AiGroup, ADA Victorian Branch and Melbourne’s
water industry (represented by South East Water)
engaged URS to investigate mercury loads to
sewer from Victorian dental surgeries through
dentist surveys, interviews, waste audits, literature
reviews and development of an amalgam/mercury
cycle.
It was estimated that Victorian sewers received
about 210kg/yr of mercury from dental clinics -
about 80% of this to Melbourne’s sewers.
Significant mercury load reductions to sewer are
possible by installing amalgam separators in dental
surgeries. This should help to improve biosolids
quality produced at wastewater treatment plants,
and facilitate the recovery and reuse of mercury
and other useful metals used in amalgam alloys.