Steps Toward Environmental Sustainability in Interventional Radiology

Area of Science:

• Environmental science
• Healthcare sustainability
• Radiology

Background:

• Climate change and environmental degradation present significant global health risks.
• Healthcare, including interventional radiology (IR), is resource-intensive and has historically overlooked environmental sustainability.
• Urgent implementation of sustainable healthcare practices is necessary.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the environmental impact of interventional radiology (IR).
• To identify and propose actionable strategies for sustainable practices within the IR suite.
• To address barriers and promote a culture of environmental responsibility in IR.

Main Methods:

• Review of environmental impact across three domains: energy consumption, waste production, and water pollution.
• Identification of actionable mitigation strategies for each domain.
• Analysis of barriers to sustainable practice adoption and potential solutions.

Main Results:

• IR contributes to environmental impact through energy use, waste generation, and water pollution.
• Key strategies include energy conservation (powering down, eco-modes), waste minimization (reducing single-use items, recycling), and pollution control (contrast media recycling).
• Incorporating sustainability into quality improvement programs is recommended.

Conclusions:

• Transitioning IR to sustainable practices requires addressing barriers like lack of awareness and financial constraints.
• Leadership from professional societies and industry collaboration are crucial for systemic change.
• Individual departments can initiate cultural shifts towards environmental responsibility.