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Understanding Amalgam Separator Compliance
Understanding Amalgam Separator Compliance
M.A.R.S Bio-Med ensures we have the most up-to-date and accurate understanding of the EPA Amalgam Separator Regulation. If you would like to know what will be expected from Dental Practices. Contact M.A.R.S or read our blogs for more information.
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MARSBIOMED
MARSBIOMED

The Most Accurate Understanding of the EPA Amalgam Separator Regulation

The Most Accurate Understanding of the EPA Amalgam Separator Regulation

8/9/2017 9:07:26 AM   |   Comments: 0   |   Views: 154
Today we will be highlighting 3 Vlogs from M.A.R.S Bio-Med. These three blogs will assist any Dental Practice in understanding why they need an amalgam separator, what is expected by the EPA and Water Treatment Plants and the easiest way to become compliant.

M.A.R.S Bio-Med is proud of our ever expanding knowledge on the EPA Amalgam Separator Regulation and what is required from Dental Practices. We take it upon ourselves to ensure the information we educated Dental Suppliers, Dental Practices, Governments, Militaries and Water Treatment Plants are the most up-to-date and accurate. 

Many Government Regulations are usually complicated and hard to interrupt, which results in many different views on the Regulation. Some manufacturers of compliance products are known to cherry pick lines from regulations to better suit their products, further muddying the water.  This usually results in confusion, which could leave many people non-compliant due to misinformation. This is why the President of M.A.R.S Bio-Med had a face-to-face meeting with a representative of the EPA at a Water Treatment Plant Pre-Treatment Conference. We clarified that our interpretation of the EPA Amalgam Separator Regulation was correct and the most accurate in the industry.

Please see the Vlogs below to get the most accurate understanding of the EPA Regulation.

An Introduction to Amalgam Separators and the EPA Regulation

If you have ever wondered any of the following, please watch this Vlog:
- Why do Dentists Need an Amalgam Separator?
- How do Amalgam Separators work?
- What is the right amalgam separator for my Practice?
- Who will be regulating Dental Practice's compliance?
- Whose standards do I have to meet?
- Each Amalgam Separator Manufacturer has a different understanding of the regulation, who is right?




What American Dentists need to know about the New EPA Regulation

As the regulation has passed and been sent to print, you will find that Privately/Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) will require dental offices to get an amalgam separator sooner than the July 2020 deadline. This is because the Water Treatment Plants (POTWs) have the issue of high mercury discharge and are aware that the highest pollution of mercury is coming from Dental Practices.

If your Dental Practice currently has an amalgam separator, you may not be compliant and could be required to change your amalgam separator.

Many amalgam separator manufacturers are stating "If your practice has an existing amalgam separator, you can continue to operate it for its lifetime or 10 years, whichever comes first." What is neglected to be mentioned is the rest of the line from the EPA Regulation. This reads "As long as the dental discharger complies with the other rule requirements including the specified BMPs, operation and maintenance, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements." In a nutshell, if an existing amalgam separator (regardless of age) is found not meeting the discharge limits, your local regulators (most likely POTWs), are allowed to require you to replace your existing unit with "Best Available Technology."



The "ONE" Simple Rule that will Save you Money when Investing in an Amalgam Separator


The cost and maintenance of an amalgam separator are irrelevant, if the system does not meet the standards of your local regulators, Water Treatment Plants, you could be wasting your money. According to the EPA Regulation, your local Water Treatment Plants have the legal right to require you to upgrade your amalgam separator to "Best Available Technology" if your system does not meet their stricter standards (higher than the EPA Regulation requirements and ISO standards). Before you purchase any amalgam separator, get a Written Guarantee of Compliance from the manufacturer. You want the guarantee to state that the manufacturer will make sure your practice will stay compliant by meeting or exceeding ALL standards, current and future. The reason you want to have a guarantee for the future, many Water Treatment Plants, who are responsible for regulating Dental Practices, have not set their standards yet. By having a guarantee from the manufacturer, no matter what future standards are set, you will be protecting your practice because your compliance is guaranteed.

M.A.R.S distributors know that most Water Treatment Plants test at a standard higher than ISO 11143, which all but M.A.R.S amalgam separators compare themselves. The M.A.R.S LibertyBOSS tests themselves at the EPA Method 245.7, the same standard used by Water Treatment Plants. The 245.7 tests for soluble mercury, which is roughly 50% of what is released from an ISO 11143 tested amalgam separator. Only amalgam separators with a large effective media component have the capability to capture soluble mercury. If your amalgam separator matches those standards, you have an amalgam separator that will keep your office compliant, if you don't, you might be forced to reinvest in better technology.



If you need more information, please do not hesitate to contact M.A.R.S Bio-Med at 1-866-594-3648 or info@marsbiomed.com.
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