Carbon Emissions From Different Dialysis Modalities: A Life Cycle Assessment

As climate change intensifies, there is growing pressure on health care systems to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. To do this effectively, it is important to understand the carbon footprint of different treatment options and identify key areas where emissions are highest. This study compared greenhouse gas emissions from 4 types of dialysis: hemodialysis performed in a health care facility (in-center hemodialysis), home hemodialysis, automated peritoneal dialysis (APD), and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). We found that in-center hemodialysis had the highest carbon footprint, primarily due to the impact of patient travel. Among the home therapies, APD was responsible for higher emissions than home hemodialysis while CAPD had the lowest carbon footprint. Across all treatment types, consumables were the largest source of carbon emissions.