The Environmental Impact of Pediatric Endoscopy: Small Feet Have a Disproportionately Large Carbon Footprint

Area of Science:

• Medical Science
• Environmental Science
• Healthcare Sustainability

Background:

• Gastrointestinal endoscopy is crucial for life-saving diagnostics and therapeutics.
• The environmental impact of endoscopy, including its carbon footprint, is a growing concern.
• Single-use devices and energy-intensive disinfection contribute to endoscopy's environmental burden.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the environmental impact of pediatric endoscopy for the first time.
• To quantify the disposable waste generated per pediatric endoscopy case.
• To evaluate the energy consumption during pediatric endoscopy procedures.

Main Methods:

• A two-week audit of a pediatric endoscopy unit was conducted.
• Waste generated per procedure was measured.
• Annualized carbon footprint was calculated based on audit data.

Main Results:

• Pediatric endoscopy procedures generated an average of 3.48 kg of waste per case.
• The annualized carbon footprint for the pediatric endoscopy unit was estimated at 108.32 metric tons.
• Differences in practice settings between adult and pediatric endoscopy may influence carbon footprints.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric endoscopy has a substantial environmental impact, primarily due to waste generation.
• Opportunities exist to reduce the carbon footprint through procedure optimization and hazardous waste reduction.
• Further research is needed to compare the environmental impact of pediatric and adult endoscopy practices.