The Public Household Waste Bins – Potential Source of Contamination
Abstract
The aim of our study was to investigate for the presence of total and fecal coliforms on the hand contact surface of the public household waste bins placed near the blocks of flats. The samples were taken from five different areas of the city of Timişoara. According to the Order no. 119/2014, for the aproval of Hygiene and public health standards regarding the population’s living environment, this waste bins should be maintained clean by periodically washing and, concidering that they serve for the temporary storage of household and food wastes, fecal coliforms are supposed to be absent from these surfaces. From a total of 100 analyzed samples, 27% were positive for total coliforms and 6% for fecal coliforms. Only the samples taken from a single area were all negative for fecal coliforms. In the other three areas, we found 16% and twice 4% positive samples. Analyzing the results, it can be assumed that the contact surface of these household waste bins might be a possible source of contamination with intestinal pathogens, for the people handling them.
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