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Mercury pollution is a global environmental crisis, and dental amalgam remains one of its most persistent and underrecognized sources. While often discussed in the context of individual health, mercury dental amalgam also contributes significantly to environmental contamination through multiple pathways that extend far beyond the dental office.
Dental amalgam is composed of approximately 50 percent elemental mercury. Once placed in the mouth, this mercury is no longer contained. It is continuously released into the environment during routine dental procedures, daily oral activities, and after death through cremation or burial.
One of the primary routes of environmental mercury release is through dental clinic wastewater. During placement, polishing, and removal of amalgam fillings, mercury-containing particles enter sinks and suction lines. These particles are discharged into municipal wastewater treatment systems.
Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to eliminate mercury. Instead, mercury accumulates in sewage sludge, which is often sold or distributed as agricultural fertilizer. This allows mercury to enter soil, crops, livestock, and ultimately the human food chain.
Mercury dental amalgam continues to pose environmental risks long after a person’s death. During cremation, mercury vaporizes and is released directly into the atmosphere. These emissions can travel long distances before settling into waterways and soil.
Burial also contributes to mercury contamination. Over time, mercury leaches from dental fillings into surrounding soil and groundwater, creating localized sources of long-term pollution.
Environmental assessments have historically underestimated mercury emissions from dental amalgam. When emissions from dental clinics, households, crematoria, and exhaled air are combined, total mercury releases are far greater than previously reported.
Even exhaled breath from individuals with mercury dental amalgam contributes measurable amounts of mercury to the atmosphere. While small on an individual level, this becomes significant when multiplied across millions of people.
Mercury designated for dental use has also been diverted into illegal markets. One of the most damaging consequences is its use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, the largest global source of mercury pollution.
This diversion undermines international efforts to reduce mercury emissions and places vulnerable communities at risk of severe environmental and occupational exposure.
Once released, mercury does not degrade or disappear. It cycles indefinitely through air, water, and soil, converting into more toxic forms such as methylmercury. This compound bioaccumulates in fish and marine life, magnifying exposure as it moves up the food chain.
Human exposure then occurs through seafood consumption, drinking water, and agricultural products, extending the impact of dental mercury far beyond its original point of use.
Most mercury-containing products have been banned or phased out due to environmental harm. Dental amalgam remains an exception, despite being one of the largest intentional uses of mercury worldwide.
Allowing continued mercury use in dentistry contradicts global pollution reduction goals and ignores well-documented environmental consequences.
Mercury contamination from dental amalgam is not a theoretical concern—it is a measurable, ongoing environmental problem. From wastewater systems to crematoria, mercury released from dental fillings contributes to irreversible pollution and long-term ecological harm.
Eliminating mercury dental amalgam is a critical step toward reducing global mercury emissions. Protecting ecosystems and human health requires addressing all significant sources of pollution, including those historically overlooked within dentistry.
