Sustainability comparison of three clinical laboratory analytical systems in Spain

Clinical laboratories face growing demands to balance healthcare needs with cost and resource efficiency. Solutions that optimise space, cut costs, and minimise water use and waste offer a competitive edge. This study compares water consumption, waste generation, and reagent efficiency across three analytical systems.

Analytical solutions from Roche Diagnostics, S.L., Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, and Siemens Healthineers were compared in seven regional hospital laboratories in the provinces of Córdoba and Jaén from 2013 to 2019. The activity of each laboratory, water consumption, amount of solid and liquid waste produced, and reagent efficiency were calculated with the associated costs during these periods.

Centre activity levels were stable, with yearly changes usually below 7 %. There was no environmental impact from water consumption from 2016 to 2017 with Ortho analysers. The average annual water consumption using conventional analytical solutions was 2,100 m³. The solid waste management costs of all the laboratories showed no significant variations over time, with an average annual expenditure of approximately €16,000. By contrast, a marked reduction in liquid waste was observed between 2015 and 2018, with liquid waste management costs across the public healthcare network decreasing by an average of €41,278 annually (-85 %). Reagent efficiency depended on hospital structure, complexity, and the quantity of reagent presentations per test. Dry chemistry methods overall demonstrated the highest level of efficiency.

The implementation of dry chemistry analytical platforms resulted in significant savings in reagents, liquid waste, water consumption, and related consumables.