1999 New Hampshire
Pollution Prevention Internship Program Final Report
Project Title
UNH Liaison
Intern
Calvin So
P.O Box 588
Hillsboro, NH 03244
E-mail:
Home phone: 603-464-4715
Work Phone: 603-271-6460
Facility
NH Pollution Prevention (P2) Program
NH DES
6 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301
Contact Person
Sara Johnson
Pollution Prevention Specialist
Phone: 603-271-6460
Date
September 7th, 1999
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
I was the UNH liaison for the Pollution Prevention Internship Program. My responsibilities varied from assisting the mercury pollution prevention in NH dental offices, coordinating student intern activities, conducting P2 literature and vendor searches to assisting NHPPP staff when requested.
During the first two weeks of work, I researched information and articles about dental waste on the internet and P2 files. I created a brochure for dentists about mercury waste, best management practices, and amalgam. Mercury can have major impacts on patients and the environment. Patients may be exposed to mercury if it is vaporized and escapes from the amalgam. In a dental office, amalgam may escape from the chair-side traps and vacuum filters. The mercury can travel through the sewer system to the wastewater treatment plant, where the mercury can be released to the environment. The brochure also suggested dentists to use white fillings (mercury-free) instead of silver fillings. I also created a checklist to accompany to the brochure. The checklist is about environmental compliance and mercury management in dental offices.
Besides working on the mercury project, I created the list of interns’ data and contacted them for updated information. I researched articles on regulatory alerts and case study for the Fall issue of Wastelines. Wastelines is a quarterly newsletter distributed to over 800 businesses, government personnel and other individuals around the country. After compiling the articles, I created the first draft of the Fall issue of Wastelines. Other tasks were to assist the staff on information request by companies. I researched the P2 database and internet to search for the non-hazardous carpet cleaning solvents, environmental friendly floor wax and Jerome meters. The hard copies of the materials were sent to the companies. Other projects that I did were entering data into spreadsheets that I created from annual report, manifest forms, household hazardous waste report forms, and EPA documents/books. These databases will help the household hazardous waste program compile past year records more efficiently.
I have done several other tasks for the staff. These tasks include creating short webpages for lead sinkers, Governor’s Award winners, schedule of household hazardous waste collection days, preparing two presentation files in MS power point, and searching for graphics for Wastelines and an Environmental Quiz. For the up coming P2 week celebration in September, I was asked to create a display to show people/consumers some environmental tips on how to save the Earth. Finally, I organized all vendors’ folders.
INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND
The NHPPP is a confidential, non-regulatory assistance program which is available free of charge to New Hampshire businesses. NHPPP's services can help businesses evaluate existing conditions that generate waste and recommend proven, economically favorable options for reducing, reusing and recycling waste materials -- while at the same time reducing the ever-rising costs associated with disposal, regulatory compliance, liability, and environmental impact. The NHPPP staff combines extensive research and information sources with experienced professionals to provide businesses with expert services not normally available to businesses.
Mercury is one of the most toxic chemicals in the world, but it is a very common product used by the dentists. In the silver amalgam, mercury consists to a 1 to 1 mixture of mercury and powder of silver, tin, copper and zinc. For many years people believed that mercury was locked into fillings and could not escape. Unfortunately, that is not true. Scientists found out mercury does escape from the amalgam in the form of vapor, which is the most toxic phase. Scientists proved that sufficient amounts of mercury vapor could cause systemic diseases in some patients. For example, mercury can cause decrease amount of hair growth or substantial hair loss. Mercury can cause single strand breaks in the DNA [Reference 1].
Using mercury amalgam not only could harm patients, it can also pollute the environment through waste disposal. Since only 50% of mercury is used when dentists fill our cavities, the other 50% is going down the drain. Some of the amalgams that contain mercury will bypass the amalgam trap, and will be released to our environment. Once the mercury is released to the environment it causes problems for our ecosystem. For instance, small fish and other living organisms living in the water can absorb mercury. When larger fish eat the smaller fish, much of the mercury present in the small fish will be absorbed and stored in their bodies. Therefore, large fish at the top of the food chain, like bass and pickerel, can collect a relatively large amount of mercury. Mercury has no purpose in the human body and when taken into the body may pose a danger to human health. Mercury can build up in the body over time from ingesting contaminated fish. Exposure to high levels of mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys, and developing fetus [Reference 2].
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of being the UNH Liaison are assisting the mercury pollution prevention in NH dental offices, coordinating student intern activities, conducting P2 literature and vendor searches, and assisting NHPPP staff when requested.
APPROACH/ACCOMPLISHMENT
Assisted mercury pollution prevention in NH dental offices:
Mercury is commonly used by the dentists, and we are not sure if it is being disposed it properly. Because of these reasons, I created a brochure about mercury pollution prevention in dental offices [Appendix 1]. The brochure showed dentists how mercury could affect human health and the environment. The brochure gave the P2 tips for the dentists, such as never rinse amalgam traps over drains and never discard amalgam in a red bag. It also mentioned dentists are eligible to apply for the Governor’s Award if they have P2 procedures in place. To accompany the brochure, I also created a checklist for dentists about environmental compliance and pollution prevention [Appendix 2]. Checklist will be made available to dentists on the web post or mass mailing. The NH dental Society and DES are working together to decide the best way to disseminate the outreach material. Therefore, I was not able to send out the brochure and checklist. Collection of dental amalgam is being reviewed by regulators, dental society and dentists to see if this is an option.
Coordinated student intern activities:
The interns’ information (including the name of contact person, E-mail address and home and work phone numbers) is collected and put into a table [Appendix 3] using Wordperfect. I called, faxed or emailed interns about important and latest information/message [Appendix 4] from Dr. Ihab Farag. Sometimes, I also helped with questions from other interns. I wrote an article about P2 intern program and their summer projects outlines. The article is going to be in the next publication of Environmental News. Before each intern presentation, the program outline were created.
Conducted P2 literature and vendor searches:
Sometimes when we received the requests about P2 or recycling from other companies, I would research the data files, magazines or internet to get answers. For instance, a company called and wanted to know what they could use for non-hazardous carpet cleaning. A company wanted to know about Jerome Meters where they could buy them. Another company requested us to suggest some non-toxic floor wax. For these projects, I searched on the internet and printed out the materials. The packages that were sent to the companies included alternative products, DES brochure and Wastelines. Other P2 searches that I did were dental amalgam collections in the country and school mercury management. I spent a lot of time on the internet for these topics although not much information was found.
Assisted NHPPP staffs when requested:
There were so many tasks that I have done for the NHPPP staff. I did a few projects that were related to the database. For instances, I gathered the data from annual reports, manifest forms and household hazardous waste report forms into spreadsheets. For the 1997 and 1998 annual reports, I compiled the data, such as EPA ID numbers, locations and names of companies, and created a table [Appendix 5] using Lotus 1-2-3. I entered the manifest document numbers and names of companies from the 1998 manifest forms into a new table [Appendix 6]. As the household hazardous waste report forms, I pulled out all the files from 1985 to 1998 and found the household hazardous waste collection program information in NH. The information included the collection’s location, date, total project cost, state grant, and numbers of cars and households participating. Then I organized the data and created a spreadsheet [Appendix 7]. The DES is creating a library in its building this summer. They requested me to make a list of information including names of the books, year published and EPA# from a couple boxes of EPA documents [Appendix 8].
Besides working on the database, I also created or updated some NHPPP webpages [Appendix 9]. The first webpage was about the 1999 Governor’s Award Winners, which I reformatted. The second webpage told people about dropping off the lead sinkers in DES and save the loons. On this webpage, I formatted and did the graphics. Finally, the third webpage was to update the latest schedule of household hazardous waste collection days in NH.
Organizing vendor folders was very time consuming, it took me a few days to accomplish it. The purpose of doing it was to minimize the used spaces in the drawers. The moving is in progress at DES this summer. Sometimes I was asked to help the staff moved and organized things. Some of the tasks needed my creativity. For instances, NH P2 week is coming in mid-September, and I created a display [Appendix 10] that is going to use in DES lobby. The display tells people how to save energy and water in our houses, how to get rid of the junk mail and to use non-toxic cleaning products. Another time consuming task is searching for graphics. I would look for graphics for certain articles or issues on the internet and in their graphic databases, such as Wastelines and the Environmental Quiz.
Finally, some various tasks included preparing presentation slides for two DES staff, Paul Lockwood and Stephanie D’Agostino [Appendix 11], creating a draft Fall issue of Wastelines [Appendix 12], and writing a short article about Lin Hill. I also attended the Solid Waste Training Conference on July 29th at DES.
CHEMICAL USAGE
None
RELEASES/WASTES GENERATED
None
POLLUTION PREVENTION BENEFITS
Pollution prevention benefits can be realized through the variety of tasks that I completed. By decreasing the amount of mercury being used by dentists, there will be less mercury released into the environment. Thus, fish takes up less mercury from water, and humans will absorb less mercury after consuming fish. Both fish and humans receive benefits. By increasing proper disposal and recycling of mercury, the environment will be less contaminated and recycled mercury can be used in other products. By educating dentists removing mercury amalgam from red bags, mercury amalgam will no longer go to the incinerator and pollute the air. Through the information packages, Wastelines and webpages, businesses are educated about pollution prevention, alternative products, case studies, etc. For example, by switching carpet cleaners, employees will work in a safer and cleaner environment because non-toxic products have less hazardous fumes. The employers will probably save money if the companies use non-toxic products, because employees will have better health without inhaling toxic odors and will work efficiently. By educating consumers/general public about pollution prevention through the P2 display, people will save money, energy, water, electricity and paper. During the DES move, the employees recover folders and 3-ring binders to be recycled or reused. By reusing the materials, the state can save money.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE EFFORTS
Continue to work with the NH Dental Society with the mercury project in the dental offices. For example, complete the brochure and checklist, or create a webpage about the project. Collect the amalgam from dentists and encourage them to recycle or educate about proper disposal. Keep current databases and webpages updated more frequently. For example, P2 week webpage was updated with correct dates in July which is held in September. For organizing vendor files, I suggest the best way is to be more selective about what goes in the files. Therefore, time is not wasted to review all files and take out the useless or outdated information. The same procedure can be done with the Wastelines issue, I recommend to look for articles few months ahead a time to avoid doing all at once. Another time consuming task is the graphics searching, I recommend to buy a better graphic software rather than search on internet.
REFERENCES
[1] http://www.mercuryfree.co.uk/mercury.html
[2] Mercury in New Hampshire Freshwater Fish by NH Department of Health & Human Services