Amalgam has long been the subject of controversy for they have long been associated with mercury due to their overall appearance and a few remarks form dentists who say they do have the nasty element. Studies have shown again and again that there is not much in terms of mercury when it comes to dental amalgam and the noted existence may have been limited to specific batches of contaminated products that may have been unknowingly spiked with mercury. Researchers in chemistry have developed an easy way of detecting mercury in contaminated fish and surprisingly also works well for dental amalgam.
The reaction that results in the florescence that gives and indication that there is mercury in the test sample is primarily made form alkenes, hydrocarbon compounds that react with the ions released by mercury. The test is way better than current testing methods due to the immediate reaction time (10 to 30 minutes) opposed to other methods that requires samples be oxidized before they can be tested. This is indeed a better way of testing dental amalgam for safety and sanity’s sake, ensuring mercury free dental fillings and fish!
