Uncovering the future environmental burdens of medical waste disposal in China and mitigation pathways

IF 11.2 1区 环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL Resources Conservation and Recycling Pub Date : 2025-01-08 DOI:10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.108116
Yunchang Ding , Qiuxia Zou , Zeguo Yang , Sha Liang , Huijie Hou , Wenbo Yu , Yufei Yang , Huabo Duan , Jiakuan Yang
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Abstract

The rapid expansion of healthcare facilities plays a critical role in achieving health-related United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3. However, managing the increasing volume of medical waste (MW) presents a major challenge for nations worldwide. This study conducts a comparative life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impacts and costs of various MW disposal pathways within the context of China. Particular focus is placed on carbon emission intensity, alongside national-level estimations and projections of total emissions. The results reveal that sterilization combined with waste-to-energy (WtE) technology has the lowest environmental impact, averaging 568 (±71) kg CO2 eq per tonne of MW. In contrast, the landfill and WtE combination yields the highest economic benefit, with profits reaching $155 per tonne when accounting for local government subsidies. Nationally, MW disposal-related carbon emissions in China are projected to peak at approximately 2.50 (±0.13) million tonnes CO2 eq by 2036. However, with effective management and significant mitigation efforts, these emissions could decrease by up to 78 % compared to the business-as-usual scenario by 2050.

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来源期刊
Resources Conservation and Recycling
Resources Conservation and Recycling 环境科学-工程:环境
CiteScore
22.90
自引率
6.10%
发文量
625
审稿时长
23 days
期刊介绍: The journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling welcomes contributions from research, which consider sustainable management and conservation of resources. The journal prioritizes understanding the transformation processes crucial for transitioning toward more sustainable production and consumption systems. It highlights technological, economic, institutional, and policy aspects related to specific resource management practices such as conservation, recycling, and resource substitution, as well as broader strategies like improving resource productivity and restructuring production and consumption patterns. Contributions may address regional, national, or international scales and can range from individual resources or technologies to entire sectors or systems. Authors are encouraged to explore scientific and methodological issues alongside practical, environmental, and economic implications. However, manuscripts focusing solely on laboratory experiments without discussing their broader implications will not be considered for publication in the journal.
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