Environmental Implications of Anesthetic Gases

Abstract

For several decades, anesthetic gases have greatly enhanced the comfort and outcome for patients during surgery. The benefits of these agents have heavily outweighed the risks. In recent years, the attention towards their overall contribution to global climate change and the environment has increased. Anesthesia providers have a responsibility to minimize unnecessary atmospheric pollution by utilizing techniques that can lessen any adverse effects of these gases on the environment. Moreover, health care facilities that use anesthetic gases are accountable for ensuring that all anesthesia equipment, including the scavenging system, is effective and routinely maintained. Implementing preventive practices and simple strategies can promote the safest and most healthy environment.

Validation of Waste Anaesthetic Gas Exposure Limits When Using a Closed Vaporizer Filling System: A Laboratory-Based Study

“…Leakage of WAG can result from many causes, including but not limited to the filling of anaesthetic vaporizers [11]. The results of this study support the use of the closed anaesthetic filling system, which can be an effective tool as part of an efficient WAG management system.…”

“…Halogenated inhaled anaesthetics are volatile liquids that are transferred from a closed bottle to a vaporizer using a valving system, which allows the anaesthetic agent to be poured into the vaporizer [10]. Although precautionary practices are often set to minimise excess anaesthetic gas leakage [2,5], contamination of operating rooms can still occur through different pathways, including improper anaesthetic handling techniques that cause spillage of anaesthetics during the filling of vaporizers [11].…”

Adsorption Behavior of Halogenated Anesthetic and Water Vapor on Cr‐Based MOF (MIL‐101) Adsorbent. Part I. Equilibrium and Breakthrough Characterizations

“…Only a minor part of the currently available halogenated anesthetics, such as sevoflurane (SF), isoflurane, and desflurane, are metabolized in vivo. With the anomalously long atmospheric lifetimes, even a small amount of halogenated anesthetics will give a large atmospheric contamination, especially when the halogenated anesthetics have the potential to act as greenhouse gases with a global warming potential (GWP) three orders of magnitude higher than that of carbon dioxide [4]. Most of the halogenated anesthetics can remain in the atmosphere for a long time, with atmospheric lifetimes of 1.4, 5, and 21.4 years for sevoflurane, isoflurane, and desflurane, respectively [2,3].…”

Huella de carbono en el Hospital Base de Puerto Montt

“…Entre las características de este gas destaca lograr analgesia profunda, neuroprotección, estabilidad hemodinámica y carecer de efectos ecotóxicos conocidos. Sin embargo, su uso se ve limitado por el alto consumo de energía que requiere su producción (220 W/h para 1L de xenón) 13,17 . Las opciones de las que actualmente disponemos para disminuir la huella de carbono han sido revisadas por McGain et al 18 y se resumen en la Tabla 2.…”