Barausse Carlo, Tayeb Subhi, Bonifazi Lorenzo, Lodi Simone, Mariani Giulia Adalgisa, Orsini Ester, Zanni Sara, Bonoli Alessandra, Manzoli Lucia, Ratti Stefano
Centre for Clinical and Surgical Experimental and Molecular Anatomy, and Cellular Signaling Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Unit of Oral Surgery, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Front Med (Lausanne). 2025 May 19;12:1530121. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1530121. eCollection 2025.
A comprehensive understanding of human anatomy is essential for medical education, with donated human body dissection remaining the gold standard for this purpose. However, in countries where there is a shortage of locally donated bodies, anatomical centers are increasingly turning to external body donation programs, such as those in the United States, to meet their needs.
This study assesses the carbon footprint (CO2e) of locally sourced vs. internationally sourced donated bodies, with the carbon footprint of the latter being estimated hypothetically. A retrospective observational study using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was conducted to evaluate the environmental impacts. The analysis included factors such as transportation, preservation methods (fresh vs. embalmed), and additional aspects such as refrigeration and aeration.
Locally donated bodies had an average transport distance of 201.19 ± 172.78 km, resulting in 14 ± 11.84 kgCO2e per body. In contrast, international transport from the US hypothetically produced approximately 450.375 kgCO2e per body, representing a 3114.3% increase. The total carbon footprint for a locally donated body was 8948.99 kgCO2e annually. These findings suggest that local donation programs could significantly reduce transportation emissions, making them more eco-friendly.
Promoting local donation programs could not only enhance educational opportunities but also minimize the environmental impact of anatomical studies. Increasing the number of local donors would optimize the use of management systems, such as aeration and refrigeration, further improving sustainability. Due to the limitations of this study, further research is needed to refine these findings and explore strategies for reducing the carbon footprint in medical training.
全面了解人体解剖学对医学教育至关重要，人体捐赠解剖仍是实现这一目的的金标准。然而，在当地捐赠尸体短缺的国家，解剖中心越来越多地转向外部尸体捐赠项目，如美国的项目，以满足其需求。
本研究评估了本地来源与国际来源捐赠尸体的碳足迹（CO2e），后者的碳足迹为假设估算值。采用生命周期评估（LCA）方法进行回顾性观察研究，以评估环境影响。分析包括运输、保存方法（新鲜与防腐）以及制冷和通风等其他方面的因素。
本地捐赠尸体的平均运输距离为201.19±172.78公里，每具尸体产生14±11.84千克CO2e。相比之下，假设从美国进行国际运输，每具尸体大约产生450.375千克CO2e，增长了3114.3%。本地捐赠尸体的年度总碳足迹为8948.99千克CO2e。这些发现表明，本地捐赠项目可显著减少运输排放，使其更环保。
推广本地捐赠项目不仅可增加教育机会，还能将解剖学研究的环境影响降至最低。增加本地捐赠者数量将优化曝气和制冷等管理系统的使用，进一步提高可持续性。鉴于本研究的局限性，需要进一步研究以完善这些发现，并探索减少医学培训中碳足迹的策略。
