Author commentary on Mathieu Pioche et al.

Mathieu Pioche et al. The environmental impact of small-bowel capsule endoscopy

The environmental impact of small-bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) was evaluated using life cycle assessment methodology including patient travel, bowel preparation, capsule examination, and video recording for 120 patients. A full SBCE generated between 19 and 20 kgCO₂, including 0.04 kgCO₂ (0.2 %) for the capsule itself and 18 kgCO₂ related to patient travel (94.7 %). Capsules contain components whose disposal in wastewater is illegal, therefore retrieval is crucial, despite this adding to the environmental impact (+ 0.98 kgCO₂).