# VERMONT

**DENTAL**

**AMALGAM**

**SEPARATOR**

**PILOT**

**PROJECT**

Field Testing Observations

of Six Models and

Practical Considerations

in Choosing an

Amalgam Separator

Augu st 2004

### Acknowledgements

This p r oje c t wa s co ndu cte d by G r eg L u tch k o an d Ga ry Gul k a of the Vermo n t Depa rtment of Environm ent al

C o ns erv a tion, Env i ronmental As s i s t ance Offic e . We thank t he follo wing fo r their assista n ce wi th proje c t pla nning: the

Vermo n t State Dental So ci ety, both Peter Ta ylo r , Execut i v e Di re ct or, and Dr. Dan Ferra r is, B oard Memb er, and Glenn

Fran k of Patterson Dental. We than k Pe ter Bergl und of Metropolita n Cou n cil En vironm e n tal Services, St. Paul,

Minne sota for sha r ing hi s e x pe rie n ce an d exp e rti s e d u rin g the proj ect.

We al so than k the followi n g Vermo n t de ntists for thei r par tici pation as am algam sep a rator pilo t installation sites:

D r . Brent C o ffield

Dr. Stuart Co rso

Dr. Fr an cis D' A u ria

Dr. Michael Dick

Dr. D an Fe rra ris

Drs. Ju dith Fisch and Da vi d Heato n

Dr. Go rdo n G enn ric h

Dr. Ri ch ard Herb ert

Dr. Joyce Hot t enstein

Dr. John Li sci o

Dr. Greg Ma u r er

Dr. Elaine M c Lain

Dr. Davi d Ne umei ster

Dr. Kenn eth Pearson

Dr. La ure n Shann ard

Dr. Cheryl Ull m an

Dr. Ken Van Meter

Dr. Ri ch ard V enma r

We would al so like to ackn owle dge the amalg a m se p a ra to r man u factu r ers who donate d equi pment an d co ve red the

co st of install a tion at the pilot sites, incl u d ing:

AB Dental Trend s (Ra s ch 890 )

Air Techniq u e s (Gua rdia n Amalgam Col l ecto r)

Bio-Sy m Medic a l (Merc II)

Pure Water Devel opm ent (ECO II)

Reb e c (Catch 1000 )

SolmeteX (Hg5)**EXECUTIVE SUMMARY**

The Verm ont Dep a rtme nt of Environ m en tal Con s e r vation (DEC) field-te sted si x comme rci a lly avail able d e n t al

amalg a m se p a rato rs o v e r a six to eig h t month pe riod in 2003 – 2 0 0 4 in Vermo n t dental p r a c tices. The DEC

conta c ted se ve ral vend ors and man u fact urers of amal gam sepa rato rs who p r o v id ed one to si x units ea ch a n d

co ve red the cost of installat i on at vo lu nte e r de ntal clini cs. Th e obje c tive of the stu d y was to gat her first-h and

informatio n a nd expe rien ce with the inst allation an d o perational i s sues reg a rdi n g amalgam se parat ors over the

cou r se of the pilot. This inf o rmatio n wo u l d then be sh are d with the Vermo n t dent al comm unity to familiarize them

with the tech nologi es to re move amalg a m and its a s sociate d mercury and oth e r heavy metal s from the

wa stewater di scha rge s . Fie l d observati o n s a r e re po rted for ea ch of the amalgam sepa rato rs in cludi ng ea se of

installatio n , space and utili ty req u ire m en ts, mainten a n c e requi rem e nts, effects o n su ction systems, an d

performance is sues

.

The pilot dem onst r ated that there are se veral comm erci ally a v aila ble amalgam se parators that can relia bly

perfo rm with minimal mai n tenan ce. In gene ral, these sep a ra tors di d not interfere with va cu u m or su ction whe n

pro perl y in sta lled, maintain ed, and op erated. The re p o rt incl ude s a list of consi d eratio ns a nd reco mmen dati ons o n

cho o si ng an amalg a m se p a rato r, pro d u c t spe c ificatio ns, de sc riptio ns of the ama l gam sepa rat o rs in the pilo t, and

unit co st information.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 1**B ACK**  **GR OUN**  **D**

Dental offices have b een id entified as a sou r ce of mercu r y to muni cipal wa ste w at er treatm ent plants a nd se ptic

system s thro ugh pla c e m e n t and rem o val of dental a m algam. Den t al amalgam i s forme d wh e n mercu r y re acts with

an allo y of sil v e r , tin, and coppe r. Mercu r y ma ke s up about 45 -5 0 perce nt of dental amalg a m

. Municip a l

wa stewater sl udge contai ni ng mercu r y a r e sometime s incine rate d, relea s ing el e m ental me rcu r y to the air, a nd

eve n tuall y set t ling on land and water. M unici pal sl udg e can al so b e applied di re ctly to agri c ult u ral la nd s, or

disp osed of in solid wa ste landfills, whe r e the potentia l exist s for rel ease of merc ury to air, wat e r an d soil. Some of

this “e nvi r on mental” m e rcury accum u la te s in the aqu atic food chai n, along with other sou r ces of mercu r y, such a s

mercu r y relea s ed from the burning of fossil fuels, like coal. Vermon t and most ot her states h a v e issu ed fish

con s u m ption advi s o r ie s, al erting the p u b lic to limit their co nsumptio n of certai n fish du e to hig h mercu r y le vels.

Mercu r y-cont aining a m alg a m parti cle s are su ctione d throug h dent al va cuu m lin es whe r e the larg er pa rticl e s are

remo ve d to some e x tent b y ch airsid e traps a nd vacu um filters. Th ese d e vi ce s can rem o ve an ywhe re from 40 to

80% of the amalgam p a rti c le s by weig h t. Amalgam sepa ra tor u n its, a newe r technolo g y that has re centl y entered

the marketpla c e, ca n rem o ve 95 -9 9% or more of t he amalg a m fro m dental wastewate r . Some states a nd

muni cipalitie s arou nd the country ha ve mand atory re quirement s for install a tion of amalgam sepa rators. M a ine,

Ne w Ha mp sh ire, Co nne cticut, and Massach usetts ha ve re cently e nacte d re gula t ory requi rem ents for am al gam

sep a rators. Although the r e is cu rrently n o req u ire m en t fo r the instal lation of amal gam sepa rato rs in Ve rmont

,

som e denti s ts are begi nni ng to install them.

Vermo n t’s Ad visory Commi ttee on Mercu r y Pollutio n (ACMP) was e s tabli s he d by the Vermo n t Legi slatu r e in 1998

to see k meth ods to redu ce mercury rel e ase s an d ri sk s to Vermo n ters and a nnu ally repo rts its finding s an d

re comm end ations to the Le gislatu r e. In De cem ber 2 0 02, a sub c o m mittee of the ACMP wa s fo rmed to e v alu a te

the feasibilit y of dental ama l gam sepa rat o rs as a te ch nolog y to re d u ce m e rcu r y relea s e s by d ental clini c s in

Vermo n t. The sub c ommitte e membe r s consi s ted of th e Vermo n t Depa rtment of Environm ent al Con s e r vati on

(DE C ), Verm ont State Den t al Society(V S DS), Mercu r y Po licy Proj e c t of Montpeli e r, Vermo n t, and the Natio nal

Wildlife Fe deration office in Montpelie r. The ACMP di rected the a m algam sep a ra tor su bcommi ttee to develo p a

pilot proj ect to field test amalgam sep a r ators in de ntal clini cs to g a in first ha nd kno w le dge of installation a nd

ope ration al issue s that co u l d be sh ared with the dent al comm unity. No eval uatio n or testin g of amalgam re moval

efficien cy of the se pa rators was con s id ered in this stu d y du e to the co st and me a s u r eme n t cha llenge s. Thi s stud y

gathe red first hand info rmat ion on in stalla tion and op erational issu es of six co mm erciall y availa ble se pa rators

ove r a pe riod of six to eight months. We belie ve that the re sult s of this stu d y a n swe r the que st ions p o sed b y the

Advi sory Co mmittee and can se rve as a useful g u id e to dental office s in ch oo si ng an am alga m sep a rato r.

**AMALGAM SEPARATOR TECH**  **NOLOGY OVERV I**  **EW**

Eva c uatio n syste m s in e x i s ting de ntal p r a c tice s typi cally c ontain ei ther on e or two com pon ent s that are cap able of

remo vin g soli ds such as a m algam p a rti c le s from wastewat e r - ch ai rsi de trap s an d va cuu m pu mp filters. Ch airside

trap s are com m onl y used i n both wet an d dry va cu um system s. They remo ve pa rticle s do wn t o app ro ximat e ly 0.7

mm. In addition to chai rsid e trap s, syste m s with a wet vac uum p u m p typically h a v e a filter lo cated just up st ream

of the pump that is de sign ed to prote c t the pum p fro m lar ge solid s. Vacu um pu mp filter s ha ve pore si ze s of either

0.84 mm (2 0 mesh scre en ) or 0.42 mm (40 me sh scre en). Chairsid e trap s and vacu um pum p filters succe s sfully

remo ve a n ywhere from 40 – 80% of the total mass of amalg a m pa rticle s from de ntal office wa stewater, lea v ing 2 0

– 60% to be discha rg ed to sewers an d septi c syste m s.

Amalgam sep a rato rs a r e d e sig ned to re move amalg a m parti cl es th at are too sm all to be capt ure d by chai rside

trap s and va cuum filters. In 1999, the Intern ational O r gani zation fo r Standardi zati on (ISO) d e velope d a stan dard

for dental am algam sep a ra tors (ISO 1 1 1 43) that in clu ded a lab o ratory test meth od for dete r m i ning the am a l gam

remo val effici ency of amal gam sepa rato rs. The stand ard al so e s ta blish ed a mini mum amal ga m remo val eff i cien cy

of 95%. Manufactu rers wh o want thei r a m algam sep a r ators ISO ce rtified must h a ve thei r eq ui pment teste d usin g

the ISO 1114 3 testing met hod an d meet all of the re q u irem ents of ISO 1114 3, includi ng an a m algam remo val

efficien cy of a t least 95%. Ce rtification i s a step b e yo nd sim p ly p e rforming the I S O 1114 3 re moval efficien cy te st

pro c e dure. For an am alga m sep a rato r to be ISO 111 43 "ce r ti fied", a certificatio n bod y mu st issue a certificate to

the manufa c t u re r co nfirmin g that the sep a rato r pa ssed all of the req u irem ents of ISO 1114 3. The ce rtificate and

the asso ciate d pro c e dures se rve as certi f ication, whi c h puts into pl ace a n ong oi ng qualit y co ntrol system betwe en

the ce rtificati on bod y an d the se pa rator manufa c turer. Most regul atory bodi es re quiri ng the u s e of amalgam

sep a rators re quire that they be ISO 111 43 ce rtified.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 2Most amal ga m sep a rato rs are comp atibl e with both wet and dry va cuu m system s and a r e in st alled in the vacu um

system b e twe en the ope rat o rie s an d t he va cuu m syste m discha rge t o the se we r. The lo cation of the amalga m

sep a rator in the va cu um syste m dep en ds p r ima r ily u pon tw o thin g s : 1) on whet her the syste m has a wet or a dry

va cuu m pum p, and 2) o n the brand o r type of am alg a m se parat or being in stalle d (see Figu re 1). In offices with dry

va cuu m syste m s, the amal gam sepa rato r is in stalled e i ther in the su cti on line ju st upst r eam of the air/ water

sep a rator o r in the air/wate r se parator di scha rge lin e to the se we r. Amalgam sep a rato rs in stall ed in clini c s with

wet va cu um pump s are in stalled eith er at the inlet to the va cuu m p u mp ju st upst r eam of the vacu um filter o r at the

va cuu m pum p discha rg e line to the se wer. In some case s, the exi s ting equip m e n t will not onl y dictate the

installatio n lo cation of the sep a rator, bu t may also de term ine h o w t he se pa rator i t self is co nfig ure d . For e x a m ple,

two of the se parators in the pilot c an b e purcha s e d with or witho u t an air/ water sepa rator d e p endin g on wh ether

or not there is an exi s ting one that can be utilized. All of these vari able s emphasi z e the need to consult with

ven d o r s a nd sup p lie rs of b o th dental va cuu m system s and a m alg a m sep a rato rs prio r to maki n g a purch ase.

Amalgam sep a rato rs remo ve am algam by em plo y ing one or mo re of three techn o logie s : se di mentation, filtration,

and/o r ion e x cha nge. All of the amalgam sepa rato rs in t he Vermont pilot use d se dimentatio n e i ther alo ne or in

conj un ction with filtration and/or io n exchang e. In se p a rato rs in co rp oratin g se dim entation tech nolog y, the

wa stewater i s dire cted thro ugh a colle ctor bo x or ca rtridg e that typi call y incl ude s a seri es of chamb e rs, baffles o r

other me an s to slo w the flow thro ugh the box, allo wing the relatively dense amal g a m parti cle s to settle.

Mechani cal fil t ration is a d d ed in so me u n its to help re mo ve additio nal sm aller p a rticl e s that may h a ve ma de their

wa y pa st the sedi mentatio n stage. Me c hani cal filtrati on co nsi s ts of some type of fine scree n o r porou s mat e rial

that blocks th e passa ge of ve ry small pa rt icle s. Some units in clud e a third sta ge, ion exch ang e

, that is capa ble of

remo vin g dissol ved m e rcu r y fro m the waste w ate r . In t he ion exch a nge p r o c e ss, diss ol ved m e rcury is ad so rbed

onto the su rfa c e of a re sin or othe r mate rial. Ion exch ange i s the o n ly on e of the three technol ogie s ca pabl e of

remo vin g the dissol ved fraction of me rcury from de ntal wa st ewater. Ho we ve r, the IS O 11143 test procedu re does

not eval uate a sep a rator' s remo val of di ssolved me rcury, only am a l gam solid s.

Man y of the amalgam sep a r ators in the p ilot inco rpo r at e so m e type of bypa ss to allow contin u ed ope ratio n of the

va cuu m syste m in the eve n t there is a problem with the colle cto r bo x or cart ridg e. However, wh ile the unit is

byp a ssin g there ma y be lit tle or no treat ment of the wast e w ate r occu rrin g . In so me amalg a m sep a rators, bypa ss

is more difficult to detect than othe rs an d can g o unn oticed fo r ext ende d pe riod s of time.

**PILOT PROJECT DESCRI PTION** 

DEC staff co ntacted se ve ral ven d o r s a n d distri butors of amalgam sepa rato rs wh o pro v id ed 1-5 units ea ch and

paid for in stal lation co sts at 18 Vermo n t dental cli n ics. The Vermo n t State Dental Societ y co nta c ted mem b e r s and

identified pa rt icipa n ts. DE C arra nge d wit h one plu m bi ng fi rm to do most of the in stallation s. T h re e of the

installatio n s we re pe rform ed by the m a nufactu re r' s o w n te chni cian (Air Techniq ues G u a r dia n Amalgam Co llecto r).

In two instan ces, local plum bers were u s ed for the in stalla tion s. Tab l e 1 lists the a m algam sep a r ators in the p ilot

along with a description of the unit feature s and cha r a c teri stics. Th e amalg a m re moval efficien cie s re porte d in

Table 1 were pro v id ed b y the amal gam sep a rator ma nufactu re rs a nd we re d e termined throug h labo ratory testing

unde r controll ed co ndition s. The actual remo val efficie n cie s of amal gam sepa rato rs in stalle d in dental cli n ics may

differ.

DEC staff wo rked with the plumb e r to m a tch the am al gam sepa rato r equi pment b e ing p r o v ide d by the

manufa c turers with e x istin g con d ition s at the partici p a ting dental clinics and DE C wa s p r e s en t for most of the

installatio n s. Facto r s that we re con s ide r ed in mat c hi ng the se pa ra tors with dent al offices in cl uded: spa c e

con s id eration s , elevation o f building sewer conn ectio n re lative to va cuu m pump, acce ss to buil d ing sanita ry

system vent, and vacuum system type and configu r a t ion. Each am algam sep a ra tor wa s ob se rved o v e r a pe riod of

six m onth s or more. Several visit s we re made to ea ch si te and ob servation s were made o n the followin g cri t eria:

ease of install a tion, spa c e and utility req u irem ents, int egrit y of unit con s tructio n , slud ge a c cu mulation a nd

frequ en cy of ca rtridg e/ca ni ster repla c e m ent, ease of cartrid ge/cani ster repl aceme n t, effect of th e unit on the

su ction in the clinic, an d problem s with t he se pa rato r clog ging. Th e line clea ning pra c tices a n d type of line

clea ne rs u s e d we re note d . The numb e r of operatorie s and hygien e chai rs wa s no ted and the u s e of sp eci a l

techni que s such a s ai r abrasio n.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 3Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 4Vermont Dental Amalgam Separator Pilot ProjectPage 5Table 1 – Amalgam Separators Evaluated in the Vermont Pilot ProjectAmalgamSeparatorName/Model#Manufacturer/DistributorRemovalTechnologyPhysical DimensionsInstallationLocationMaximumCapacityRemovalEfficiency1TestedFlow Rate1Suggested Collector/Cartridge ReplacementRecycling/DisposalProgramCostUnitAvailabilityEconomy SystemType2/(ECOII)Manufacturer:Metasys MedizintechnikInnsbruck, Austriawww.metasys.comDistributor:PureWaterDevelopment,LLC.Miami, FL(877)638-2797or(305)663-2989www.ecotwo.compwdmetasys@aol.comSedimentationDiameter:8.7"Height:13.8"Chairside orsinglecentral locationupstreamof thevacuumpump.6 -8chairs96.7%2 liters/minManufacturersuggestsannualreplacement.Yes.Supplieriscontacted atyear-endforthereplacement unitandtherecyclingkit, whichincludes shippingof thefilled unittoPureWaterDevelopment. PureWaterships the separators toDentalEco Service inInnsbruck, Austria forrecycling.Thedentistwillreceive arecyclingcertificate fromPureWaterDevelopment.ECO II Amalgam Separator IntroKit (which includes recycling ofthe initialunitwhenfull):$650Replacement unit: $160Annualrecyclingrenewal: $128Line CleaningKit (Green &Clean M2):$102 (optional)AvailabledirectlyfromPureWaterDevelopment orthroughauthorized dealersincluding:Tri-StateDentalSuppliesIsland DentalSuppliesNet32.comGuardianAmalgamCollector/A1000Manufacturer/Distributor:AirTechniques,Inc.Hicksville, NY(800)AIR-TECHor(516)433-7676www.airtechniques.comSedimentationCollectorbox andan8 gallon separatortank(for wet systemswithout air/waterseparators)Height:48"Width: 14"Depth:14"Single centrallocationbetweendentalsuctionsystemseparator/collectiontank andbuildingsewerdrain.Theamalgamcollectioncontainerandseparation tankmust belocated sothatthe system willdrain bygravity.7 chairs99.3%2.5liters/minManufacturerprovides thefollowing replacementguidelines:1-3 dentists,9-12months4-7 dentists,6-8 months7 ormoredentists,6months orlessYes.Every amalgamcollectorpackage includesallmaterials (includingpackingmaterialandaprepaid FedEx shippinglabel)tosendthe fullcollectortoBethlehemApparatus forrecycling.Thedentistwill receive arecycling certificate fromBethlehemApparatus.The Guardiancomesinthreedifferent configurations:A1400 [PILOT UNIT] foruse withany dualpump wet vacuumsystem (includesrequired 8gallon air/waterseparation/collection tank):$3,255(includes two collectorboxes)A1100 forusewith anyexistingdry vacuum systems:$1,500(includes two collectorboxes)A1300 forusewith anysinglepump wet vacuum system(includes required4gallonair/waterseparation/ collectiontank):$3,100(includestwocollector boxes)After initialpurchase,collectorreplacement kit:$750 (includesshippingand recyclingofcollectorbeingreplaced)AvailablethroughAirTechniques authorizeddealers including:BartonCykerBenco DentalPatterson DentalSullivan-ScheinHg5Manufacturer/Distributor:SolmeteXNorthborough, MA(800)216-5505or(508)393-5115www.solmetex.comSedimentationFiltrationIonExchangeHeight:29"Width: 14"Depth:8"Single centrallocationjustupstreamof thevacuumpump.10 chairs99.8%97.4%0.050liters/min0.750liters/minManufacturersuggestsonetosix months,dependingon thenumberof dentistsandthetype ofpractice.Yes.Replacement cartridgescomeina reusableboxwithall materialsnecessary for returnshipmentoffullcartridgetoMercury WasteSolutions (recyclingcompany).The dentist willreceive arecyclingcertificate fromMercuryWaste Solutions.Hg5[PILOT UNIT] initialpurchase cost: $695Replacement cartridge: $250(includes shippingandrecyclingof cartridge beingreplaced)Hg5 HVforlargerpractices(includes two cartridges)initial purchasecost:$2,500Hg10/Hg20forverylargesystems suchas institutional/governmentalpracticesinitialpurchase cost: $7,450AvailabledirectlyfromSolmeteXorthroughauthorized dealersincluding:Patterson DentalSullivan-ScheinVermont Dental Amalgam Separator Pilot ProjectPage 6AmalgamSeparatorName/Model#Manufacturer/DistributorRemovalTechnologyPhysical DimensionsInstallationLocationMaximumCapacityRemovalEfficiency1TestedFlow Rate1Suggested Collector/Cartridge ReplacementDisposal/RecyclingProgramCostUnitAvailabilityMerc IIManufacturer/Distributor:Bio-SymMedical(800)947-7550SedimentationFiltrationIonExchangeLength:13"Width: 7"Height:8"Single centrallocationjustupstreamof thevacuumpump.8 chairs95.2%2 liters/minAnnualreplacement.Yes.Bio-Symoranauthorizeddealercontacts the clinicpriorto theannualchangeout toarrangeforreplacement. The filledcollectorisshipped toGFM Precious Metals inEdmonton,Alberta forrecycling.Thedentistwillreceive arecyclingcertificate fromGFMPrecious Metals.The initialpurchase cost: $895Replacement collectorcost:$595 (includes shippingandrecycling ofthe collectorbeingreplaced)TheMerc II is currentlyavailabledirectlythroughBio-SymMedical.Dealers handling theMerc II inVermontwillbe announced inthefuture.Rasch 890Manufacturer/Distributor:AB DentalTrends, Inc.Lyden, WA(800)817-6704www.amalgamseparation.comroger@amalgamseparation.comSedimentationFiltrationIonExchangeWidth: 10.25"Depth:12.75"Height:28.5"Single centrallocationbetweendentalsuctionsystem dischargeand thebuildingsewerdrain.Theamalgamcollectioncontainerandseparation tankmust belocated sothatthe system willdrain bygravity.12 chairs99.3%96.7%2 liters/min4 liters/minCollection canisterrequiresreplacementafter18 doctormonths.Yes.Theinstallationdateismarked onthe collectorbox when installed.Thedentaloffice mustmonitortheamount oftimethecollectoris inoperationand contactAB Dentaloroneof theirdistributorsfora replacementaccordingto the recommendedchangeout schedule. Thefilled collectorboxisreturnedtoAB Dental forrecycling byPreciousWaste RecoveryLtd.of London,England. Acertificateofdisposalwillbe issued tothe clinicfortheir records.The Rasch 890 canbepurchased inanumberofconfigurations depending ontheexisting vacuumsysteminplace:Rasch 890-1000[PILOT UNIT] foruse withexistingwet vacuumsystems without air/waterseparators: $1,190 (includeswall/floor mount rack,air/waterseparator, andone collectioncanister)Rasch 890-6000foruse with dryvacuum systems: $666(includesonecollection canisterand connectionkit)Rasch 890-2000replacementcanisterkit:$596 (includesshippingand recyclingofcanisterbeingreplaced)AB DentalTrends hasmade their systemsavailablethrough localdentaldealers including:Benco DentalPatterson DentalSullivanScheinRME2000SeriesCatch1000Manufacturer/Distributor:Rebec, LLC.Lynnwood,WA(800)569-1088www.rebecsolutions.comcontact@rebecsolutions.comSedimentationFiltrationWidth: 20"Depth:7.5"Height:23.5"Single centrallocationjustupstreamof thevacuumpump.8 -10chairs96.9%1 liter/minAnnualreplacement.Yes.Rebec tracks theinstallationdate of eachcollectorand contacts thelocaldentaldealerabout1 month beforechangeout isrequiredtoarrangeforthe shipmentof thenewcollector. Once thechangeout ismade,theused collectorispreparedforshipment and Rebec iscalled tohave itpickedup. Once received, Rebecissues a certificate ofdisposalto the clinicfortheir records.The cliniccan choose tohave themercury recycled byMercury Waste Solutionsordisposedby ChemicalWaste Managementatalicensed hazardouswastedisposalfacility.Rebechasa numberofunits invarious sizes:Catch1000[PILOT UNIT] initialpurchase cost: $1,895Catch400initial purchasecost:$985 (this isa smallerunit thanthe Catch1000 installed inthepilot, capacity1-4 chairs)Catch9000initialpurchasecost:$3295(capacity up to 30chairs)Replacement collectorcost:$395 (includes shippingandrecycling ofcollectorbeingreplaced)Rebec hasmade theirsystems availablethrough localdentaldealers including:Patterson DentalSullivanSchein1The informationprovided for tested flow rates andremoval efficiencies were provided by the amalgam separator manufacturers.Information provided on dimensions,capacity, flowrate, removal efficiency, andcollector/cartridge replacement applies to themodels installed in the pilot. Where multiple models arelisted in the costcolumn of the table, the model installed in the pilot is identified with [PILOTUNIT]. The information was provided bytheamalgam separator manufacturers.Information accurate asof 8/2004.**PILOT INSTALL A**  **TI ONS/OBSERV**  **A TI**  **ONS**

**Amalgam Separator:** E C O II

**Manufac ture**  **r:** Meta sys M edizi ntechni k

**Pilot Installations:** 3

**Removal Technology:** Sedime ntation

**Operational Description :**  The ECO II is an amalg a m

sep a rator an d a colle ction tank in a si ngl e unit. The

air/water/soli ds mi xture e n t ers the u n it thro ugh the

inlet in the lid at the top. The amalg a m p a rticl e s a r e

sep a rated fro m the wa stew ater b y se dim entation.

Very fine p a rt icle s are se p a rate d out in a se con d

sedi mentatio n step an d the air/water le ave s the unit

throu gh an o penin g at the bottom. The hou sing of th e

ECO II is con s tru c ted of a tran sp are n t plastic, allo win g

the solid s a c cumulatio n level to be monit o re d. The

hou sing i s m a rked with lin es indi catin g the 95% an d

100% full levels. The ECO II is ISO 11143 ce rtified

and ha s a re moval efficien cy of 96.7% a t a tested flow

rate of 2 L/min.

**Ma int**  **e na**  **nce:** The ECO II doe s not re qu ire an y

routin e maint enan ce. Howeve r, the man u factu r er

re comm end s daily su ction l i ne cle anin g usin g their lin e

clea ne r/disi nfectant, Green & Clean TM or other

enzym atic, n on-fo aming, p H neut ral cl e ane r. Dail y lin e

cleaning will ensure the unit remains transparent to

allow m onitori ng of the soli ds a c cumul a tion level. The

manufa c turer requi re s that the ECO II be repla c e d at

least an nuall y . The actual fi ll time will vary dep endi ng

on the acti vity level in the d ental practi ce . In the event

the unit becomes overfilled, vacuum to the operatori es

may n o t be affected but the waste w ate r containin g

amalgam particles will pass through the uni t untreated

and be di sch a rg ed to the sewe r. Beca use the unit is

both the se pa rator a nd coll ection tan k , the entire unit is rem o ved a nd re pla c ed whe n full. Re moval is sim p le:

discon ne ct the uppe r ho se and po ur the pro v id ed di si nfectant into the inlet. Seal the inlet with the provi ded p l ug.

Disco nne ct the lowe r ho se and seal with the pro v id ed pl ug. Re mo ve the entire u n it from its mounting b r a cket and

ship to the m e rcury recycl e r u s ing the shippin g materials p r o v ide d in the re cyclin g kit.

**Pilot Installations:** T h re e ECO II amalg a m se parators we re in stall ed and o b served in the pil o t.

Pilot Ins t allation Sites Wet/Dry Vacuum Ope r atory/Hygiene Chai rs Note s

Location 1 Wet 6/3 Air abrasi on perfo rme d

Location 2 Wet 2/0 Endod ontist

Location 3 Wet 3/1

**Pilot Observ a**  **tions :** 

 No lo ss of su ction ob se rve d

.

 The sm all si ze of the unit allows fo r in sta llation wh ere spa c e i s limited.

 Monitori ng of the level of a c cumul a ted solids wa s ea sily acco mpli shed throug h the unit' s tran spa r e n t

hou sing.

 The ECO II unit installed in Locatio n 1 filled in less tha n six m onth s (vend or cl aim s ann ual cha ngeo ut).

Susp ect freq uent use of air abrasi on to be the ca use of the premat ure filling.

 The unit that filled du ring th e pilot wa s re placed. Ch an geout was si mple an d perf o rme d in less than ten

minute s

.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 7**Possible Are as for Impro**  **vemen t:** 

Inlet and outl e t fittings are not stand ard plumbi ng fittings wh i c h ma y co mpli cate i n stallatio n . It woul d be hel pful if

the sep a rator includ ed a couple of sho r t lengths of fle x ible h o se that were si zed to fit not only the fittings which

con n e c t to the inlet and ou tlet ports of the sep a rator b u t also to sta nda rd plum bi ng fittings (i.e . 3⁄4" or 1" barbed

fittings ). Note : Subseq uent to the installation of the ECO II uni ts in stalled in the pilot, the man u factu r er cha nged

the fittings on the unit to better fit standard 1 inch h o se

.

Although n o n e of the instal led units le aked du ring the cou r se of the pilot, the man ner in whi c h the ho se s are

con n e c ted to the unit is not very secure. Each of the two fittings ha s an o -rin g on it to seal the con n e c tion a nd the

fitting is simpl y pu she d into the housi ng with the o-rin g es sentiall y holdin g it in place. Othe r un its that rely o n

simila r mea n s of con n e c tion incl ude se t screws on t he fitti ngs to pre v e n t accid ental disco n n e ction. DE C woul d

re comm end a dding set screws to the fi ttings o r , as h a s bee n su gge sted b y St. Paul Minn esota's Met r op olitan

Cou n cil En vironme n tal Services, that uni ons b e used to con n e c t the unit to the plumbin g . This woul d provi d e a

more se cu re con n e c tion a nd wo uld al so allow the sep a rato r to be conne cted u s i ng stan da rd p l umbin g fittings.

It might be helpful to include a small funnel to facilitate pou ring the disinfectant into t he filled collector. One of the

other u n its in the pilot that requi re s t he a ddition of a di sinfe c tant to the coll ecto r p r ior to pa ckag ing for shipm ent

inclu d e s a funnel with the repl acement colle cto r

. Not e : The manuf actu rer stated t

hat they are cu rre ntly loo k ing

into changing the design of the disi nfectant pouch to facilitate pouri ng the disi nfectant into the unit.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 8**Amalgam Separator:** G u a r dia n Amalga m

Colle cto r /A14 00

**Manufac ture**  **r:** Air Te chni q ues

**Pilot Installations:** 3

**Removal Technology:** Sedime ntation

**Operational Description :**  The Gu ardi an Amalgam

Colle cto r A14 00 is de sig n e d for install a tion in wet

va cuu m s yst e m s an d co nsi s t s of a soli ds colle ct or b o x

(the initial pu rcha se co st also in clud es a se con d , spa r e

colle cto r bo x) and an eig h t gallon ai r/water sepa ration

tank (CAS Separation Tan k ). The Gua r di an is al so

avail able in a config urati on f o r dr y va cu u m sy st em s.

The A140 0 is installed ju st upst r eam of the va cu um

pump. The ai r/wate r/soli ds from the ope ratori es e n ters

the CAS Sep a ratio n Tan k whe r e the ai r is se pa rated

from the wate r/soli ds. The air pa sse s through the

sep a ration ta nk an d co ntin ues to the va cuu m pump,

while the wat e r an d soli ds accum u late i n the sep a ration

tank. At the end of each da y (o r wh en th e va cuu m

system i s sh u t down ) a ch e ck val v e op en s allo wing the

w a ter/s o lids in the s e paration tank to flow into the

Gua r dia n Amalgam Colle ct or. The solid s are sepa rate d

from the wate r by sedim ent ation and rem a in in the

colle cto r bo x and the water flows to drai n by g r a v ity.

The unit s inst alled in the pil o t includ ed a n adju s table

stand so that the colle cto r box coul d be set at the pro per

height to allo w for gravit y drai n to the sewe r conn ect i on.

The Gu ardi an is ISO 11143 certified a nd has a remo va l

efficien cy of 9 9 .3% at a tested flow rate o f 2.5 L/min.

**Ma int**  **e na**  **nce:** The Gu ardi an Amalga m Colle cto r doe s

not req u ire a n y dail y mai n tenan ce, ho weve r, dail y lin e

clea ning i s re comm end ed usin g a non -f oamin g line

clea ne r su ch as thei r Cle a n Stream TM produ ct. If the

system in clu d e s the CAS S epa ration Ta nk, ann ual

mainten a n c e of the tank is req u ire d . This invol v e s

hosi ng out th e insid e of the tank to rem o ve a n y

biologi cal g r o w th that may have accu mu lated insi de the

tank. The ma nufactu re r re quires that th e colle cto r bo x be r epla c e d at least annu ally. The a c tu al fill time will va ry

depe ndin g on the activity le vel in the de n t al pra c tice. T he A140 0 is d e sig ned to p r eve n t the discha rg e of amalgam

to the sewer and do es n o t inclu de an a u t omatic b y pa ss of the colle ctor b o x. If the colle cto r we re to fill or clo g

, liquid would a c cumul a te in the CAS Sep a ratio n Tan k until it reache d a point wh e r e a float insi de the tank would

cau s e va cuu m to the operatorie s to be i n terrupted. T h is would al ert dental office st aff to check the syste m

. Initially, this may o n ly req u ire that the collecto r bo x b e ro cked from end to end to settle the soli ds en oug h to allow

the tank to drain and the n the va cu um syste m ca n re sum e ope rati on. Ho we ve r, this is an indi cation that th e

colle cto r bo x is nea rl y full and will ne ed to be re pla c ed sh o r tly there a fter. The ma nufactu re r su gge sts the fol l owin g

guideli n e s for chan geo ut of the colle ctor box:

1-3 d entist s 9-1 2 month s

4-7 d entist s 6-8 mo nths

7 or mo re de ntists 6 month s or l e ss

Repl aceme n t of the collect or bo x is sim p le and can b e per fo rme d without inte rrupting vacuu m to the operatorie s.

Clo s e the val v e on the CA S Separatio n Tan k , then pu ll the inle t and outlet fittings off the colle ctor b o x. Pou r som e

disinfe c tant in to the colle ctor bo x, se al the inlet and o u tlet with the plug s provi d e d in the colle ctor repl aceme n t kit.

The re pla c em ent kit also in clud es all the material s ne cessa r y to pa ckag e and shi p the colle cto r bo x to the

mercu r y recycle r, Bethlehe m Apparatus, who will in tu rn send the d entist a re cycl ing ce rtificate

.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 9**Pilot Installations:** T h re e Gua r dia n Amalgam Colle ct or A140 0 am algam sep a ra tors were inst alled an d ob served

in the pilot.

Pilot Ins t allation Sites Wet/Dry Vacuum Ope r atory/Hygiene Chai rs

Location 1 Wet 3/1

Location 2 Wet 4/2

Location 3 Wet 8/4

**Pilot Observ a**  **tions :** 

 No lo ss of su ction ob se rve d

.

 Produ ct instal lation, repl acement an d re cy clin g inst ru ction s are ve ry thoroug h.

 Eliminates th e need fo r a vacu um pum p filter in wet va cuu m system s be cau s e o n l y air fro m the

ope ratori es p a sse s thro ug h the va cuu m pump, re sulti ng in co st sa ving asso ciate d with the pu rcha se a nd

disp osal of va cuu m filters.

 Colle cto r bo x cha nge out is simpl e and can be pe rform ed with out interrupting va cu u m to the operatorie s.

 Non e of the collecto r bo xe s filled du ring the cou r se of the pilot.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 10**Amalgam Separator:** Hg5

**Manufac ture**  **r:** SolmeteX

**Pilot Installations:** 6

**Removal Technology:** Sedime ntation/ Filtration/Ion

Exchan ge

**Operational Description :**  The Hg5 con s ist s of an

air/water e x p ansi on cham ber a nd a re p l ace able solid s

colle ction ca rtridg e. Air, water an d soli ds enter a n

air/water e x p ansi on cham ber whe r e the i r vel o cit y is

red u ced allo wing the wate r and solid s to fall to the lowe r

part of the ch ambe r. The a i r exit s the top of the cham ber

and is returne d to its initial velo city. Th e wate r and sol i ds

dro p into the colle ction ca rtridg e wh ere t he larger p a rt icle s

settle. As the wate r level rises in the colle ction cartri dg e, it

flows th rou g h a mech ani ca l filter pack which p r o v id es

addition al filtration of the waste w ate r . The wate r that

passe s throu gh the filter then pa sses th rough a

pro p rieta r y re sin for chemi c al filtration o f dissol v e d

mercu r y. The water i s then recombin ed with the air

stre am and p r o c ee ds to eit her the va cuu m pump (wet

system ) or to the air/water sep a ration ta nk (dry syste m ).

The Hg5 is ISO 1114 3 ce rti f ied and ha s a remo val

efficien cy of 9 9 .28% at a te sted flow rate of 0.050 L/min

and 97.4% at a tested flow rate of 0.750 L/min.

**Ma int**  **e na**  **nce:** The Hg5 do es not requi re any dail y

mainten a n c e. Periodi c flushing of the air/water e x p a n s ion

c h amb e r may b e r e qu ir ed to r e mov e an y a c cu mu la te d

slud ge. The manufa c turer recomme nd s daily line cle aning

usin g a non -f oamin g, de-o dori z in g, sani tizing line cle ane r

with a pH b e twee n 4 and 1 0 . The use of line cle ane rs

outsid e this p H ra nge ma y cau s e clog gin g of the

ca rtridg e' s filter. (Note: Mo st se we r use ordi nan ce s in

Vermo n t proh ibit the discha rge of solutio n s with a p H

lowe r than 5. 0 or greate r than 9. 5.) If the ca rtridg e were to

overfill or cl og, the design of the Hg5 would allow the

va cuu m syste m to contin u e operating but waste w ate r

woul d be b y p a ssing the a m algam colle ctor cart ridg e.

Mainten a n c e prima r il y invol v e s monito rin g the solid s a c cumul a tion l e vel a nd cha nging the coll ecto r ca rtrid g e . The

manufa c turer requi re s that the Hg5 ' s coll ecto r ca rtrid g e be re pla c ed eve r y six mo nths o r wh en the accum u la ted

solid s rea c h the fill line, wh iche ve r o c curs first. The m anufa c turer send s remi nde r ca rd s every six m onth s to

ensure ea ch dental cli n ic i s remi nde d to inspe c t their syst em. Repl ace m ent of the ca rtridg e is relati vel y sim p le:

begin b y sani tizing the vacuum system. With the va cu um system still runni ng, pla c e the zi p lock bag (in c lud ed

with the re pla c em ent ca rtri dge ) over the cartri dge to catc h an y liqui d that may dri p from the air/water e x p a n s ion

cha m be r. Suppo rt the cart ridg e with on e hand a nd remo ve t he ret a ining pi ns. P u ll the ca rtrid ge do wn to re move it

from the expa nsio n ch amb e r. Rem o ve the pla s tic cap s fr om the re placeme n t ca rtridg e, place them on the i n let

and outlet fittings of the u s ed ca rtrid ge, and cl ose the zip lock ba g. Place the u s e d ca rtridg e in the ship ping box

for s h ipment to the merc ury recyc ler.

**Pilot Installations:** Si x Solmetex Hg5 a m algam sep a r ators were in stalled a nd o b se rved in th e pilot.

Pilot Installation Sites Wet/Dry Vacuum Ope r atory/Hygiene Chai rs Note s

Location 1 Wet 5/2

Location 2 Dry 3/1

Location 3 Wet 3/2

Location 4 Wet 6/2

Location 5 Wet 5/2 Air abrasi on use d

Location 6 Dry 4/2

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 11**Pilot Observ a**  **tions :** 

 No lo ss of su ction ob se rve d

.

 Installation i s simpl e and fa st.

 Produ ct instal lation, repl acement an d re cy clin g inst ru ction s are ve ry thoroug h.

 Monitori ng of the level of a c cumul a ted solids wa s ea sily acco mpli shed throug h the coll ecto r cartrid ge' s

tran spa r ent h ousi ng.

 Colle cto r ca rtridg e ch ang e out is sim p le.

 Non e of the collecto r cartri dge s filled du ring the cou r se of the pilot. As expe cted, the colle cto r ca rtridg e at

Location 5 filled mo st rapid l y due to t he pra c tice's u s e of air abra s io n.

 There wa s so me liquid a n d solid s build u p in the air/water e x pa nsi o n cha m be r in som e units d u rin g the

pilot. Information on the ma nufactu re r' s web s ite indi cate s this mi g h t be relate d to pluggi ng of the filter in

the ca rtridg e due to the use of line clea ners with a p H outsi de the sepa rato r m anufa c turer' s

re comm end e d ran ge.

 The unit in sta lled at Location 2 de velo p ed a cra ck at the colle cto r ca rtridg e outl e t resulting in small

amou nt of leakag e. The ma nufactu re r su pplied a repl a c em ent unit; no ca use for the brea kag e wa s

determi ned. Note: The ma nufactu re r ha s stated that som e ma teri a l

s used in the con s tru c tion of the pilot

units ha ve sin c e be en chan ged to add re

ss this issu e.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 12**Amalgam Separator:** Merc II

**Manufac ture**  **r:** Bio-S y m M edical

**Pilot Installations:** 1

**Removal Technology:** Sedimentation/Filtration/Ion

Exc hange

**Operational Description :**  The Me rc II amalgam

sep a rator con s ist s of a soli ds colle ctor b o x that co ntai ns

mechani cal fil t ration an d an ion excha n g e re sin. The

sep a rator can be installe d just up stre am of the vacuu m

pump (wet system) ju st up stre am of the air/water

sep a ration ta nk (dry syste m ) or b e twe e n the air/wate r

sep a ration ta nk di scha rge and the sewe r drai n (d ry

system ). The Merc II amalg a m se parator is a three

- sta ge

system that u s e s se dime ntation, filtration and ion

excha nge. Waste w ate r ent ers the coll ector bo x throu gh

the inlet port and pa sse s thro ugh a seri es of ch amb e r s

whe r e the sol i ds a r e settled. The wa ste w ate r then

passe s throu gh a filter that remo ve s sm aller p a rt icl e s

. Before e x iting throug h the outlet port, the wa stewater

passe s throu gh an ion e xchang e re sin t hat, accordin g to

the manufa c t u re r, is ca pab le of remo vin g dissol ved

mercu r y. The Merc II is ISO 1114 3 ce rti f ied and ha s a

remo val effici ency of 95.2 % at a tested flow rate of 2

L/min.

**Ma int**  **e na**  **nce:** The Me rc II doe s not re qu ire an y dail y

mainten a n c e, howe v e r , the manufa c ture r re comm end s

daily su ction l i ne cle anin g . Mainten a n c e prima r il y

invol v e s chan ging the colle ctor b o x whe n full. The

manufa c turer sugg est s an nual repla c e m ent of the

colle cto r bo x. The actu al fill time will vary dep endi ng on t he level o f activity in th e dental p r a c tice. Althoug h the

Merc II installed for the pilo t did not inclu de a built-i n b y pa ss, the se parator inlet a nd outlet fittings ha ve sin c e

been cha nge d to allow the m to be remo ved from the colle cto r bo x and conn ecte d togethe r to allow fo r a bypass

sho u ld the co llecto r be com e plugg ed. Repla c em ent o f the collecto r box is simpl e : with the vacuum system turn ed

off, discon n e c t the union s on the inlet a nd outlet po rts of t he colle ctor bo x. Repl ace the h a lve s of the union s whi c h

remai n co nne cted to the va cuu m system plumbin g wit h t hose p r o v i ded with the repla c em ent collecto r bo x. Scre w

the threa ded plug s, also p r ovid ed with th e repl acemen t box, into the open en ds of the inlet and outlet port uni ons

of the full collecto r bo x. The colle ct o r bo x is then ship ped to a re cycle r.

**Pilot Installations:** O ne M e rc II amalga m sep a rato r wa s install ed and ob se rved in the pilot.

Pilot Ins t allation Sites Wet/Dry Vacuum Ope r atory/Hygiene Chai rs

Location 1 Wet 4/2

**Pilot Observ a**  **tions :** 

 Loss of su ctio n occu rre d after ap pro x im ately si x mo nth s of use. All t hat wa s re qui red to re sto r e suctio n

wa s to sha k e the colle cto r box to le vel the soli ds a ccumulatin g in the first cham ber of the bo x.

 Although the colle cto r bo x contai ns a cle a r si ght gla s s, a film devel oped o n the g l ass that mad e

monitori ng th e level of a c cumulate d soli ds imp o ssibl e . This may h a v e be en cau s ed by in ade q uate line

clea ning p r a c tices at this lo cation.

 Colle cto r bo x cha nge out is simpl e

.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 13**Possible Are as for Impro**  **vemen t:** 

Merc II docu m entation sh ould be m o re detailed. Alth ough the pi l o t installation was very sim p l e , it would be helpful

if the installation/ope ratio n manu al incl u ded in stallatio n instructio ns containi ng di agrams o r ph otograph s sh owin g

how the unit should be installed in various wet and dry vacuum systems. Also, si nce the unit has been redesigned

to allow for by pass in the ev ent of a pro b lem with the colle ctor, the installation/o peration man ual sh ould al so

inclu de in stru ction s sh owi n g how to reco nfigure the co nne ct ion s to the coll ecto r to allow fo r bypass. Thi s sh ould

inclu de dia g rams o r photo g ra ph s for cla r ity. Re pla c e m ent coll ecto rs sho u ld in cl ude spe c ific i n structio ns fo r the

cha nge out, packagi ng an d shippi ng of full colle cto r s. Again, diag ra ms or p hotog rap h s sho u ld be used in co llecto r

cha nge out an d packa ging i n structio ns where app rop r i a te for cla r ity.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 14**Amalgam Separator:** Ra sch 89 0

**Manufac ture**  **r:** AB Dental Tren ds

**Pilot Installations:** 3

**Removal Technology:** Sedimentation/Filtration/Ion

Exc hange

**Operational Description :**  The Rasch 8 90 amal gam

sep a rator can be purch ase d in a numb e r of

config uration s tailored to the va cu um s yst e m in whi c h it

is to be install ed. The Rasch 890 -10 00 is used in wet

va cuu m s yst e m s an d co nsi s t s of a soli ds colle ct or b o x

and an ai r/wa ter se parator. The Ra sch 8 90-100 0 is

uniqu e amo n g the amalg a m sep a rato rs inclu ded in th e

pilot in that it is install ed on the discha rg e side of the wet

va cuu m pum p rathe r than on the su ctio n side. Th e

Ra sch 890 -6 000 is u s e d in dry va cu um system s and

con s i s ts of a solid s colle ctor bo x an d a by-pa s s loop.

The unit is in stalled b e twe en the exi s tin g air/water

sep a ration ta nk an d the se we r drai n. Both of the Rasch

units can be purch ased wi th an optional bypa ss ala r m to

notify staff wh en wa ste w ate r is b y pa ssing treatment.

The Rasch a m algam sep a r ator i s a thre e-stage syste m

that combi n e s se dime ntation, filtration a nd ion e x cha nge

in a singl e col l ecto r bo x. Wa ste w ate r ent ers the coll ector

box th rou gh the inlet po rt and pa sses th rough a se rie s of

cha m be rs wh ere the solid s are settled. The wa ste w ate r

then pa sses t h ro ugh a filter that removes smalle r

parti cle s . Before e x iting through the o u tlet port, the

wa stewater p a sse s thro ug h an ion e x ch ange m a trix t hat,

acco rdin g to the man u factu r er, is cap abl e of remo ving

dissol ved m e rcury. The Ra sch 890 i s ISO 1114 3

ce rtified and has a remo va l efficiency of 99.3% at 2

L/min tested f l ow rate and 96.7% at a tested flow rate of

4 L/min.

**Ma int**  **e na**  **nce:** The Rasch 890 do es n o t req u ire a n y

daily m a inten ance, however, the manuf actu rer re co mmend s that su ction line s be cle ane d d a ily a c cording to the

pump ma nufa c turer' s re qui rement s. The manufa c ture r recomme nd s repla c em ent of the colle ctor bo x

app ro ximatel y every 18 d o c tor-mo nths. The a c tual fill time will vary depen ding o n the level of activit y in the dental

practice. In the event the co llector box fills or clogs, the unit incorporates an automat ic bypass. Vacuum to the

operatori es will not be interrupted but wastewater woul d be by passi ng the amal gam coll ec tor box. Replacement of

the colle cto r box i s sim p le: with the va cu um system tu rne d of f, tilt th e box in the d i re ction of the outlet port to drai n

off any rem a i n ing water. L oosen the inl e t and outlet retaini ng scre ws a nd pull th e fittings from the box. Pou r the

disinfe c tant (pro vid ed with the repla c em ent box) into the inlet and o u tlet ports a n d seal the o p ening s with th e cap s

pro v id ed. Packag e and shi p the colle cto r bo x to the merc ury recycl e r u s ing the shippin g materials p r o v ide d . The

dentist will re cei v e a recycl i ng ce rtif icate from the mercu r y recycle r.

**Pilot Installations:** T h re e Ra sch 890 a m algam sep a r ators were in stalled a nd o b se rved in th e pilot.

Pilot Ins t allation Sites Wet/Dry Vacuum Ope r atory/Hygiene Chai rs Not e s

Location 1 Wet 5/2

Location 2 Wet 3 Ins t alled 2 c o ll ec tor bo x e s in parallel

due to flow rat e

Location 3 Dry 16 Ins t alled 2 c o ll ec tor bo x e s in parallel

due to flow rat e

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 15**Pilot Observ a**  **tions :** 

 No lo ss of su ction ob se rve d

.

 Produ ct instal lation, repl acement an d re cy clin g inst ru ction s are ve ry thoroug h.

 No colle ctor b o xe s filled du ring the cou r se of the pilot.

 Opa c ity of col l ecto r bo x do esn ' t allow m onitori ng of solids a c cum u l a tion level.

 Colle cto r bo x cha nge out is simpl e

.

 In wet va cuu m system s, the Ra sch 89 0-1 000 i s inst a lled on di sch a rg e sid e of a wet va cuu m pump. All of

the other am algam sep a ra tors in the pil o t are in st alle d on the su cti on sid e of a wet va cu um pump.

Installation o n the discha rge sid e re quires that the co lle cto r bo x be located so th at it can drai n by gravit y

into the buildi ng' s se we r co nne ction.

 The in stallati on at Locatio n 2 req u ire d the additio n of a second coll ecto r bo x inst alled in pa rall el with the

first bo x to sp lit the flow. The practi ce at this locatio n has a two-pu mp wet syste m without water

re circulatio n and both p u m p s a r e al wa ys operating. The co mbin ed flow from the s e two p u mp s exce ede d

the maxim u m flow rate of the sin g le coll ecto r bo x. Du e to the size of the pra c tice at Locatio n 3, the initial

installatio n in clud ed two co llecto r bo xe s to ensu r e that there was su fficient cap a ci ty to handle fl ow from

the air/water sep a ration ta nk w hen the system wa s shut down.

 An optional a udible b y p a ss alarm is a v ail able for b o th Ra sch units t o alert staff when waste w at er is

by pass ing treatment.

**Possible Are as for Impro**  **vemen t:** 

The chan geo ut of the colle ctor b o x requi re s that the two set scre ws be ba cked out. An allen wren ch shoul d be

inclu ded with the unit or, prefera b ly, the set screws sh oul d be cha n ged to a kn url ed thumb screw typ e that can b e

remo ve d by h and.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 16**Amalgam Separator:** RM E2000 Se rie s /Catch 1 000

**Manufac ture**  **r:** Re be c

**Pilot Installations:** 2

**Removal Technology:** Sedimentation/Filtration

**Operational Description :**  The Catch 1 0 00 amal gam

sep a rator con s ist s of an air/water sep a ra tion cha m be r

and a solid s collecto r bo x. Air and water from the

ope ratori es e n ter the up pe r ch ambe r. The wate r/soli ds

fall to the bottom and flo w thro ugh the co llecto r bo x

whe r e the sol i ds a r e re mo ved by sedi me ntation and

mechani cal fil t ration. The treated water t hen rejoin s th e

airflo w from the ope rato rie s and p r o c e e d s to the va cuum

pump. The Catch 10 00 is I S O 1114 3 ce rtified and h a s a

remo val effici ency of 96.9 % at a tested flow rate of 1

L/min.

**Ma int**  **e na**  **nce:** The Catch 1 000 do es n o t req u ire a n y

daily m a inten ance, however, the manuf actu rer

re comm end s the use of an enzym atic lin e clea ne r and

that suctio n lines b e cle a n ed acco rdi ng to the vacuu m

pump ma nufa c turer' s re qui rement s. The manufa c turer

re comm end s annu al re pla c ement of the colle cto r bo x.

The a c tual fill time will vary depen ding o n the level of

activit y in the dental p r a c tice. In the even t the collecto r

box fills or cl ogs, the unit incorporates an automatic

bypass so that vacuum to the operatori es will not be

interrupted. Repla c em ent o f t he collecto r box is simpl e

and can be p e rformed with out interruptin g va cuu m to

the ope ratori es. Clo s e the two val v e s be tween the

air/water sep a ratio n ch am ber a nd the collecto r bo x.

Loo sen a nd remo ve the ou tlet fitting then open the inl e t

val v e sli ghtly for a mome nt to remove so me of the liqu i d

that might otherwise spill. Disco nne ct the inlet fitting and

remo ve the fu ll colle ctor b o x . Seal the full colle ctor b o x

usin g the bra ss cap s that come with the repl acement

box. Pa ckage the colle ctor box fo r shi p m ent to the

mercu r y recycle r and cont act Re be c to arrang e for pi ckup.

**Pilot Installations:** T w o RME2000 a m a l gam sepa rat o rs we re in stalled an d ob served in the p ilot.

Pilot Installation Sites Wet/Dry Vacuum Ope r atory/Hygiene Chai rs Not e s

Location 1 Wet 4/2

Location 2 Dry 10/4 Separat or serving 2 offices

**Pilot Observ a**  **tions :** 

 Fas t, s i mple ins t allation.

 No lo ss of su ction ob se rve d

.

 Produ ct instal lation, repl acement an d re cy clin g inst ru ction s are ve ry thoroug h.

 Du rabl e stainl ess steel con s tru c tion.

 No colle ctor b o xe s filled du ring the cou r se of the pilot.

 Stainless ste e l colle cto r b o x do es n o t allo w mo nitorin g of solid s accum u lation le vel.

 Colle cto r bo x cha nge out is simpl e and can be pe rform ed with out interrupting va cu u m to the operatorie s.

 Includ es shut off valve s on inlet and outl e t of collecto r box to preve n t leaka ge du ring cha nge o u t.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 17**CH OOSI**  **N G AN**  **AM ALG**  **A M SEPARA**  **T O**  **R – C O**  **NS I**  **D ER**  **ATI O**  **NS AN**  **D RE CO**  **MMEN D**  **ATI O**  **NS**

The pilot proj ect dem on strated that t here are se veral type s or b r an ds of amal ga m sep a rato rs that can relia bly

perfo rm with minimal mai n tenan ce. In gene ral, these sep a ra tors di d not interfere with va cu u m or su ction whe n

pro perl y op erated and m a i n tained. Th e followi ng con s iderat ion s sh ould hel p yo u in decidi ng which sep a rato r or

s e parators are right for your offic e

.

• **ISO Compliance** Ch oo se an amal gam sep a rator tha t is ISO 1114 3 ce rtified. Separ ators that are ISO

ce rtified must pass all ISO 1114 3 re quirement s incl u d ing remo val of at least 95 % of amalga m particl es from

the discha rg e

.

• **We t and Dr**  **y Vacuum Sys t**  **ems** All amalgam sep a ra tors te sted were comp atibl e with wet an d dry va cu um

system s. In some situ ation s , amalg a m sepa rators ca n be purch ase d without an air/water sep a rato r if you

have a dry va cuu m system with an exi s ti ng air/ water s epa rator. Thi s ca n re du ce the purch ase co st of the

sep a rator. When comp arin g co sts bet we en brand s, be su re yo u are com pari ng th e co sts for e a c h unit ba se d

on yo ur va cu um system type and e x i s ting co mpo nen ts.

• **Mainten a**  **nce Cost Consi**  **d erations**  Aside from pu rcha se a nd in stalla tion co sts, the main cost of an

amalgam separator will be the repl acem ent and recycling of amalgam coll ector boxes or cartridges. In

gene ral, the s e will nee d to be re pla c ed o n ce o r twi c e per yea r . Some ve ndo rs may requi re regula r chan g eout

of cartri dge s or colle ctor b o xe s, even when the y are not full. Check on this with the ven d o r or you r deal er. We

sug g e s t that whe n co mpa r ing co sts, con s ide r the to tal cost for p u rchase and o p e r ating o v e r a thre e-yea r

peri od. This will give yo u a more a c cu rate pictu r e of l ong -term co sts. You can a sk the ven d o r or deal er to help

you with this cal c ulatio n. See Tabl e 2 for estimate d 3- yea r system co sts for am a l gam sepa rat o rs in the pilo t.

• **Servicing th e Separator**  We recomme nd that you p u rcha se a se parator that h a s a con v eni ent

repl acement/recycli ng p r og ram for the ca rtrid g e s /coll e cto r bo xe s. Some se pa ra tors repo rted on in this p r oj ect

are n o t servi c ed or carrie d by de ntal su p p liers in Verm ont at this time . You need t o kno w what mainten a n c e

and/o r se rvi c i ng yo u or you r dental sup p l i er will b e re spon sible fo r.

• **Space Consi d**  **era t**  **ions** If you h a ve a small amou nt of spa c e a v ail able ne ar you r va cu um system and

discha rg e lin es, then you sho u ld choo se one of the smaller sep a ra tors.

• **Nee d**  **for Ac cess**  **to Electrical Power** Non e of the sepa rators in this pilot requi red el ectri c al hoo kup.

Ho we ve r, there are so me sepa rators tha t have pu mp s that require an ele c tri c al source. Thi s can add to

installatio n co st and mai n te nan ce.

• **N u**  **mber of Chairs in Office** Table 1 sh ows the ca pa city (i n numb e r of ch airs a nd flow rate) for the

sep a rators in the pilot. Make su re you ch oose a se pa rator that ca n handl e yo ur current and fut u re cap a cit y

. Separators in stalled eith er on the disc h a r ge lin e of an air/water sep a ratio n t ank i n a dry va cu u m system o r on

the discha rg e side of a wet vacuum syst em r e qu ire un its w i th h i ghe r flo w ra te s

.

• **Unde rstand**  **Collector Re placemen**  **t Schedule** All ven d o r s/ma n u factu r ers of sep a rators m a y requi re

repl acement at a spe c ified interval – wh ether o r not t he coll ectio n cani ste r is full . You shoul d unde rstand th e

repl acement sched ule that will appl y to you. Dental cl inics usi ng ai r abra s io n will accum u late solids at a mu ch

faster rate an d may requi re repla c em ent soo n e r

.

• **Cleaning o f**  **Suction Lines** Regul ar lin e clea ning with pro per lin e clea ning solut i ons i s ext r e m ely imp o rta n t

to the prop er functioni ng of all sepa rato rs. The u s e of enzym atic an d neutral pH l i ne cle ane rs is

re comm end e d ; line clea ne rs with a pH g r eate r than 9. 5 or lo wer tha n 5.0 sho u ld be avoide d. Che c k with th e

sep a rator ven dor o r yo ur d eale r for re co mmend ation s

.

• **Warr anty of**  **Vacuum Sys t**  **em** Che c k the term s of the va cuu m system wa rranty to ins u re that ins t allation or

ope ration of the se pa rator doe s not voi d warrant y pro v isi o n s

.

• **Installation Consid erations**  If you purcha s e a sep a r ator from a d ental su ppl y c o mpa n y, t h e y may in st all t he

unit. Otherwise you m a y n e ed to conta c t a local pl umb e r. Installatio n take s gen erally 1⁄2 hou r to 2 hours.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 18• **La r**  **g e**  **Sy st**  **ems** Large centrali zed syst ems serv ing multiple offices will of ten require custom desi gned

sep a rators. In these cases, it is recom m ende d that the dent al office wo rk clo s el y with a de ntal sup p lie r an d/or

a ven d o r and ca refull y eval uate the optio ns that are available fo r larger clini cs.

• **Amalgam Recycling/Disp osal Documentation**  Confirm that you will recei v e documentation through the

amalg a m se p a rato r ve ndo r/manufa c ture r that you r a m al gam wa ste has b een re cycle d or di sp ose d of at a

facility licen sed to handl e mercu r y-cont aining wa stes. You shoul d kee p these re co rd s on file.

• **Trea tment Bypas**  **s** Many amalg a m se p a rato rs in co rp orate some type of byp a ss to allow conti nued o p e r atio n

of the vacuu m system in the event there is a proble m with the col l ecto r bo x or ca rtridg e. Du ring bypa ss,

wa stewater may b e disch a rg ed with little or no tre a tment. In som e units b y pa ss is ha rd er to detect than ot hers

and ma y go u nnoticed for e x tend ed pe rio d s of time. When pu rcha si ng a se pa rato r be sure to u nde rsta nd ho w

byp a ss o c curs in that parti cula r unit, ho w a bypa ss i s detected a n d how to retu rn the unit to normal op eratio n

as qui ckly a s possibl e.

• **Other Good Review Ar**  **ticles** For furth e r re adin g on amalgam se parators, we reco mmen d the followin g

articl es that can be obtai ne d on-li ne: Purcha sin g , Installing an d Op eratin g De nta l Amalgam Sepa rators

, JADA, Augu st 2003 and Re:Amalgam Rec o v e ry avail able from the Minne so ta Dental Asso cia t ion at

www.mn dent al.org

, cli c k o n "dental profession als" . In the future, the ADA will be conducting further review of

amalg a m se p a rato rs a s technolo g ie s ch ange a nd e v o l ve.

• **See an Instal led Amalga**  **m Separato r**  In choo sing a sep a rator, consi d e r co nta c ting o r vi sitin g one o r more

dental cli n ics with install ed sep a rators. Contact the DE C Envi ron m e n tal Assi stan ce Office (EAO) at (80 0 ) 9 74-

9559 o r your dental suppli e r for a v aila bl e installatio n sites.

• **Assis t**  **an ce Available**  Staff of the Vermont De part m ent of Envi ronme n tal Co nse r vation, Envi ronm ental

Assi stan ce O ffice are a v ail able to provi d e assista n ce to dental offices in e v alu a ting amal gam sep a rator

option s . For more info rma t ion, conta c t the Envi ro n m ental Assista n ce Office at (80 0 ) 97 4-95 59.

Table 2 - Co st Compa r ison of Amalgam Separators in a Small Practice (4 O peratorie s, 2 Hygie ne Ch airs an d 1

Denti s t) O v er a Three

- Yea r Perio d 1

.

Amalgam

Separator Vac u um

S yst em T y p e Initial

Capital Co st C o llec t or /C ar tr id ge

Repl aceme n t and

Re cy clin g Co st s

3-Yea r s 2 Total C o s t for

3-Yea r s Annuali z e d

Co st

ECO II wet/dry $650 $864 $1,514 $505

w e t $ 3

, 2 5 5 $1,500 $ 4

, 7 5 5 $1,585 G u ar d i an

d r y $ 1

, 5 0 0 $1,500 $ 3

, 0 0 0 $1,000

H g 5 w e t / d r y $695 $1,500 $ 2

, 1 9 5 $732

Merc II wet/dry $895 $1,785 $2,680 $893

w e t $ 1

, 1 9 0 $1,192 $ 2

, 3 8 2 $794 Ra sc h

d r y $ 6 6 6 $1,192 $ 1

, 8 5 8 $619

Reb e c 3 w e t / d r y $895 $1,185 $ 2

, 0 8 0 $693

1 Cost inf o rmati on sho w n do es not inclu de la b o r associ ated wit h instal lati on or mainten anc e of the amalg a m separ ators.

2 The costs sh own inc l u de re placem ent an d recycling of collector/cartrid g e at the end of third year.

3 The costs sh own in th e tabl e are for the R ebec C a tch 40 0 amal gam se parator.

Vermont Dent al Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 19Vermont Dental Amalgam Separator Pilot Project Page 20 **REFERENCES**

Fan, PL, Batchu, H, Chou, HN, Gasparac W, Sand rik J, Meyer DM. Laborator y evaluation of amalgam

separators. JADA 2002; 133: 577-89.

McManus, KR, Fan, PL. Purchasing, installing and operati ng dental amalgam separators: practical issues. JADA

2003; 134: 1054-1065.

Technical Committee ISO/TC 106, Dentis try, Subcommittee SC 6, Dental Eq uipment – amalgam separators. Ref.

no. ISO 11143: 1999(E). Geneva, Switzerland: In ternational Organization for Standardization; 1999.

Metropolitan Council Environmental Services and Minnesot a Dental Association. Evaluation of amalgam removal

equipment and dental clinic loadings to the sa nitary sewer. 2001. Report No. 01-509.

Minnesota Dental Association. Re: Amalgam Recovery. Available at www.mendental.org , click on "dental

professionals"

.