Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Jun;69(4):498-508.
doi: 10.1111/1754-9485.13867. Epub 2025 May 19.

A Greener Path for Interventional Radiology

Sara Lojo-Lendoiro  1 , Jose María Abadal Villayandre  2 , Elena Lonjedo Vincent  3 , Ángel Morales Santos  4 , Àlex Rovira  5
Affiliations
Review

A Greener Path for Interventional Radiology

Sara Lojo-Lendoiro et al. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol. 2025 Jun.

Abstract

The healthcare sector contributes substantially to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with hospital services being a major source. Interventional radiology (IR), as a resource-intensive subspecialty, has a disproportionately high environmental impact due to its reliance on advanced imaging equipment, sterile disposable materials and climate-controlled facilities. This narrative review aims to raise awareness of the environmental responsibilities of interventional radiologists and propose practical strategies to reduce the carbon, water and ecological footprints associated with IR procedures and operations. The manuscript describes best practices in energy and waste management, the use of environmentally friendly equipment and sustainable facility design, while addressing current barriers to their implementation. Through evidence-based recommendations and practical examples, this position paper advocates for a greener and more sustainable future in interventional radiology.

Keywords: carbon footprint; ecological footprint; environmental impact; greenhouse gas; sustainability; water footprint.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. P. Prabhakaranf, F. Armstrong, and J. Karliner, “Decarbonising the Healthcare Sector: A Roadmap for G20 Countries,” T20 Policy Brief: Task Force 3, https://www.orfonline.org/wp‐content/uploads/2023/06/T20_PolicyBrief_TF3... (2023).
    1. B. Sampath, M. Jensen, J. Lenoci‐Edwards, K. Little, H. Singh, and J. D. Sherman, “Reducing Healthcare Carbon Emissions: A Primer on Measures and Actions for Healthcare Organizations to Mitigate Climate Change,” Publication No. 22‐M011. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2022).
    1. E. Picano, C. Mangia, and A. D'Andrea, “Climate Change, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Medical Imaging Contribution,” Journal of Clinical Medicine 12, no. 1 (2022): 215, https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12010215.
    1. A. Roletto, M. Zanardo, G. R. Bonfitto, D. Catania, F. Sardanelli, and S. Zanoni, “The Environmental Impact of Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions in Radiology Departments: A Systematic Review,” European Radiology Experimental 8, no. 1 (2024): 35, https://doi.org/10.1186/s41747‐024‐00424‐6.
    1. A. L. B. Chua, R. Amin, J. Zhang, C. L. Thiel, and J. S. Gross, “The Environmental Impact of Interventional Radiology: An Evaluation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions From an Academic Interventional Radiology Practice,” Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology 32, no. 6 (2021): 907–915, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvir.2021.03.531.

Substances

LinkOut - more resources