Laboratório Clínico e Sustentabilidade

Abstract

The relentless pursuit of quality of life and a cleaner environment makes sustainability an extremely important tool in the society we live in. The concern with health led to an increase in demand for health services, resulting in an increase in the generation of hospital waste. The waste generated by the health area can put human and environmental health at risk due to the fact that they contain sharp materials and substances with a high level of contamination, requiring a series of precautions from use to disposal, needing to be conducted in a way to minimize the risks for those who handle and treat them to avoid degradation of the environment. As the concept of sustainability became more widespread and applied in the operational practice of companies, including clinical laboratories, objectives, targets and indicators began to be established to monitor institutional sustainability planning. Thus, it became essential that clinical laboratories also become concerned like other institutions in avoiding environmental impacts.