Recovery of waste anesthetic gases.

The problem of waste anesthetic gases must be addressed because of potential health hazards. However, solutions must be considered within a larger context than that of the operating room or dental suite. The impact of shifting wastes from the hospital into the atmosphere must be examined for both ecologic and ethical implications. A hypothetic situation has been proposed in which the waste anesthetics are dealt with by recovery and reuse. Although potential costs and benefits can be discussed, overall feasibility and desirability cannot be assessed until certain questions are addressed. Are waste anesthetic gases an atmospheric pollutant with impact sufficient to cause concern? If not, do the economic considerations of recycling exhausted anesthetic and respiratory gases warrant implementation? Anesthesiologists need to consider these issues within the constraints of the environments in which they practice. The problem will exist as long as inhalation anesthesia is in use. Solution should not create new problems.