William Purves, President of Packs Solutions, LLC, was invited to the United Nations Convention COP3 on mercury in Geneva, Switzerland on 2019 November 25-29.  The convention is named the “Minamata COP3” after the Japanese city in which high levels of mercury and methyl mercury poisoned hundreds of people causing death and permanent disabilities.  Dental amalgam was ranked by the convention as one of the top four sources of mercury impacting the environment today. During the convention, Mr. Purves presented his breakthrough studies regarding dental amalgam and its impact on the environment.

Mr. Purves presented ground-breaking data regarding the rate and levels of mercury generated as amalgam dissolves in water.  The data demonstrated how high levels of dissolved mercury coming from dental amalgam enters the environment and becomes a hazardous source of mercury in the air and water.  The dissolved mercury in water is extremely difficult to remove and directly impacts our food sources, including plants, animals and fish.  Mr. Purves created a system where mercury from a dental office can be removed in a convenient and cost-effective manner.

Mr. Purves presented for the first time a system which could significantly reduce mercury discharging from a dental office. The system did not change any operational procedures by the dentist or hygienist; it simply became a part of the existing dental hardware.  The system consisted of the Packs Solution Super Trap along with US EPA required cleaners and disinfectants and an advanced technology amalgam separator utilizing activated carbon. 

The system is used by several dental offices in the United States. Several other countries including Finland, Norway, Australia, Kuwait, and South Africa have shown an interest in adopting the system presented by Mr. Purves.  In addition to a higher quality of mercury removal, the system presented by Mr. Purves is a more cost-effective solution than older separators in use by dentists.