LAUSR

Abstract Perioperative activities contribute to nearly one-third of waste generated by hospitals. Of particular concern are inhalation anaesthetics that are potent greenhouse gases (GHGs) and these include volatile halogenated ethers. Scavenging systems are useful for removing these gases in operating rooms to limit chronic health provider exposure, but practically all waste gases are vented to the environment unabated. Inhalation anaesthetics in the waste gas stream can potentially be removed by adsorptive separation. Published reviews in this area are scarce. This review identifies the issue and potential solutions, and provides a critical evaluation of both the common and less commonly used adsorbents in volatile anaesthetics capture. Activated carbons, zeolites, metal-organic frameworks, aerogels, carbon nanotubes and activated alumina can all be used for selective removal of volatile anaesthetics. The adsorbents were assessed via a weighted-score analysis by examining different aspects of the adsorbents for use in the hospital setting. Reviews of adsorption isotherms, desorption methods, and gas-solid contactor designs that address relevant matters in investigating the adsorption of volatile anaesthetics are also included. The last section of the review describes a case study of Deltasorb®, the only commercial adsorptive separation product to date. Based on this review, it is possible to conclude that adsorption provides a solution to the problem. However, despite there being one commercial solution available, the practical application of the technology in hospitals still requires further study and evaluation.