Toward Sustainable Clinical Chemistry: Waste Quantification and Reduction Strategies from Testing on 4 Commonly Used...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Clinical Laboratory Science
• Healthcare Sustainability

Background:

• Clinical laboratories are vital for healthcare but produce considerable environmental waste.
• High test volumes, single-use items, and energy-intensive equipment contribute to laboratory waste.
• Waste includes solid, liquid, and chemical byproducts with potential environmental hazards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify solid and liquid waste generated by basic metabolic panels on common automated chemistry analyzers.
• To categorize waste into pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases.
• To assess the environmental impact, including carbon footprint, of laboratory waste.

Main Methods:

• Quantified solid and liquid waste from basic metabolic panels across four automated chemistry analyzers.
• Categorized waste into pre-analytical, analytical (instrument-specific), and post-analytical components.
• Analyzed chemical constituents for environmental hazards and calculated carbon footprint.

Main Results:

• 100,000 panels generated over 4000 kg of solid waste, with phlebotomy supplies as a major contributor.
• Analyzer-specific dry waste varied 24-fold, and liquid waste varied 32-fold.
• Reagents contained hazardous substances like sodium azide; carbon footprint varied 33-fold.

Conclusions:

• Significant variation in waste output exists among analyzers performing the same tests.
• Reducing laboratory waste requires multifaceted interventions, including test optimization, sample collection, analyzer selection, and procurement policies.
• Clinical laboratories can lead healthcare sustainability efforts by integrating environmental responsibility into operations.