Batchu H, Rakowski D, Fan PL, Meyer DM. Evaluating amalgam separators using an international standard. The Journal of the American Dental Association. 2006 Jul;137(7):999-1005.
Before a practice buys an amalgam separator, someone has to ask: does this box actually meet the international performance bar? ADA researchers put that question to the bench with ISO Standard 11143, the same laboratory protocol regulators and manufacturers cite when they claim “95%+” amalgam removal.
What the study found
The authors tested 13 commercially available amalgam separators plus two filtration devices not marketed as separators but capable of similar use. All devices were run under ISO 11143 conditions, including the standard’s specified amalgam particle-size distribution, and under both “empty” and “full” loading states.
Key results:
- Every separator and both filtration devices exceeded the ISO 95% removal requirement.
- Minimum measured removal was at least 97.05% of amalgam in the ISO test samples.
- Statistical differences existed among devices (some outperformed others).
- For each individual separator, empty vs full performance did not differ significantly.
- Findings aligned with the authors’ earlier 2002 JADA laboratory evaluation, in which 12 separators also cleared the ISO threshold.
[Paywall note: JADA / Elsevier full text may require access (DOI 10.14219/jada.archive.2006.0322; PMID 16803827). Device-by-device efficiency tables beyond the abstract’s ≥97.05% floor were not independently re-tabulated here.]
Why it matters for SMART
SMART’s environmental pillar assumes the vacuum line ends in hardware that keeps amalgam out of public sewers. Batchu et al. confirm that, under ISO lab conditions, modern separators and capable filters clear that bar—often well above 95%. That is necessary but not sufficient: Hylander-type field studies remind us clinic reality can underperform the bench. For patients and communities, the practical message is to choose ISO-capable equipment and maintain it—so the mercury you carefully contain chairside with SMART technique does not reappear downstream. EPA’s later dental effluent rule similarly hinges on ISO 11143–capable separators plus best-management practices.
Practical takeaways
- Look for ISO 11143 competence — Lab clearance at ≥95% (here ≥97.05%) is the baseline.
- Compare models — Statistically meaningful efficiency gaps existed between devices.
- Empty vs full was stable — In this lab design, fill state did not erase performance.
- Install and service correctly — Certification fails if plumbing bypasses or cartridges clog.
- Pair with SMART chairside care — Separators manage wastewater; they do not replace dams, HVE, water, or PPE.
Bottom line: Batchu and colleagues showed 13 amalgam separators and two filtration devices all surpassed ISO 11143’s 95% bar—removing at least 97.05% of amalgam in standardized lab samples—supporting certified, maintained separators as the wastewater half of SMART-aligned mercury hygiene.