The industry of health care is closely connected to the industrial activities sector, which has the largest impact on the atmosphere through polluting the air, soil, and waters (Eckelman & Sherman, 2016). Researchers have extensively studied how harmful emissions from production and other operations can be attributed to the sector of health care and whether the industry harms the population’s health. According to the recent research conducted by Eckelman and Sherman (2016), the prevention of health sector pollution is of high importance due to the variability of waste that the industry produces.
For instance, ambient air pollution is concerning for researchers because it is associated with emitting fine particulate matter into the air through various vehicles such as stationary sources or fuel combustion. Air pollution is especially important to consider when discussing the impact of the healthcare industry on the environment because emissions have proven to damage public health, leading to increased healthcare costs for citizens. It has been reported that, on average, Americans pay $3.4 trillion per year for medical care without getting any “impressive results” (Bloom, 2017, para. 1). This figure is expected to grow with the expansion of industries since the harmful emissions into the atmosphere along with growing landfills only harm a society’s health.
While air pollution is a preoccupying aspect of the healthcare industry that deserves greater attention, it is crucial to discuss plastic waste. The largest category of plastic waste that the healthcare industry produces is disposable packaging, which makes up roughly 50% of total waste (Circle Economy, n.d.). Such plastic is produced from more than fifteen different materials, which is challenging for the recycling industry. It has been advised to facilitate a shift towards the use of a single material, which will subsequently lead to better recycling and recovery of disposable plastic packaging (Circle Economy, n.d.). Even though the healthcare industry aims to preserve and improve populations’ health, it harms the environment due to the use of disposable products and emitting harmful particles into the air.
References
Bloom, E. (2017). Here’s how much the average American spends on health care.Web.
Circle Economy. (n.d.). Healthcare plastic waste. Web.
Eckelman, M., & Sherman, J. (2016). Environmental impacts of the U.S. health care system and effects on public health. PLoS ONE, 11(6), 1-14.