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Related Experiment Videos

[Cremation and the environmental mercury burden].

J Rivola1, I Krejci, T Imfeld

  • 1Abteilung für Präventivzahnmedizin, Parodontologie und Kariologie, Universität Zürich.

Schweizer Monatsschrift Fur Zahnmedizin = Revue Mensuelle Suisse D'Odonto-Stomatologie = Rivista Mensile Svizzera Di Odontologia E Stomatologia
|January 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary

Dental amalgam restorations contribute minimally to mercury contamination from cremation. This study found cremation accounts for only a small fraction of total mercury waste, not justifying a ban on dental amalgams.

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Area of Science:

  • Forensic Odontology
  • Environmental Science
  • Toxicology

Context:

  • Dental amalgams contain mercury, a potential environmental contaminant.
  • Cremation is a common funeral practice in Switzerland.
  • Understanding mercury release from various sources is crucial for environmental management.

Purpose:

  • To quantify mercury release from dental amalgams during cremation.
  • To assess the contribution of cremation to overall mercury contamination.
  • To evaluate the validity of banning dental amalgams based on cremation data.

Summary:

  • Radiographic analysis of 130 deceased individuals in Zurich revealed an average of 2.49 g of mercury per dentate person from amalgam restorations.
  • Extrapolating this data, Swiss cremations in 1988 released an estimated 45.8–79.0 kg of mercury.

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  • This represents only 0.61–1.53% of total mercury from all waste incineration, indicating a minimal contribution.

    • Impact:

    • The study demonstrates that mercury contamination from dental amalgam cremation is negligible.
    • Findings suggest that environmental concerns regarding cremation do not warrant a ban on dental amalgams.
    • Provides data for informed environmental policy regarding dental materials and waste management.