Point-of-care diagnostic tests can be particularly useful in lower and middle-income countries and in rural areas. Unfortunately, the engineers and manufacturers behind them haven’t always given thought to how they’ll be disposed of in those environments. Alice Street, a senior lecturer in the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Edinburgh and a co-author on the paper said: “Some of these tests need to be incinerated above 800°C. They are not designed for underresourced systems or countries where they can usually be of most use. In some areas, they will be placed in municipal waste dumps or burned locally where the toxic substances within could leach into the ground, or be carried in fumes that are inhaled by people locally.”
Kersaudy-Kerhoas points out there is already some innovation happening in the field, although more is needed. An initial step could be changing the materials used to make the tests. Instead of fossil-derived plastics, more sustainable bioderived and biodegradable plastics could be used. Kersaudy-Kerhoas is also excited about natural materials like paper, which could have a bright future in diagnostics if they can be manufactured at the scale required.
The team is already in talks with manufacturers and other stakeholders such as the African Society of Laboratory Medicine about how tests can be designed and sustainably engineered from the outset, from where they are made to the materials and packaging used and what happens to them once they’ve done their job of diagnosing illness. Researchers also have a role to play. Kersaudy-Kerhoas proposes the use of a sustainability statement, which would be a novel approach in scientific publications. She said: “Just as scientists have to disclose ethical approval and potential conflict of interest, scientific publications should include a statement covering single-use necessity, materials and reagents sustainability, as well as potential water and energy consumption.”
Source: Heriot-Watt University
Source: Healthcare in Europe
