Study Carried to Evaluate the Financial Cost of Unsustainable Practices in a Radiology Department

A team led by Colin J. McCarthy MB BCh FFR(RCSI) from the Department of Radiology, St. Vincent's University Hospital (Dublin, Ireland) has carried out a study to monitor power consumption, audit waste recycling, and investigate what medical equipment vendors are doing to limit the environmental impact of their products.

The team monitored power consumption in their own radiology departments using an off-the-shelf power monitor and relevant technical manuals. The team focused on the environmental and financial cost of not switching off equipment on weekends and overnight. Another approach was to query vendors about their approach towards innovation for sustainability.

The study found that nearly all Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) reporting workstations (25 of 27), many desktop computers (29 of 43), and air-conditioning systems were not shutdown at night or on weekends resulting in waste a yearly cost of about USD 7,253 and resources and unnecessary Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions comparable to the yearly emissions of more than 10 private vehicles.

The research team came to the conclusion that simply turning off computers or air-conditioning units, and enabling hibernate or sleep modes in computer equipment brings about significant long-term financial and environmental benefits.

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St. Vincent's University Hospital