Evaluation of silver composistion and leaching of radiografic file for dentistry use

Abstract

When searching for a diagnosis or following certain procedures in the dentistry field, it is common to use radiographs, whose films are produced by adding a silver salt to a gelatin deposited on a polyester blade. The objective of this work was to evaluate the composition of radiographic films for dental use (periapical) through X-ray diffraction (XRD), field effect scanning electron microscopy (FEG) and X-ray dispersive energy spectroscopy (EDS) and, determine the silver concentration via atomic absorption spectroscopy in the extracts obtained using the Tessier method. Through the EDS, the presence of several elements was verified, with silver being the most abundant when the film is submitted to the development and fixation processes. By X-ray diffraction, metallic silver was detected in the revealed and fixed films and, in extracts obtained through the use of the Tessier method, silver was found in concentrations above those allowed in effluents according to CONAMA resolution 430/11.