Ice is widely used in food and drink establishments for refreshing drinks and food preservation. Therefore, the contamination of ice, especially microbial contamination, could be the vehicle for the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to consumers. This study aimed to determine of bacteriological quality of ice sold at food and beverage premises. The sanitary conditions of the premises were also investigated. Edible ice samples from 12 premises were collected and analyzed coliform bacteria using the multiple-tube fermentation technique. Modified food sanitation inspection form from the Bureau of Food and Water Sanitation, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, was used for inspection of food and beverage premises. It was found that all samples were positive for coliform bacteria, ranging from 140 - > 24,000 MPN/ 100 mL, which is inconsistent with the standard permission level in terms of total coliform bacteria of the Thailand office of Food and Drug Administration. Ice storage and the handwashing behaviour of food handlers were the main sanitary issues found from the sanitary conditions survey. The finding of this study urges the regulatory guidelines for monitoring ice quality and the sanitary conditions of food and beverage premises to protect the consumers’ health from the consumption of unsafe ice.
The numerous amount of electronic waste (e-waste) has not been managed effectively resulting informal dismantling sites are being expanded in Thailand. The government attempts to improve the efficiency of an integrated e-waste management system, but baseline data of e-waste stream in informal sectors are insufficient. This research aimed to investigate the inflow and outflow of the materials throughout the informal e-waste dismantling processes at the well-known second-largest community in Buriram province during 2017–2018. To describe the quantities of dismantled materials, a material flow analysis was performed. The overall amount of e-waste taken to the community was estimated to be in the range of 1593–12,943 tonnes year−1. Valuable materials could be recovered at more than 90% (by mass) from fans, refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves and air conditioners. The amount of e-waste residue that the local administrative organization had to handle was up to 1144 tonnes year−1. The quantitative data retrieved from this study could provide a satisfactory equation for estimating the amount of separated valuable and non-valuable materials. Recyclable materials from dismantling have an economic incentive, e-waste dismantlers in a small and large household group that can earn approximately 798 and 1262 USD month−1 income, respectively. The notable e-waste characterization and quantification of recovered materials would be useful for improving the potential circular flow of e-waste in Thailand.
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