Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Associate Professor, department of biostatistics, school of public health, University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

3 MSc of Environmental Health, School of Health, Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

4 Occupational health expert

5 Faculty member and head of English Department, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background and objective: Nowadays, wastes of dental offices have become a major environmental issue for their hazardous, toxic and pathogenic features. The aim of this study was to survey on the wastes produced in dental offices of Bojnord.
 
Materials & Methods: In this study 28 dentists' offices were studied. From each office, three samples were taken for three consecutive day’s week in a week. The samples were manually separated into 64 different components and weighed with a digital scale .The components were classified in 4 groups based on their hazardous characteristics. We analyzed the data by using descriptive statistics, SPSS 19 and the Excel software.
 
Results: The total wastes production was 6162.31 Kg in one year. The share of infectious, semi household, chemical - pharmaceutical and toxic wastes was 40.85, 49.99, 7.47, and 1.69% respectively. The main wastes produced in dental offices consisted of 16 components which can be considered as more than 80% of the dental wastes.
 
Conclusion:It is suggested that dentists should be trained to reduce, separate and recycle the wastes in accordance with relevant rules and regulations. Because the segregation of recyclable parts from dental wastes can lead to reduction of a large amount of wastes and so that the costs of collection, transportation, disposal and disinfecting will be reduced.

Keywords

1.         Mokhtari M, Shahbazi H, Zarei S, Shariati E, Khalil Tahmasebi E. The Awareness of Yazd City Hospital Personnel’s about the Management of Hospital Wastes in 2011. Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences. 2013;12(2):137-48. [Persian]
2.         Arenholt‐Bindslev D. Environmental aspects of dental filling materials. European Journal of Oral Sciences. 1998;106(2p2):713-20.
3.         LaGrega M, Buckingham P, Evans J. Environmental Resources management  Hazardous waste management. McGraw Hill, New York Managing adverse soil chemical environments. 2001;233:1202.
4.         Ghanbarian M, Khosravi A, Ghanbarian3 M. Evaluation of Quantity and Quality of Dental Solid Waste. Journal of Knowledge & Health. 2011;6(2):4. [Persian]
5.         mahasti p. Hazardous waste laws and regulations relevant to the classification properties in Iran. tehran: tehran; 1994. [Persian]
6.         Ghanbarian M, Majlessi M, Samaei M. Analysis of Solid Waste Products Disposed by Dental Clinics in Shiraz. Res Dent Sci. 2014;10(4):246-51. [Persian]
7.         Dart RC, Goldfrank LR, Chyka PA, Lotzer D, Woolf AD, McNally J, et al. Combined evidence-based literature analysis and consensus guidelines for stocking of emergency antidotes in the United States. Annals of emergency medicine. 2000;36(2):126-32.
8.         Kulivand A, Nabizadeh R. Quantity and Quality Analysis and Management of Solid Waste Produced in Dentistry Laboratories and Practical Dentist Offices in  Hamedan, 1386  Iran Journal  Health & Environtal. 2009;2(1):10. [Persian]
9.         Ozbek M, Sanin FD. A study of the dental solid waste produced in a school of dentistry in Turkey. Waste management. 2004;24(4):339-45.
10.       Kizlary E, Iosifidis N, Voudrias E, Panagiotakopoulos D. Composition and production rate of dental solid waste in Xanthi, Greece: variability among dentist groups. Waste management. 2005;25(6):582-91.
11.       Nafez AH, Karbord A, Sharifi M. A Quantitative and Qualitative Survey of Dental Wastes in Qazvin, Iran. Journal of Health System Research 2012;7(6):6.
12.       kulivand A, nabizadeh r. Evaluation of waste dental offices in Hamedan. Journal of Dental Medicine. 2009;.22(1):8 [Persian]
13.       Vieira CD, de Carvalho MAR, de Menezes Cussiol NA, Alvarez-Leite ME, dos Santos SG, da Fonseca Gomes RM, et al. Composition analysis of dental solid waste in Brazil. Waste management. 2009;29(4):1388-91.
14.       Amouei A, Khosravi M, Asgharnia H. Evaluation of quality and quantity of solid wastes in Babol Dental Faculty–North of Iran. Caspian Journal of Dental Research. 2013;2(2):6. [Persian]