The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists 1971 standard threshold limit value (TLV) of 0.55 mgHg/m of air was found to be exceeded frequently in a sample of 60 dental operatories in San Antonio, Texas. Significant differences in contamination among laboratories were found, among sites within operatories, and among times of day, correlated with kilograms of mercury used, average number of amalgams inserted per day, age of operatories, height of carpeting pile, cleaning methods, frequency of cleaning, and general lack of routine monitoring and use of bioassays. Recommendations for control of metallic mercury contamination in dental operatories are offered.
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