treated onsite or off-site by a licensed recycler, or dispose of as a hazardous waste through a licensed hauling company. • Maintain disposal & equipment maintenance records for 3 years. • A silver recovery unit should be installed to remove sil- ver from spent fixer. PREATREATMENT OPTIONS 1. CHEMICAL RECOVERY CARTRIDGES The unit consist on two cartridges in series, which need to be sized and maintained properly. The system utilize me- tallic replacement with a steel wool to precipitate silver from the solution. Cartridges need to be replaced annually or when they are saturated by the silver. 2. ELECTROLITIC RECOVERY UNIT The closed loop system extract the silver from the fixer and enable the fixer to be reused. Fixer consumption is re- duced by up to 70 The unit use electrical current to plate out metallic silver. Treated fixer should be tested for silver every month to determine the unit’s effectiveness. BMP #6 - X-RAY DEVELOPER Developer solutions are hazardous waste if the pH is extremely high (alkaline) or low (acidic). Do not mix developer with fixer solutions. PREATREATMENT OPTION NEUTRALIZATION Cautiously add vinegar to alkaline developer, and baking soda to acidic developer. Check pH with pH test strips. If developer has not been mixed with fixer and has pH between 5.0 to 11.5, it can be poured down the drain. DENTAL POLLUTION POLLUTION PREVENTION PREVENTION PRACTICES Although dental offices deal with small amounts of wastes, the toxic and cumu- lative effects of these pollutants can be significant if they are improperly dis- posed of. The City promotes the use of Best Man- agement Practices (BMP). BMPs are procedures and guidelines that dental offices may follow to ensure their operations are in-compliance with legal requirements.