Biomedical Research and the Environment - Presentation

USF Health Mission: Making Life Better
Biomedical Research and the Environment - Presentation: "Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) is a coalition of over 240 member organizations in more than 16 countries whose mission is to reduce the public health and environmental impacts of the health care industry without compromising patient safety or care. The campaign was developed in response to the observation that medical waste incinerators are among the leading sources of environmental dioxin and mercury emissions. Each of these environmental contaminants represents a threat to public health and wildlife at current exposure levels. Nearly all mercury containing materials in healthcare institutions can be substituted with non-mercury alternatives. Dioxin emissions may be substantially reduced by replacing polyvinylchloride (PVC) with non-PVC alternatives where available, removing PVC from the waste stream, eliminating non-essential incineration, and maximizing combustion conditions when incineration can not be avoided. Altered purchasing practices and materials reuse and recycling minimize the volume and toxicity of the waste stream. Waste segregation minimizes the volume of regulated medical waste and optimizes recycling opportunities, leading to substantial savings in disposal costs. HCWH has developed numerous educational and training materials designed to help community members and those working within the health care industry reduce the adverse impacts of the health care system on public health and the environment. "