SEQC Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine

labclin+2022

The XVI National Clinical Laboratory Congress (LabClin 2022), addressed for the first time the relationship between the clinical laboratory and the environment, following the initiative led by the European Federation of Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) and the Task Force: Green Labs (TF- GL). In the "Clinical Laboratory and the Environment" symposium, specialists in waste inspection, environmental health, and health law explained various topics important for the environment, such as the development of efficient environmental projects and the need for training in responsible consumption and correct waste management.

The organizing entities of the Congress, which was held in person from October 19 to 21 at the Trade Fair and Congress Center of Malaga (FYCMA), were the Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQC^ML), the Spanish Medical Biopathology- Laboratory Medicine Association (AEBM-ML), and the Spanish Clinical Laboratory Association (AEFA).

Dr. Imma Caballé, director of the CatLab clinical analysis laboratory and president of the Congress Committee of the Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQC^ML), stated that, as a group, "clinical laboratory professionals have a direct responsibility towards society to provide the maximum benefit to the environment”. In addition, she noted that each and every clinical laboratory professional can act responsibly to prevent the deterioration of the environment, and raise awareness of the climate emergency.

The symposium aimed to make these professionals aware of the real or potential impact that their work has on the environment, as well as the urgent measures that must be taken to achieve a minimum of harmful emissions and to carry out efficient and responsible consumption that has a direct impact on the energy economy of the institutions. As stated by Dr. Caballé, "we have detected that, with the training and awareness of laboratory personnel, their involvement in responsible consumption and in the correct segregation of the waste they generate daily due to their professional activity improves considerably".

Dr. Caballé stressed the need to train laboratory staff using guidelines that are in line with the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the dissemination of its 17 SDGs; contributing in this way to achieving the European Union’s objective to achieve zero atmospheric emissions in the year 2050. “The laboratory staff has a direct responsibility in terms of responsible consumption and the transition of institutions towards a circular economy and energy efficiency ”, she added.

Waste segregation

Through training, clinical laboratory professionals must learn to properly classify laboratory waste in order to later measure its volume. "It must be taken into account that the waste generated in clinical laboratories requires unique treatment because they are biological and chemical products," stressed Dr. Caballé.

Likewise, the president of the Congress Committee of the Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQC^ML) pointed out that the correct segregation of waste carried out by clinical laboratory professionals “contributes to the institution being able to comply with the requirements of applicable regulations and with regulatory bodies at the environmental level. In addition, it makes it easier to apply a circular economy and increase prestige and a healthy image for its corporate social responsibility in the face of climate change.”