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Environmental audits and process flow mapping to assess management of solid waste and wastewater from a healthcare facility: an Italian case study

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Abstract

In Europe, there are an increasing number of policy and legislative drivers for a more sustainable approach to the management of natural resources as well as for the mitigation of environmental health risks. However, despite significant progress in recent years, there is still some way to go to achieve circularity of process, as well as risk mitigation within organisations. Using a case study of the Gardone Val Trompia hospital in northern Italy, this manuscript offers a novel holistic examination of strategies to enhance resource efficiency and environmental health within a key sector, i.e. the healthcare sector. Through the use of environmental audits and process flow mapping, trends in waste and wastewater arisings and the associated financial and environmental costs and risks were identified. Recommendations for developing more resource efficient approaches as well as mitigating the environmental and public health risks are suggested. These include strategies for improved resource efficiency (including reduction in the hazardous waste) and reduced environmental impacts during the containment, transport and treatment of the waste.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Simone Baronio and Francesco Vitali for their fundamental support in data collection and analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture, Land, Environment and Mathematics, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

    Mentore Vaccari

  2. Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology, University of Northampton, Northampton, NN2 6JD, UK

    Waleed Montasser & Terry Tudor

  3. Gardone Val Trompia Hospital, Gardone Val Trompia, Italy

    Luigi Leone

Authors
  1. Mentore Vaccari
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  2. Waleed Montasser
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  3. Terry Tudor
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  4. Luigi Leone
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Correspondence to Mentore Vaccari.

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Authoring

Mentore Vaccari set up the research and with Terry Tudor carried out the literature survey, data analysis, results discussion and paper drafting. Waleed Montasser contributed to data analysis. Luigi Leone provided data and revised their analysis.

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Vaccari, M., Montasser, W., Tudor, T. et al. Environmental audits and process flow mapping to assess management of solid waste and wastewater from a healthcare facility: an Italian case study. Environ Monit Assess 189, 239 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-5940-4

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