Avaliação de impactos à saúde e ao meio ambiente provocados pelo mercúrio do amálgama odontológico nas Unidades Básicas de Saúde do município de Barra do Garças - MT

Abstract

The objective of this research paper was to evaluate the occupational exposure of the dental staff from the Basic Health Units from the city of Barra do Garças related to the contamination of mercury of dental amalgam. It was also evaluated the soil contamination of the city s sanitary landfill which is the possible place where the residuum of amalgam is disposed. In this study, it was identified the ways of packaging, handing and the mercury treatment and the amalgam by the dentists and auxiliaries from oral heath from the time they get to the dental office until the final disposal to the environment. At the sanitary landfill, we collected samples of the soil in the ditch septic transecta where the residuum from health service is dumped, from the ordinary ditch and the outside area from the sanitary landfill so as to compare the results. It was marked four points (north, south, east and west) around each ditch and the outer area and at every point sample was collected samples from the surface, 50cm deep and 1 meter deep totaling 36 samples. It was also carried out an interview at the 15 Basic Health Units from the city with a questionnaire with information about the habits, lifestyle and environmental characteristics and hair sample collection to find out the mercury levels from the dentists (n=15) auxiliaries of oral health (n=15) and a control group, in that case, the community health worker (n=15). The analyzes of the soil and the mercury content in hair were performed by the technique of atomic absorption spectrophotometer coupled to cold generator steam (CVAAS). The study concluded that there is no soil contamination from the landfill where the amalgam waste is disposed, and the results found are below the results found in the prevention and legislation related to the concentration of mercury content in the hair of both groups that were observed, and the results were below the tolerance values. As for the variables (length of service, alcohol consumption, smoking, fish consumption, vision and hearing problems and some neurological symptoms) there was no significant difference related to the concentration of mercury in the hair. Although there was no contamination of the dental staff, it is necessary to make the biological monitoring as it was observed failures during handing and the waste of the amalgam. It was also observed that the management regulations of the health solid waste were not fulfilled, indicating that the public service has to have and follow protocols according to the legislation.