CT contrast recycling

Thanks Nick. Interested to know how this goes.

Just posting a recent paper in 'Resources' on the environmental impact of iodinated contrast, both unused and excreted.  There is also a group in Germany who have looked at retrieving iodine from patients' urine after they have undergone contrast injection, for recycling and to limit pollution of the waterways.  Perhaps the next step once the GE programme has rolled out across the country!

Thanks Nick. We have a couple of Trusts in EMRAD that are using this; from the data it looks like one of our larger Trusts recycles about 10% of its Omnipaque, which is several litres per scanner per month. Talking to the modality manager, the staff input is minimal (dump the waste in a specific bucket rather than a sink, and every now and again download a postage label). The vans used are the ones who are delivering fresh contrast, so little impact there. The processing is done in Europe, rather than fresh mining in Asia so fewer transport miles too. Definitely worth signing up to ASAP!