com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010426/ACADDENLOGO )
However , according to a report in the May/June 2005 issue of General
Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry 's (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed
journal, drinking soft drinks and other beverages through a properly
positioned straw can help to minimize the risk of cavities.
The AGD is a non-profit organization of more than 35,000 general dentists
dedicated to staying up-to-date in the profession through continuing
education. At high doses, mercury exposure
can cause tremors, inability to walk, convulsions and even death. More than 18
million fishing trips take place in the commonwealth annually.

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These acids erode dental enamel, the thin outer layer of hard tissue
that helps maintain the tooth structure and shape.006 percent of
mercury leaches out of dental amalgam particulate into the wastewater stream .
DEP currently is considering a petition for rulemaking to regulate mercury
in Pennsylvania .
The Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers is a non-profit,
educational and informational resource to government agencies, municipal
authorities, industries and other business entities, Universal Waste handlers,
generators, environmental groups and industry trade organizations.

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Together , the agencies will collect stored elemental mercury from dental
offices statewide for recycling and conduct a review of the voluntary use of
best-management practices for reducing amalgam wastes in dental offices. Some states failed
to recognize that wastes like mercury-containing thermometers and fluorescent
lamps are not debris. In 2003 alone, mercury hazardous waste
disposal in landfills had tripled that of previous years.g@nextcom.

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Through surveys conducted in 2001
and 2004, PDA has identified approximately 1,062 pounds of elemental mercury
ready for collection from dental offices across the state. These
generators were not required to comply with strict mercury treatment
regulations and were instead allowed to landfill their wastes under more
lenient standards for debris.

Additional information:

Paul Abernathy
Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers
707-942-2197
mail@almr.

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Dentistry switched from elemental mercury to amalgam capsules about 25
years ago.
Although use of elemental mercury has become obsolete, mercury compounds
still are commonly used in dental practices.
The review of amalgam waste best-management practices will allow DEP to
ascertain the number and percentage of dental facilities voluntarily
implementing these practices. EPA Disposal Standard for Hazardous Mercury Waste Full of
Holes - Is Public at Risk?

CALISTOGA, Calif."
Improper disposal of mercury waste is problematic because of mercury's
tendency to evaporate, migrate and enter the water supply, which can
contaminate fish, wildlife and potentially humans. The
mercury should be recovered, period.org

Dennis Gallaher
Next Communications for ALMR
952-934-8220
dennis.

replacement sign

Two components of
the initiative apply to dental offices: collection of elemental mercury and
best management practices for mercury-bearing amalgam wastes. Some 2 million people fish in
Pennsylvania each year, including about 500,000 youth under 16. All that
activity generates $1. For more information on ALMR, call 707-942-2197 or visit
http://www.com.

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Methylmercury , a form of
mercury that has undergone biological processes, has been well established as
a neurotoxin , and chronic low-dose prenatal exposure has been associated with
poor performance on neurobehavioral tests in children, including those tests
that measure attention, visual-spatial ability, verbal memory , language
ability, fine motor skills and intelligence."
Nationwide, there is much confusion as to what qualifies as debris.

toxic potentially

The report tracked patient drinking habits and found that different
factors -- such as the frequency of sipping and the amount of time the
beverage remains in the mouth -- affect the type, location and severity of
tooth decay.
"Your best option is to sip soft drinks and other beverages through a
straw positioned towards the back of the mouth," advises Mohamed A. Additionally, GAO surveys of state regulators and hazardous waste
landfill owners revealed confusion about mercury waste disposal rules.

potential potentially

"
McGinty signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Pennsylvania Dental
Association Chief Executive Officer Camille Kostelac-Cherry to implement a
two -pronged approach to reduce mercury discharges from dental offices. This voluntary program is expected to recycle
600 pounds of mercury over the next two years from vehicles that are no longer
useable . The
GAO conducted a survey in 48 states asking various authorities and waste
disposal professionals their interpretations of the EPA's regulations.

dentistry saved

The cavities also often appear
near the gumline.

Amalgam particles
are a potential source of mercury not only in wastewater, but also in
groundwater , streams and rivers.pa.

25 Million Pounds of Mercury-Containing Waste Disposed of as Debris in 2003 - Mercury Not Recovered

Of
those surveyed, 21 states misinterpreted the regulations. It is also possible for people to develop mercury poisoning in cases
of extreme exposure.

symptoms experienced

Or, decay will be found on the teeth in
the front of the mouth in a person who drinks through a straw positioned at
the front of the mouth, right behind the lips., PA Environmental Protection Sec. McGinty today announced the department has launched a new
partnership with Pennsylvania dentists to review voluntary best -management
practices for mercury-bearing amalgam wastes and collect obsolete supplies of
elemental mercury to prevent the material from entering the environment.
Currently, there is little hard data in Pennsylvania to determine the
amount of mercury being discharged from dental offices, and the results of
national studies are so variable as to be inconclusive.
Beyond its dangers to public health, the accumulation of methylmercury in
fish also threatens Pennsylvania's economy .
In addition to this action with the Pennsylvania Dental Association, the
Rendell administration is calling for tougher national mercury rules.state."
Exposure to mercury contaminants has been linked to a number of health-
related problems such as damage to the kidneys, neurological system and unborn
fetuses.

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Sipping soft drinks reduces risk of decay

CHICAGO , The average American drinks roughly 576
soft drinks every year -- about one and a half cans a day for everyone in the
United States. For example, decay will be concentrated in the back molars of a
person who drinks directly from a can. The
program is being launched as a three-month trial in 16 eastern Pennsylvania
counties before being implemented on a statewide basis.6 billion for the state's economy, supports 15,000 jobs
and brings in more than $50 million in state sales and income taxes.
For more information, visit DEP's Web site at http://www. They found that EPA data
does not describe the treatment standard used for most mercury contaminated
debris. "We seem to be going
the wrong way," Abernathy said. "We are certainly supportive of states,
members of Congress and the EPA working together to close this loophole for
highly contaminated mercury wastes. For more information,
visit http://www.ereleases.

saved lyn

"
Soft drinks contain one or more acids, commonly phosphoric and citric
acids.
In January 2004, DEP kicked off its Mercury Reduction Initiative , a
comprehensive strategy to reduce mercury in the environment. "It is
extremely important to have precise regulations outlining the proper
management and disposal of this toxic material as a proactive approach to
maintaining a clean environment and protecting public health.
The GAO determined the main source of the waste was not hazardous mercury
material spills and cleanup sites , as was expected, but rather the result of
intermittent events, such as the demolition of production plants, and routine
industrial processes, such as replacing pipes in a chlorine plant.org.

poisoning crocker

newscom . As a result, many dental offices still have containers of excess
elemental mercury stored in their offices.
Mercury most endangers pregnant women, children, subsistence fishermen and
recreational anglers. In
March, Pennsylvania filed a petition challenging the U.
The GAO determined the EPA cannot effectively confirm that businesses are
properly managing their mercury-containing waste .almr.

procedure activism

The loophole is for wastes
that are too big to fit through a two-inch opening (60 millimeters ), no matter
how much mercury they contain.
The loophole in EPA rules allows hazardous waste generators to landfill
mercury wastes without determining the mercury content of the wastes or
assuring that the wastes were safely treated prior to land disposal.com/pressreleases/mws/155.html.com

This release was issued through eReleases(TM).

amalgam potential

One study found that
60 percent of mercury in water treatment works comes from dental practices,
while a study conducted by the U. The data will be used as a basis to determine
whether future regulatory action is warranted to reduce the amount of mercury
entering the environment through wastewater discharges.S. The department expects to report back to the state
Environmental Quality Board at an upcoming meeting this summer.us.
"If the goal is to keep mercury out of the environment the regulations
clearly do not do that - there are too many exemptions," said Paul Abernathy,
Executive Director, Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers . According to the ALMR, "it does not make sense
to regulate or exempt a toxic material based on how big or little it is.

EDITOR: Electronic press release available at
http://www.

dental potentially

dentist replacement

(Logo: http://www. Bassiouny,
DMD, MSc, PhD, and lead reporter.

PA DEP Partners With Pennsylvania Dental Association to Reduce Mercury Discharges; Pollution Prevention Protects Public Health Environment

"I applaud the dentists
who have stepped up to work with DEP to tackle this public health and
environmental concern.

toxic effects

Pennsylvania has approximately 8,000 dentists
discharging to about 920 publicly owned water treatment works.S. Navy determined that only 0.

CONTACT: Charlie Young
(717) 783-0908

hug contain

Drinking these beverages places the people who may not follow
proper oral hygiene techniques at a higher risk for cavities and other oral
health problems.
A dentist can tell when a patient gets cavities from drinking acidic
beverages, such as soft drinks, since the decayed areas are often darker in
color and takes up more space on the tooth. Removing elemental mercury and gathering data on
dentists' wastewater management practices will help us improve water quality
and ensure public health in Pennsylvania. The ALMR's
goal is to identify, develop and expand market opportunities for recycling
products that contain mercury , and to promote the programs, policies and
practices that divert mercury-bearing wastes from the solid waste stream and
the environment.

toxic fillings

A general dentist is the primary care provider for patients of all
ages and is responsible for the diagnosis, treatment, management and overall
coordination of services related to patient's oral health needs. HARRISBURG, Pa. Environmental
Protection Agency 's rollback of standards to regulate mercury emissions from
coal- and oil-fired power plants as a hazardous air pollutant.

symptoms contain

Saved by a Straw?

"This marks a major accomplishment in efforts to ensure a cleaner,
healthier environment in Pennsylvania," McGinty said. Mercury makes up approximately 50
percent of the amalgam used in dental offices for fillings.
While the amount of mercury discharged by dental practices is unknown, the
threat of mercury contamination is understood. This is
particularly problematic, the GAO found, if highly contaminated mercury
wastes are not treated and disposed of properly.

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Kathleen A.dep. Most
critically, the loophole allowed waste generators to avoid the requirement
that mercury be removed from the most highly contaminated mercury hazardous
wastes prior to landfilling.

torrie contain

Previously, dentists mixed the amalgam for fillings using elemental
mercury.
Additionally, DEP launched the Pennsylvania Mercury Automobile Switch
Removal Program last November.
Government documents reveal that an increasing amount of mercury hazardous
wastes being landfilled each year.

toxic dental

"Doing so will limit the amount of time the
beverage is in contact with the teeth., Really, two-inch holes! The
Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report detailing the 2003
disposal of over 25 million pounds of hazardous mercury wastes using a major
"loophole" in federal hazardous waste rules.nextcom.

crocker hug

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- - kjjkjk

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