Neglected greenhouse gas discovered by atmosphere chemists (anaesthetic gasses)

University of Copenhagen ^ | November 4, 2010 | Jes Andersen

[decimon]

When doctors want their patients asleep during surgery they gently turn the gas tap. But Anaesthetic gasses have a global warming potential as high as a refrigerant that is on its way to be banned in the EU. Yet there is no obligation to report anaesthetic gasses along with other greenhouse gasses such as CO2, refrigerants and laughing gas.

Significantly worse than CO2

One kilo of anaesthetic gas affects the climate as much as 1620 kilos of CO2. That has been shown by a recent study carried out by chemists from University of Copenhagen and NASA in collaboration with anaesthesiologists from the University of Michigan Medical School. The amount of gas needed for a single surgical procedure is not high, but in the US alone surgery related anaesthetics affected the climate as much as would one million cars.Tænk før bedøvelse

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks decimon.

One kilo of anaesthetic gas affects the climate as much as 1620 kilos of CO2.