sep_table.pdf
Amalgam Separators Approved by King County
The following amalgam separators are approved by King County for discharge of dental wastewater
to the King County sewer system. Dental practices that install an amalgam separator approved by
King County’s Industrial Waste Program, keep maintenance and disposal records, and follow Best
Management Practices (BMPs) for amalgam do not need to apply for a wastewater discharge permit
or sample their wastewater. Please visit the dental wastewater web page for up-to-date information:
http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/indwaste/dentists.htm.
King County evaluates amalgam separators at the request of the manufacturer. If a dental practice is
considering an amalgam separator not on this list, please contact Bruce Tiffany (206-263-3011) or
bruce.tiffany@kingcounty.gov, to check on the status of that model.
Maximum Flow
Rate From
ISO-11143
CompanyPhoneModel
Testing
In mL/min or
5
L/min
4 L/min
AB Dental Trends Inc. 360-354-4722 Rasch 890 System
2.5 L/min
Air Techniques Inc. 800-Air-Tech Guardian Amalgam Collector
(No.: A1010)
250 mL/min
American Dental 800-331-7993 ASDEX Amalgam Separator with:
Accessories Inc. ASDEX Premium Filter (No.: AS-9)
4 L/min
AD-1000
NA
Dental Recycling North 800-360-1001
1
SRAB 99
America \[DRNA)
750 mL/min
BullfroHg (No.: BUI0)
750 mL/min
MRU (Nos.: MRU10c & MRU100v)
NA
Metasys \[Pure Water 877-METASYS
1, 2
MST-1
Development LLC)
2 L/min
ECO II
NA
R&D Services 206-525-4995 or
1, 3
The Amalgam Collector, Design I
800-816-4995
NA
1, 4
The Amalgam Collector, Design II
NA
The Amalgam Collector, CH - Series
(Nos.: CH9, CH12, CH15 and CH18 )
11
NA
The Amalgam Collector, CE - Series
(Nos.: CE15 , CE18 and CE24)
1
1 L/min
Rebec Environmental 425-745-4177 or RME 2000 Metals Collector (Systems:
800-569-1088 400, 1000, 5000, 7000 & 9000)
50 ml/min
SolmeteX Inc. 508-393-5115 or Hg5
800-216-5505
1 L/min
MSS Model 1000
1
MSS Model 2000 2.5 L/min
1
1. This unit is no longer being marketed
2. Approved only for water-driven vacuum & chair-side location
3. Approved only for water-driven vacuum
4. Approved only for turbine "dry" vacuum
5. ISO – International Standards Organization maximum flow rate at which separator efficiency was
tested and is reported as either milliliters per minute \[mL/L\]; liters per minute \[L/min\]; or not
applicable \[NA\].
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King County provides no guarantees or warranties for purchase, installation, operation, and
maintenance of King County approved amalgam separators.
The purchase, installation, operation, and maintenance of a King County approved
amalgam separator does not relieve the owner of meeting other applicable federal, state,
or local codes, ordinances, regulations, or statutes.
International Standards Organization (ISO) Certification:
Beginning July 1, 2003, King County will only approve amalgam separators that have been certified as
meeting or exceeding ISO-11143 as verified by an ISO-certified testing laboratory. Any amalgam
separator manufacturer that has not previously initiated King County (formerly Metro) testing will need
to test its amalgam separator by ISO-11143. All amalgam separators sampled and tested according to
the King County protocols will remain on the King County list of approved separators and are
approved for use in dental facilities tributary to the King County sewer system.
Choosing the right amalgam separator for a dental practice
installation or if the practice will have to
The type of amalgam separator to choose
Does the arrange for it. There are also costs for
depends on several factors:
practice want individual chair-side disposing of sludge.
separators or a central unit that will handle
When comparing costs, consider costs of
all the chairs?
the unit, installation, maintenance, and
What type of vacuum pump services the
waste disposal.
office? Choose an amalgam separator
that doesn't interfere with the practice’s
Ask
What maintenance is required?
vacuum. Some amalgam separators are
whether the vendor provides regular
approved only for chair-side use or for use
maintenance for the unit or if it is the
with a particular type of vacuum pump.
practice’s choice. Questions include: How
often does one need to dispose of
King County's list of approved amalgam
accumulated waste sludge? Is the sludge
separators notes whether there are King
collected in a canister that can be
County restrictions on the use of each
replaced or in one that must be emptied?
model. The practice’s vendor should be
able to recommend units that will best
If the vendor maintains the unit, find out:
serve the office configuration.
who the vendor contracts with to haul the
waste away; where the contractor sends it,
If a practice is in a building that contains
and what waste documentation the
many dental offices, it should check with
vendor provides as part of the service fee.
the building manager before installing the
unit, to make sure it will be compatible with
Review the operation and maintenance
the central vacuum.
manual for items one needs to keep track
of while using the unit.
How much will the amalgam separator
Costs range from several hundred
cost?
: Although practices
Choosing a vendor
dollars to a few thousand dollars,
may rely on others for maintenance and
depending on whether the practice:
waste disposal, they are legally responsible
leases the unit with required maintenance
for the waste until its final disposal. In
included in the fee; purchases the unit and
choosing a vendor, practices should
contracts with a company to maintain it,
consider reliability as well as cost.
or purchases the unit and maintains it. A
practice should ask if the price includes
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5/28/08
include a number of fees: a waste profile
What documentation and other paperwork
Manifests and receipts track or lab fee, a hauling charge, a disposal
are provided?
dental practices’ waste from site, to fee, and a container replacement charge.
hauler, to the receiving facility. Vendors Practices should: ask vendors what they
may help the practice prepare manifests charge for each of these items; ask which
and other papers, but practices should be charges are one-time and which are
careful to ensure their accuracy. While ongoing, and find out if there are any
small quantity generators do not need to other fees.
manifest the waste shipped, manifests
For more information visit:
provide added protection.
http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/indwaste/denti
The total
How much will the services cost?
sts.htm
cost of handling a practice’s waste can
Maximum Flow rate From ISO-11143
testing:
The maximum flow rate that each amalgam
separator unit is tested at is included on this
list so dentists can determine which
separators will work for their practice.
Consider the maximum flow rate from your
operatories each day and purchase a
separator that will handle that flow. For
example, if your vacuum pump
manufacturer suggests that you flush each
operatory’s vacuum line with 1 liter of line
cleaner each day and you choose an
amalgam separator that was tested at a
maximum flow rate of 100 milliliters/minute,
you would need to take 10 minutes to flush
each liter through the vacuum line to
remain within the tested flow rate. (1 liter
equals 1000 milliliters; so 1000 milliliters
divided by 100 milliliters/minute equals 10
minutes.)
130 Nickerson Street, Suite 200
Seattle, WA 98109-1658
206-263-3000 Fax 206-263-3001
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5/28/08