“The Call For Action” Eco-Friendly Healthcare

Written by Chicagohealers.com practitioner Dr Steven Koos, D.D.S, M.D.–

Part I: “The Call For Action” — Eco-Friendly Healthcare

We live in a world where concern for the environment and sustainable development – minimizing the impact of our consumption of renewable resources – is a necessary and growing consideration for everyone. Business and industry alike are paying close attention to this trend because energy-efficiency and sustainability positively reflect their values as good corporate citizens, and has an impact on overhead and profitability. As such, “the ultimate purpose of business is not, or should not be, simply to make money. Nor is it merely a system of making and selling things. The promise of business is to increase the general well-being of humankind through service, a creative invention and ethical philosophy.” (Paul Hawken, 1993; The Ecology of Commerce)

The health care industry fits very well into Paul Hawken’s proclamation. It is a business, which indeed specifically exists to promote the wellbeing of humankind through service and ethical philosophies such as the Hippocratic Oath. The Hippocratic Oath, originating in the 4th century B.C., is an oath that has been traditionally taken by physicians pertaining to the ethical practice of health care. Derivations of the oath have modified over the years in various countries, schools, and societies as the social, religious, and political importance of health care has evolved. The primary tenant of the oath, “Above all, do no harm,” still continues to be the foundation for the practice of all types of health care today. However, with the realization that human health and environmental health are inextricably linked, it now becomes paramount that health care providers need to also foster global/planetary health in their regimen and thereby “Do no harm to the environment.” Therefore, an additional practice tenant needs to emerge: What is good for the planet is good for the patient and what is good for the patient is good for the environment. Given this, there is a call for action, whereby health care providers have the obligation to also serve as environmental educators and to become advocates and stewards for the environment.

There must be a paradigm shift that occurs within medicine and dentistry, which will lead the healthcare industry to take a proactive stance. We can continue to simply treat cancer, support learning-disabled children, develop extreme measures to improve fertility and offer palliative treatment for the outcomes of diseases, such as asthma, nervous system disorders, immune deficiency diseases, etc., or we can choose to direct resources toward reducing the hazardous chemicals that contribute to these health problems instead. We must focus on the precautionary principal, preventing toxic substances from getting into the environment and into our bodies, preventative care, as well as waste reduction, energy-efficiency and sustainability.

So what are some instances when health care can actually do harm?
Unfortunately, almost every healthcare setting world-wide: hospitals, ambulatory facilities, extended care facilities, urgent-care facilities, medical offices and dental offices utilize PBT (persistent bio-accumulative toxins), VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other harmful chemicals and elements, which with exposure can adversely affect the health of team members, patients and the environment. In addition, medical waste incinerators are a leading source of dangerous air pollutants. As early as 1994, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identified medical waste incineration as the leading source of dioxin, a potent carcinogen (www.epa.gov). Dioxin is one of 12 chemicals targeted for elimination under a new United Nations treaty on persistent organic pollutants (www.chm.pops.int). Mercury is also a potent neurotoxin that can affect the brain, spinal cord, kidneys, and liver. In the U.S., up to one in 10 women already carries enough mercury in her body to pose a threat of neurological damage to her fetus (www.noharm.org). The U.S. ranks the health care sector as the fourth largest source of mercury air emissions due to their contribution via medical waste incinerators (www.noharm.org). PBDEs (Polybrominated diphenyl ethers) and HBCDs (hexabromocyclododecanes) are flame-retardant chemicals that are applied to a wide variety of everyday items such as upholstery, foam cushions, and electronics, which can all be found throughout health care facilities. PBDEs have been shown to have adverse effects (e.g., interfering with reproduction and development) in mammals, birds, and invertebrates at environmentally relevant exposures (McKernan, M.A., B.A. Rattner, B.K. Ackerson, M.E. Barton, K.S. Schoen, R.C. Hale, and M.A. Ottinger. 2006. Comparative toxicity of polybrominated flame retardants in avian embryos. 2006 Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Meeting). Additionally, PBDEs have been shown to produce carcinogenic, endocrine-modulating, developmental, reproductive, and neurotoxicological effects (Birnbaum, L. 2005. PBDEs: Toxicology update 2005. Baltimore, Maryland: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). PBDEs do not chemically bind to the substrates to which they are applied, and so they are easily liberated. These moderately long-lived molecules are primarily released into the atmosphere, where they can be transported globally and readily bio-accumulate in biological tissues. Recent research shows that PBDE tissue burdens are doubling in humans and animals every two to five years, with levels in human breast milk recently showing dramatic increases, especially in the United States and Canada (Birnbaum, L. 2006. Median levels of PBDE 47, 99, 153 in human milk from different countries. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Experimental Toxicology Division). Lastly, PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) plastic and DEHP (Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate) are used extensively within the health care industry. PVC is a plastic polymer that is used in a wide array of products. Unplasticized PVC is hard and brittle at room temperature. A plasticizer (softener) is typically added to increase the flexibility of the polymer. “PVC plastic, commonly referred to as vinyl, is one of the most hazardous consumer products ever created. PVC is dangerous to human health and the environment throughout its entire life cycle, at the factory, in our homes, and in the trash. Our bodies are contaminated with poisonous chemicals released during the PVC lifecycle, such as mercury, dioxins, and phthalates, which may pose irreversible life-long health threats. When produced or burned, PVC plastic releases dioxins, a group of the most potent synthetic chemicals ever tested, which can cause cancer and harm the immune and reproductive systems” (www.besafe.net).

Overall, with regard to waste, the numbers are staggering. Within the healthcare industry actual documented toxic bio-hazardous medical waste generation for our region of the world alone is approximately 6lbs/person/year, which amounts to an astounding 1,108,000 + tons per year and rapidly growing (World Health Organization www.who.int). Fortunately, the growing global concern for these problems and desperate need for action has led to the formation of several organizations and benchmarks in the industry, such as a new USGBC? (United States Green Building Council) rating system – LEED? For Healthcare (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the GGHC (Green Guide For Health Care), Practice GreenHealth, Teleosis Institute, HCWH (Health Care Without Harm), Mercury-free Health Care, and the EDA (Eco-Dentistry Association). The opportunities in the fields of medicine and dentistry are significant to improve environmental quality and human wellness through diligent green planning, design, construction and subsequent operations and maintenance practices. The practice of Eco-Friendly Dentistry?, once it is universally adopted, will prove to be an extremely important part of the solution.

Please stay posted for Part II: Eco-Friendly DentistryTM – A Newly Evolving Practice of Dentistry.

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Steven A. Koos D.D.S., M.D. http://www.chicagohealers.com/eco-friendly-healthcare/ora-oral-surgery-implant-studio/
www.OraSurgery.com and www.OraDentalStudio.com
ChicagoHealers.com mission is the education and advocacy of natural medicine and a holistic lifestyle.
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