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The environmental impact of energy consumption and carbon emissions in radiology departments: a systematic review.
Roletto, Andrea; Zanardo, Moreno; Bonfitto, Giuseppe Roberto; Catania, Diego; Sardanelli, Francesco; Zanoni, Simone.
Afiliación
  • Roletto A; Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Via Branze 38, 25123, Brescia, Italy. andrea.roletto@unibs.it.
  • Zanardo M; Radiology Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Via Morandi 30, 20097, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
  • Bonfitto GR; Department of Information Engineering, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Via Branze 38, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
  • Catania D; Health Professions Leadership and Management Unit, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
  • Sardanelli F; Radiology Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Via Morandi 30, 20097, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
  • Zanoni S; Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 31, 20133, Milan, Italy.
Eur Radiol Exp ; 8(1): 35, 2024 Feb 29.
Article en En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38418763
ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES:

Energy consumption and carbon emissions from medical equipment like CT/MRI scanners and workstations contribute to the environmental impact of healthcare facilities. The aim of this systematic review was to identify all strategies to reduce energy use and carbon emissions in radiology.

METHODS:

In June 2023, a systematic review (Medline/Embase/Web of Science) was performed to search original articles on environmental sustainability in radiology. The extracted data include environmental sustainability topics (e.g., energy consumption, carbon footprint) and radiological devices involved. Sustainable actions and environmental impact in radiology settings were analyzed. Study quality was assessed using the QualSyst tool.

RESULTS:

From 918 retrieved articles, 16 met the inclusion criteria. Among them, main topics were energy consumption (10/16, 62.5%), life-cycle assessment (4/16, 25.0%), and carbon footprint (2/16, 12.5%). Eleven studies reported that 40-91% of the energy consumed by radiological devices can be defined as "nonproductive" (devices "on" but not working). Turning-off devices during idle periods 9/16 (56.2%) and implementing workflow informatic tools (2/16, 12.5%) were the sustainable actions identified. Energy-saving strategies were reported in 8/16 articles (50%), estimating annual savings of thousand kilowatt-hours (14,180-171,000 kWh). Cost-savings were identified in 7/16 (43.7%) articles, ranging from US $9,225 to 14,328 per device. Study quality was over or equal the 80% of high-quality level in 14/16 (87.5%) articles.

CONCLUSION:

Energy consumption and environmental sustainability in radiology received attention in literature. Sustainable actions include turning-off radiological devices during idle periods, favoring the most energy-efficient imaging devices, and educating radiological staff on energy-saving practices, without compromising service quality. RELEVANCE STATEMENT A non-negligible number of articles - mainly coming from North America and Europe - highlighted the need for energy-saving strategies, attention to equipment life-cycle assessment, and carbon footprint reduction in radiology, with a potential for cost-saving outcome. KEY POINTS • Energy consumption and environmental sustainability in radiology received attention in the literature (16 articles published from 2010 to 2023). • A substantial portion (40-91%) of the energy consumed by radiological devices was classified as "non-productive" (devices "on" but not working). • Sustainable action such as shutting down devices during idle periods was identified, with potential annual energy savings ranging from 14,180 to 171,000 kWh.
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Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Servicio de Radiología en Hospital / Huella de Carbono Límite: Humans Idioma: En Revista: Eur Radiol Exp Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Italia

Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Servicio de Radiología en Hospital / Huella de Carbono Límite: Humans Idioma: En Revista: Eur Radiol Exp Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Italia