45 – Healthcare Providers and Services, and Healthcare Technology

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Sustainability Category Topic Topic Specification (if available) Explanation Reference(s) 1 Constituency Many hospitals are reducing pesticides by using integrated pest management techniques Many hospitals are choosing safer, less toxic building materials for new construction and renovation projects. Green chemistry is the design of products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry seeks to reduce and prevent pollution at its source. High-priority chemicals and materials include: Mercury PVC (vinyl plastic) and phthalates Brominated flame retardants Glutaraldehyde and ethylene oxide Pesticides Volatile organic compounds in building materials Hazardous ingredients in cleaning products. Green chemistry is the design of products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry seeks to reduce and prevent pollution at its source. The ubiquitous exposure to toxic chemicals in everyday life has increasingly become a health concern. Unfortunately, many products used in health care contribute to hazardous exposures — including cleaners and disinfectants, phthalates in medical devices, flame retardants in furniture, formaldehyde in furniture and solvents in labs. Emerging scientific research is raising the level of Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know? HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND SERVICES, AND HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY May 2013 Page 2 of 26
Sustainability Category Topic Topic Specification (if available) Explanation Reference(s) 1 Constituency concern about the health impacts of chronic chemical exposures. We now know that: Even small doses of chemicals can cause disease — interfering with sexual development, disrupting hormones and causing cancer at very low levels. Children and developing babies are most vulnerable. Hundreds of synthetic chemicals are found in human breast milk and in the cord blood of babies in the womb. Chemicals can act like drugs in our body, disrupting systems at low levels of exposure, and potentially causing harm in combination. Chemical Related Diseases: As chemical use has grown in industrialized societies, so have chemical-related diseases, including cancer, asthma, birth defects, developmental disabilities, autism, endometriosis and infertility. Mounting scientific evidence links the incidence of these diseases in part to environmental toxicants. Health care institutions have a particular ethical responsibility to use products containing chemicals that pose less risk to human health — and due to their massive buying power, the health care system can play a key role in shifting the economy toward green chemistry. A growing number of hospitals are taking a "better safe than sorry" approach to chemicals — eliminating suspected hazards and switching to safer alternatives. Benefits of this approach to the bottom line can include reduced disposal costs, reduced liability and improved health for employees. Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know? HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND SERVICES, AND HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY May 2013 Page 3 of 26
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45 – Healthcare Providers and Services, and Healthcare Technology

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