Health Care and the Environment

November 4, 11:40 AMOrange County Environmental News ExaminerAnne Davis

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A patient is given the H1N1 flu live virus vaccine.

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

With all the buzz about the pending health care legislation, I got to wondering, how much pollution is generated by those who work in the field of health care? So I looked online and this is what I found.

According the the U.S. EPA, hospital operations can produce emissions of toxic air pollutants, such as mercury and dioxin. For example, mercury is is used in some thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, thermostats, and fluorescent lights. At room temperature, elemental mercury is a liquid and emits toxic vapors, which can be inhaled into the lungs and absorbed into the bloodstream.

Mercury is very toxic to humans, impacting the kidneys, liver, respiratory system, and central nervous system. To combat mercury intoxication, there are many alternatives for devices that use it, such as electronic thermometers and mercury-free preservatives. Mercury can also be recycled for use in devices that still require its use. Dioxin is a potent carcinogen that even at low doses can interfere with normal reproduction and development.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), another toxin, is a chemical used in plastic products, such as IV bags, and surgical tubing. It is a source of toxic air pollutants when incinerated, and some hospitals incinerate their waste onsite. To reduce emissions from this toxin, there are many PVC-free products on the market.

To combat these and other toxins and pollutants in the medical arena, several environmental medical organizations and coalitions have been formed to combat pollution arising from instruments and practices in the medical profession. Here are a few of them:

The Luminary Project is a new Web-based tool promoting the work that nurses do to improve human health by improving the health of the environment. The Web site describes how nurses are leading the way toward safer hospitals; cleaner air, land, and water; and a cleaner environment for children.

Sustainable Hospitals is a project at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. It is a web-based clearinghouse for selecting products and work practices that eliminate or reduce occupational and environmental hazards, maintain quality patient care, and contain costs. Information about latex-free medical gloves, safer needle devices, alternatives to polyvinyl chloride products (PVC), and mercury-free products are included at this site.

Health Care without Harm is a coalition consisting of 337 members in 37 countries. The mission of HCWH is to transform the health care industry so it is no longer a source of environmental harm by eliminating pollution in health care practices without compromising safety or care.

EnviRN by the University of Maryland School of Nursing is dedicated to supporting nursing professionals seeking accurate, timely and credible scientific information on environmental health and nursing.

Environmental Health News is published daily by Environmental Health Sciences, a foundation-funded journalism organization with the mission of advancing the public’s understanding of environmental health issues by publishing its own journalism and providing access to worldwide news about a variety of environmental subjects related to the health of humans, wildlife and ecosystems.

For more information...

• Hospitals for a Healthy Environment
• Health Care Without Harm
• American Hospital Association
  
• American Nurses Association
• Sustainable Hospitals Project
• Healthcare Environmental Resource Center
  
• EPA Air Toxics Web Site
  
• Community-Based Projects
  
• Community information, regional, state contacts