Nursing practices are directly and indirectly responsible for a significant share of indiscriminate pollution, including some of the most toxic types of waste, according to a review by Dublin City University (DCU).
Environmental issues in nursing practice have failed to change over the last decade, leading to an increased level of harm to the patient, healthcare workers and the wider public from environmental issues relating to healthcare practices and by-products.
Author of the review, Michael McKeon, a lecturer in the school of nursing in DCU, concluded that the main environmental concerns surround the use of mercury, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalate (DEHP), medical waste, building practices, toxic cleaners and pesticides. He noted that the review is not about blaming particular establishments but intended to highlight precautionary principles that can be applied.
"Each environmental concern causes a certain level of harm in the Irish healthcare system and all are specific within healthcare settings that nurses have control over. Nurses have to influence change if not demand and implement the change themselves, curtailing the level of the healthcare compounds, buildings and practices that cause harm in the environment," Mr McKeon said.
Medical waste incinerators are a leading source of air pollutants, especially dioxins and mercury. Birth defects, reduced fertility, immune system disorders and many forms of cancer can be linked to dioxin exposure, according to the report.