12/11/2025
A new study finds that Medicare patients alone received 13.5 billion milliliters of contrast media between 2011 and 2024.
“Our study shows that a small number of imaging procedures drive the majority of contrast use. Focusing on those highest-use imaging types make meaningful changes tractable and could significantly reduce health care’s environmental footprint,” says coauthor Elizabeth Rula, PhD, executive director of the Neiman Health Policy Institute.
Medical imaging contrast agents are critical for diagnosing disease, but they are also persistent pollutants.