Phthalates 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.

Background: BC residents are prone to natural disasters and emergencies such as earthquakes and prolonged power outage due to severe weather and flooding. To minimize and mitigate the impacts, individuals should prepare in advance for any potential emergencies. There are studies showing only half of the Canadians, in general, are well prepared. Concrete evidence of factors affecting individual’s emergency preparedness are not clear. Therefore, this research study aims to investigate the association between BC residents’ emergency preparedness level and demographic/socio-economic factors. Methods: Housed on SurveyMonkey, the online self-administered survey was distributed via Facebook and Reddit to survey local BC residents. The survey was posted on sub-groups based on topic-relevance and geographic areas that are located within Lower Mainland. The sampling period is approximately one month, which the results were analyzed by the NCSS program. Results: Overall, less than half (41%) of the participants reported to have an emergency kit at home. The chi-square test results show that two factors, language (p=0.025) and status of occupancy (p=0.048) are significantly associated with level of emergency preparedness. Conclusion: There are significant associations between level of emergency preparedness and demographic factors - language barrier and status of occupancy. People who do not use English as their primary language found to be less prepared to those who use English as their primary language. Renters, as compared to homeowners, found to be less prepared as well. This serves as supporting data and evidence to transit these findings to promote emergency readiness among residents in Metro Vancouver.

Across Canada, restaurant inspections are conducted to ensure that the food served to the public in almost all public eating facilities, is safe to consume and sell. The ratings and infractions correspond with the standards a restaurant is operating in compliance with legislation. There have been indications in the past of restaurants in different regions or serving specific types of food, receiving lower ratings than others. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge and research on the difference between major cities in Canada, regarding restaurant infractions. By focussing on Vancouver and Toronto restaurants, this research may provide insight into the different legislation of the two regions, highlight different Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) practices and ultimately provide information for knowledge translation into policies that these regions follow.

Background Kombucha tea is a fermented tea beverage that is mainly consumed for its associated-health benefits. These associated-health benefits may range from detoxifying the body to cancer treating. However, there is little to no scientific evidence that suggests that they work on humans. Similarly, kombucha tea is also prone to post-fermentation. This presents possible ethanol production and accumulation within the tea after packaging which can pose a possible health risk to susceptible population if not properly labelled or controlled. This study will investigate if there is any post-ethanol accumulation in commercially produced kombucha tea products under various storage conditions. Methods The ethanol concentration of 3 different kombucha tea brands (i.e.: Pure+, Health-Ade, and RISE) at various storage conditions (i.e.: no storage, refrigeration, and room temperature) were analyzed using GC-FID to determine post-ethanol accumulation. In addition, NCSS software was used to conduct a statistical analysis on the data to determine whether the 3 different kombucha tea brands exceeded the ethanol regulatory limit and whether the ethanol accumulation was dependent on storage temperatures. Results The mean ethanol concentration for Pure+, Health-Ade, and RISE after refrigeration for 3 weeks were 0.722%, 0.696%, and 0.050% relatively which all showed a slight decrease in ethanol compared to their baseline ethanol levels (i.e.: no storage). Similarly, Pure+, Health-Ade, and RISE mean ethanol concentration after room temperature storage were 1.766%, 1.285%, and 0.794% relatively which indicates ethanol accumulation. Statistical analysis showed that there is a significant difference between room temperature storage and the other 2 storage conditions (i.e.: no storage and refrigeration). Also, only Pure+ and Health-Ade under room temperature storage showed a statistically significant mean ethanol concentration above the regulatory limit. Conclusion Results suggests that room temperature storage of Pure+, Health-Ade, and RISE for 3 weeks increased the ethanol levels significantly while refrigerating them will decrease the ethanol levels slightly which can minimize any potential post-fermentation process from happening. Furthermore, only Pure+ and Health-Ade under room temperature storage for 3 weeks were over the 1% ABV regulatory limit. Lastly, the data obtained from this study can be used to develop guidelines and policies in regulating kombucha tea manufacturers and in educating the public and other regulatory agencies on the matter.

In Canada, food security is a key determinant of public health. Food insecurity is an issue faced by 1 in 8 Canadians, both rural and urban. All communities in Canada face various barriers to achieving food security, however these barriers differ depending on rural or urban residence. High cost of food due to transportation costs are a significant barrier in rural communities, whereas cost of living is the predominant barrier for urban communities. Throughout rural and urban communities in Canada the establishment of local food initiatives and agricultural programs have aided to alleviate the impact of food insecurity. This project aims to gauge the perception of food security among rural and urban communities in British Columbia. Understanding how individuals perceive their own food security will help guide policy and decision making to ameliorate food security in British Columbia.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, cases of influenza drastically decreased in numerous countries around the world. Several non-pharmaceutical health measures were put in place to help mitigate the spread of the virus, including a mask mandate for public spaces. On public transit, there is potential for respiratory virus spread through droplet transmission and common contact fomites between riders. This study investigated how current residents of Metro Vancouver who use transit at least once per week would support optional guidelines for mask-use during annual flu seasons to help continue to mitigate the transmission of respiratory illnesses after COVID-19 mandates have ended.

Kombucha products are now a common, and popular beverage. Increasingly, Kombucha beverages are outpacing popularity of other carbonated beverages on the market, such as soda pop. This increase is seen by many as a positive change of consumer interests, as Kombucha has much less sugar content than many soda pop alternatives. However, Kombucha products are fermented beverages, and therefore are apt to contain ethanol, which may be a hazard for certain at risk populations. This study aims to investigate how information provided on product labels may or may not allow for increased consumer control by making an educated guess about potential ethanol content.

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