A Canadian hospital's initiative to lower their carbon footprint and reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions
January 16, 2025
As awareness of climate change and its causes grows, hospitals in North America, Canada and Europe are adopting innovative technologies to mitigate the impact of anesthetic gases used in operating rooms.
This specific hospital is the largest hospital in British Columbia, Canada and the third largest hospital in all of Canada by bed count. They have 37 operating rooms with plans to add an additional fifteen by 2028. They installed and optimized the HDR system from October 2023 to March 2024 and the HDR was connected to 16 operating rooms.
Challenge
They aimed to reduce the global warming effects of halogenated gases used for anesthesia while maintaining patient safety and comfort. Despite the use of hospital gas scavenging systems (AGSS), some commonly used inhaled anesthetics are exhaled and released into the atmosphere. These gases possess a global warming potential (GWP) up to 7000 times greater than CO2. Although their overall usage is low compared to other greenhouse gases, their significant GWP and long atmospheric lifetimes make them notable contributors to climate change.
Solution
The Canadian hospital collaborated with Class1, a sister company of BeaconMedaes, to implement the Halogenated Drug Recovery (HDR) system. This system effectively captures the halogenated gases exhausted from the hospital Anesthetic Gas Scavenging (AGS) systems, preventing them from entering the environment. Studies conducted by the company have demonstrated that the HDR system can remove up to 99% of fluorinated anesthetic gases widely used today.
Results
During a six-month study, nearly 35 tons of CO2-equivalent gases were prevented from being released into the atmosphere, comparable to removing approximately 82 barrels of oil from consumption. They have successfully maintained high standards of patient care, emphasizing safety and comfort, while significantly reducing its carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. Class1 and BeaconMedaes continue to monitor and service the HDR systems, ensuring that they uphold its commitment to a healthier, safer, and greener future.