Determination of Mercury, Silver, Tin, and Copper Discharged to the Municipal Wastewater Collection Network in Kermanshah through Dental Units in 2015

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mohammad Ahmadian 1
Meghdad Pirsaheb 2
Hiwa Hossaini 2
Shoeib Rahimi 3
Boshra Ahmadian 3
Niloofar Balkani 3
Afshin Darsanj 3
1 Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran
2 Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
3 Students Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
10.4103/ijehe.ijehe_6_23
Abstract
Aim: 
Dental amalgam contains 50% mercury, with the remaining 50% comprising metals such as tin, silver, copper, and titanium. This study aimed to determine the content of mercury, silver, tin, and copper discharged into the municipal wastewater collection network in Kermanshah, Iran through dental units.
Methods: 
A questionnaire was prepared and completed by dentists for two working weeks. The total amalgam and the amounts of silver, mercury, copper, and tin metals discharged into the sewage through the studied units, and then the total units in the city per year, were determined.
Results: 
The results showed that, in Kermanshah, 125330.14 amalgam units were emptied to the sewer per year. Furthermore, on average, 52.26, 27.84, 14.07, and 12.06 kg of mercury, silver, tin, and copper, respectively, entered the Kermanshah wastewater collection network through dental units.
Conclusion: 
If all dental units are equipped with amalgam separators, the quantity of amalgam entering the sewer will be reduced from 105.5 to 17.78 kg per year.

Keywords

  • Receive Date 03 July 2025