BCIT Environmental Public Health Journal
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Evaluating the impacts of COVID-19 on the perceptions of hygiene and sanitation in personal service establishments in British Columbia
Get PDFCOVID-19 has raised concerns over safety in the personal care service industry in regards to disease transmission and infection control. The industry has suffered under new orders and directives issued by public health officials. Personal service establishments (PSEs) rely on clients going to establishments to receive services that often involve close proximity between the client and service provider, something that is recommended against to prevent COVID-19 transmission. PSEs have since adjusted their operations to accommodate for the pandemic, however its impacts on the perceptions of hygiene and sanitation in these establishments remained to be assessed
Accuracy of a commercial lead test kit
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Up until 1960s, lead was widely used for constructing plumbing systems, and a residual amount of lead is still detected within water systems today. Due to the wide availability, low-cost, and ability to produce an instant result, commercial lead test kits have been known for their convenience. However, considering that small lead exposures can pose serious health concerns to those who are vulnerable, inaccurate results may cause a potential health hazard. This study investigated the accuracy of a commercial lead test kit called “10-in-1 Drinking Water Test Kit” by Baldwin Meadows and compare its findings to instrumental analysis.
 
Assessing public awareness on the potential health risks of phthalate exposure in plastic consumer products
Get PDFPhthalates are chemical agents used to improve the plasticity of plastic products. Their ubiquitous use in various commercial products results in extensive exposure to humans. Toxicological studies have linked phthalate exposure to developmental and reproductive toxicity, presenting potential health risks. This study investigated the general population on their knowledge and hazard perception of phthalate exposure. The assessment determined if changes in policies or guidelines are needed to minimize potential health impacts from improper plastics handling
Comparison of sodium and saturated fat content between domestic pasta sauce and imported pasta sauce in Canada
Get PDFRecently, a study by Dunford et al. (2019) found out that Canadian processed foods have the highest sodium content than other countries. Out of the twelve countries tested in the survey, Canada was ranked the highest. This survey sparked the interest in comparing the healthiness of domestically processed foods and imported foods available in Canada. Pasta sauce was particularly chosen for this research project. By comparing the sodium and saturated fat content between domestic pasta sauce and imported pasta sauce, the study aimed to determine whether imported pasta sauce is a healthier choice
COVID-19 and physical activity: Analyzing the behaviour of returning to gym and/or recreation facilities among regular gym users during the COVID-19 pandemic
Get PDFPhysical Activity (PA) is bodily movement that involves energy output from the muscles and is associated with numerous health benefits. However, with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020, stay-at-home orders and public health measures led to a decreased trend in PA levels throughout the Canadian population. As restrictions began to ease in British Columbia (BC), gym and recreation facilities re-opened on May 19, 2020, under new public health safety protocols. This study explored whether gym and/or recreational facility attendance among regular users was impacted by public health safety or financial factors during COVID-19
Lead in drinking water: factors affecting lead concentration, health effects, and is flushing effective
Get PDFBackground: Lead is a systemic toxin that affects multiple organs and impairs physical and mental development. Although lead is ubiquitous in the environment, majority of exposures to lead is through drinking water. Lead-based plumbing components are the primary reason. Flushing is a lead reduction technique commonly used to reduce lead in drinking water, but the efficacy of the technique has been questioned. The purpose of this research project was to determine if there were significant levels of lead found in the drinking water of 12 buildings (sites) owned and operated by a Health Authority before and after 30-second flush and to determine if flushing is an effective measure to reduce lead concentrations.Materials and Methods: Lead in drinking water data was provided by Dr. Tom Kosatsky in an Excel spreadsheet. The data contained 184 pre-flush (≥ 8-hour stagnation period) samples paired to 184 post-flush (30-second duration) samples collected at locations within the 12 different sites. The sites were labelled A to L due to confidentiality. This data was then exported to NCSS, and statistical analysis in the forms of a two tailed t-test, one tailed one sample t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA was performed to determine if a statistically significant relationship between flushing and reduced lead concentrations exists.Results: Out of 368 samples, 28% of stagnation samples contained lead concentrations greater than the MAC (n = 103) whereas, 9% of post 30-second flush samples contained lead concentration greater than the MAC (n = 33). Lead concentrations in the drinking water samples after flushing were significantly reduced below the MAC (p = 0.00000). However, lead concentrations from samples collected at sites A, C, and G were equal to or greater than the MAC. Statistical analysis failed to reject the null hypothesis that post-flush lead concentrations for samples collected at sites A, C, and G is greater to or equal to the MAC (A: p = 0.22708, C: p = 0.06866, and G: p = 0.70589).Conclusion: Flushing is an effective measure in reducing lead concentrations at the tap to safe levels. However, the effectiveness of flushing and flushing duration is dependent on numerous factors such as the stagnation period, amount of lead-based plumbing supplying the drinking water and building size. Longer stagnation periods, increased lead-based plumbing, and large buildings all require longer flushing times to reduce lead concentrations to below 0.005 mg/L. The results of this can study can aid governments in developing polices that will eliminate existing lead infrastructure in British Columbia and Canada. Flushing is not a long-term solution in reducing lead concentrations at the tap to below 0.005 mg/L
Knowledge of hand sanitzer and alcohol content among the general public
Get PDFThe purpose of this research was to determine, via an on-line survey, whether the general public in Canada, is aware of why certain ingredients, such as alcohol content is important to prevent transmission of disease-causing pathogens. The literature demonstrates the importance of hand sanitizers, the efficacy between different types of sand sanitizers, ingredient lists, and the public’s knowledge regarding the effectiveness of hand sanitizers
Assessing knowledge and preventive behavior of BC hikers towards Lyme disease
Get PDFBackgroundIn Canada, recent data shows that Lyme diseases (LD) have increased in many different regions of the country. British Columbia (BC), with its natural beauty and suitable terrain for outdoor activities, has drawn thousands of hikers to the established hiking trails, as well as off–trail wilderness. Consequently, more people are expected to be exposed to Lyme disease every year. For better understanding of the risk, study of their knowledge and awareness, and also their preventative behavior against Lyme disease is necessary. The purpose of our study is to evaluate hiker awareness about LD and assess type and frequency of preventive measures they take against the disease.MethodsA self-administered electronic survey was created and disseminated online among hikers in British Columbia, Canada. The online survey distributed via the social platform, Reddit, and took approximately five minutes to complete. The results were collected and organized in Microsoft Excel and analyzed with NCSS statistical software (NCSS, 2021).ResultsThe results of this study indicated that general awareness of LD among hikers in British Columbia is high. Ninety-eight percent of participants in the study have heard about the LD before the study was conducted. Hikers are generally aware of the prevalence of the disease (83%) in BC and know that ticks are problematic for them (74%). Majority of hikers (92%) have taken at least one measure to protect themselves against the disease. Avoiding tall grasses and bushwalking while hiking was the most popular method as 46% of the hikers frequently (more than half the time) took this measure. In contrast, wearing protective cloths or tucking pants into socks were the least frequent methods taken by them. Also, 68% of the hikers never used chemical insect repellent to deter ticks. This result suggests that avoiding ticks and tick bites by avoiding grassy areas, where ticks might be present, is the preferred method over the usage of chemical insect repellants, or physical barriers against tick bites such as wearing protective cloths or tucking pants into the socks; however, further data is needed to precisely conclude this result.Our study found that there are no significant statistical associations between hiker's knowledge and their level of education (P= 0.77), hiker's education level and preventive method taken (P=0.91), level of hiking experience and preventive method taken (P=0.86) or gender of the hikers and preventive methods taken (P=0.068) against the Lyme disease.ConclusionsAs Lyme disease has been recognized as a potentially increasing infectious disease in British Columbia, assessment of hiker's knowledge and preventive behavior towards LD through an online survey concluded that BC hikers have high level of awareness about the disease, and they protect themselves against the tick bites.
As predictive models show that climate change and warmer weather cause an expansion in tick habitat in North America, probability of hikers being exposed to ticks is higher. As the risk increases, LD prevention campaigns could be designed considering what prevention methods are the most popular; and more effective or innovative prevention methods could be introduced to the population. Health authorities may introduce LD prevention initiatives and educational plans that are adaptable and suitable to the geographical region based on prevalence of the disease. Similarly hiking groups may educate their new members regarding the disease, how to prevent it and what methods are suitable based on the region they are active in
Impact on Canadians' mental health due to COVID 19
Get PDFSARS-CoV-2, also known as COVID19, spread across the globe in 2020 and 2021impacting many people, their livelihood, and their mental health. Because of how the disease spread, certain controls were enacted such as community lockdowns, social distancing, working remotely, restricting one’s social contacts, and mask wearing. This caused unintended consequences where some people are left with psychological distress. While the media and the general public appear to be more focused on the physical health aspect of the virus, mental health has not received the same attention. This study examined the mental health of Canadians during the COVID19 pandemic. Results can be used to create policies and programs addressing mental health issues that have arisen from this global health crisis
Face mask reuse behaviours in Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic
Get PDFMask-wearing in public spaces has become ubiquitous for most people in developed countries due to the ongoing pandemic. One key aspect of the protectiveness of masks is how many times it is used before disposing of (in the case of surgical or disposable masks) or washed (a cloth or reusable mask). Assessing mask reuse levels in key demographics can help us identifywhich groups are reusing masks more, and targeted educational campaigns can be accomplished which would hopefully lead to reduced mask reuse