Tooth filling materials Dental amalgams & alternative materials

9. What further information is needed on environmental risks of dental amalgams?

The information currently available is not sufficient to fully assess the environmental risks and indirect health effects from the use of dental amalgam in the EU. To allow this type of assessment, the following information is required:

• More information on how mercury is used and released in all EU countries, particularly on differences in wastewater treatment or on measures taken to prevent emissions or to remove mercury from the environment.
• An updated compilation of all the available data on the effects of mercury and methylmercury on humans and other species in the environment.
• An assessment of the amount of mercury released from crematoria across different parts of the EU and how much of this mercury settles on the soil.
• A review of the available information on how methylmercury accumulates in living organisms under the different conditions found across the EU.
• A detailed calculation of the proportion of the total mercury in the environment that originates from dental amalgam.

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