Source avec lien : Journal of Hospital Infection, 118. 10.1016/j.jhin.2021.10.001
Les professionnels de la santé doivent tenir compte de la durabilité environnementale lorsqu’ils utilisent des équipements de protection individuelle (EPI). Les gants sont l’un des équipements de protection individuelle les plus fréquemment utilisés dans le milieu médical. Cette étude vise à quantifier l’impact environnemental des gants stériles et non stériles en utilisant la méthodologie de l’analyse du cycle de vie (ACV).
Background Healthcare professionals should consider environmental sustainability when using personal protective equipment (PPE). One of the most frequently used items of PPE in medical settings are gloves. Aim This study aims to quantify the environmental impact of sterile versus non-sterile gloves using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Methods This study used three glove types: non-sterile gloves and sterile gloves (latex and latex-free). Sixteen different environmental impact categories were used to demonstrate the impact of each glove type. Findings Non-sterile gloves had the least environmental impact in all categories. The two types of sterile gloves, non-latex (synthetic rubber) and latex (natural rubber), performed similarly, although the non-latex gloves had a greater impact on ozone depletion, mineral use and ionizing radiation. For climate change impact, sterile latex gloves were 11.6 times higher than non-sterile gloves. This study found that for both sterile type gloves (latex and non-latex), the manufacture of the gloves contributes to the most considerable environmental impact, with an average of 64.37% for sterile latex gloves and 60.48% for non-latex sterile gloves. Conclusion Using the LCA methodology, this study quantitatively demonstrated the environmental impact of sterile versus non-sterile gloves.