Towards a Greener Radiology: A Comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment Framework for Diagnostic Imaging

The increasing focus on environmental sustainability is becoming essential in the
radiology sector, which is accredited for about 10 % of the healthcare industry’s carbon
footprint. A multitude of research initiatives investigated the environmental impacts of
diagnostic imaging. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) stands as a prominent method for
structural assessment of environmental impacts, offering a tool for examining the
environmental consequences of specific processes. The aim of this study includes analysing
existing LCA approaches in the literature to identify their limitations and to suggest a
comprehensive LCA framework for diagnostic imaging. Of the original articles on
environmental sustainability in radiology published since 2014, five have described an LCA
approach. About the boundaries of their systems, all studies considered the electricity
consumption of imaging equipment. Usage of consumables was included in 80 % (4/5) of the
studies, as well as energy consumption of auxiliary equipment and Heating, Ventilation and
Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. Only 40 % (2/5) of articles considered waste generation,
cleaning and disposal of products used during imaging activities. The articles also varied in
their LCA approach, with different life cycle assessment methods. Insights from this analysis
led to the identification of differences in LCA methodological approaches in imaging found
in the literature. In addition, a new LCA framework designed to overcome the limitations
observed in existing research was proposed, offering a more comprehensive analysis. The
objective may be the development of more targeted strategies to reduce Greenhouse Gas
(GHG) emissions associated with diagnostic procedures.