An estimation of the carbon footprint of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging

Whilst 20 kg CO₂e is not large by healthcare standards, it is not negligible, representing around 4% to 10% of the emissions of a typical course of radiotherapy. The findings demonstrate the areas of focus to reduce the footprint, and act as a base for future work. This is an initial estimate and does not include the footprint of production and distribution of the radiotracer, nor the "embedded footprint" of the imaging facility and equipment.