Blog-8: FAT TOM

http://paymoreeatless.blogspot.com/p/food-safety.html

FAT TOM is an acronym for conditions that bacteria and other contaminants thrive and grow in food. The “F” stands for food because the different types of foods are at different levels of risks for contaminations. The “A” stands for acid because bacteria enjoy slightly acidic environments. The two “T’s” stand for time and temperature because the longer food sits in the temperature danger zone of in-between 40^°F and 140^°F the bacteria can reproduce quickly. Foods that sit in this temperature danger zone longer than three hours should be thrown out and not consumed. The “O” stands for oxygen because bacteria needs oxygen to live, so food should be stored in containers that do not allow oxygen to enter. The “M” stands for moisture because bacteria needs a certain amount of liquid to live and reproduce. Food can be contaminated three ways. The first way is chemically. Chemical contaminants can be present in foods mainly as a result of the use of agrochemicals, such as residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs, contamination from environmental sources, cross-contamination or formation during food processing, migration from food packaging materials, contamination by natural toxins. Pesticides are becoming more and more heavily used in agriculture and thus contaminates the food. Veterinary drugs are given to livestock on farms and then remain in waste that is used in fields as fertilizer and residue like pesticide residue gets in the food. Environmental contaminants that stem from the air, water or soil can enter crops through photosynthesis and thus stay inside the plant and pass through the food chain. Chemical compounds such as toxins in plastic that are found in the food processing and food packaging processes can enter food and containment ate it. Certain bacterial and plant toxins that are naturally released can also enter food and thus contaminate it. This is one of the most serious ways food can be contaminated. Food can also be contaminated physically. These physical hazards result from some careless and lazy behaviors that leave materials inside food. Physical contaminants include dirt, hair, nail polish flakes, insects, broken glass, nails, staples, plastic fragments, bones or bits of packaging. Biological contaminates are the ones that are most commonly thought about with contaminated food. These are the microorganism that enter food and make the consumer sick. The five main biological contaminates are bacteria, virus, protozoa, fungus/yeast and parasites.

http://www.livescience.com/51641-bacteria.html

Bacteria are the most common because they are found almost everywhere. Bacteria can live in many types of environments and can be helpful or very dangerous depending on the strand. FAT TOM is created for how to deal with bacteria.  

http://time.com/14705/giant-virus-in-permafrost/

Virus are not made of cells, do not need energy to exist and only can reproduce using other living cells like human cells. So for them to make copy of themselves they must use living cells like human or animal cells. They cannot grow and divide on food, but they can be transmitted to a human body by food or water or contaminated surfaces. People can also transmit them to food and to other people, in addition to food-contact surfaces. Virus illustrate the importance of good hygiene in food preparation.  Parasites live off of a host, and can live in recently deceased and poorly prepared animals and transmit to humans. 

http://americanholidayaccommodation.com/treatments-for-yeast-infection/

Fungi’s and yeasts can omit dangerous toxins. The top five causes of foodborne illness are holding food at wrong temperature, cooking foods at wrong temperatures, using equipment that is cross-contaminated, failure of personal hygiene and food purchased from unsafe sources. Hepatitis A and Norovirus are the most common diseases that are transferred from people to food. Hepatitis A’s source is human feces and often is transferred by unwashed fingers to food and equipment. also found in water, ready-to-eat food and shellfish from contaminated water. Cooking does not destroy hepatitis A. The prevention measures are washing hands, not touching ready-to-eat food with bare-hands and purchasing shellfish from a safe source. Staff who have jaundice should be removed from the operation. Norovirus is very similar to hepatitis A.

Blog-7: Air quality

https://enviroequipmentinc.wordpress.com/2015/03/13/u-s-bringing-its-foreign-air-quality-monitoring-to-india-vietnam-mongolia/

Air quality is an important factor to living a long and healthy life. There are six levels of air quality index health concerns. The first level is good with a numerical value of 0 to 50. This means air quality is considered satisfactory and air pollution does little to no risk. The second level is moderate with a numerical value of 51 to 100. This means air quality is considered to be acceptable, but some health concerns may be present for people with unusual allergies due to some pollution. The third level is unhealthy for sensitive groups with a numerical value of 101 to 150. This means that the air quality is considered to be unhealthy for certain sensitive groups, but good for the normal public. The fourth level is unhealthy with a numerical value of 151 to 200. This means that the air quality is considered to be bad enough that all groups will begin to see health effects. The fifth level is very unhealthy with a numerical value of 201 to 300. This means the air quality is considered to be at the point that all people will be affected, and it is an emergency conditions. The sixth level is hazardous with a numerical value of 301 to 500. This means the air condition will cause serious health problems for everyone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati

The air quality forecast in Cincinnati, Ohio is 60 with tomorrows high being 65. Both these numbers are moderate.

http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Greater_Cleveland

The air quality forecast in Cleveland/Akron/Lorain, Ohio does not have a number, but both today’s high and tomorrow’s high is considered good. The air quality forecast in Columbus, Ohio today was 50, which is considered good. The high forecast tomorrow is 46, which is also considered good. The Dayton, Ohio air quality forecast today was 53, and tomorrow’s high is 57. Both these numbers are considered moderate. The air quality forecast in Youngstown, Ohio today is 55, which is moderate. The high forecasted tomorrow is 46, which is considered to be good. A State Implementation Plan is a set of plans that will demonstrate how areas not yet meeting National Ambient Air Quality Standards, will meet these standards. These plans will also outline the ways that area can maintain standards. The plans will also be sent to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The United States Environmental Protection Agency will then revise, modify or update all existing plans. The National Ambient Air QualityStandards are carbon monoxide at a level of 9 ppm for every eight-hour and for every one-hour 35 ppm, lead at 0.15 ug/m³ for every three-month average and 1.5 ug/m³ for a quarterly average, nitrogen dioxide at a level of 0.053 ppm annually and 100 ppb for every one-hour, particulate matter at a level of 150 ug/m³ for 24 hours, ozone at a level of 0.075 ppm for every eight-hour and 0.12 ppm for every one-hour, and sulfur dioxide at the level of 75 ppb for every one-hour. Ohio has met the standards for each one of these.

https://www.oar.net/network/100gbps

Blog-6: Potential adverse health affects from cell phone use

http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2015/12/thorner-cell-phone-dangers-public-deception-trumps-public-health-part-1.html

Cell phones have helped people since their invention. Cell phones have made the world smaller and have helped make communication easier between people through calling, texting and specifically through IPhone’s invention of FaceTime. Smartphones have also made the cell phone a necessity like one’s wallet or keys. With all these phones can do, it makes it hard to go somewhere without a phone, and it has now become difficult to find someone that doesn’t have a phone. With all the prevalence cell phones have in society, few people know the dangers cell phones pose to their health. Cell phone creators have listed warnings, and ways to prevent these health risks on their cell phones, but the public often does not see or pay attention to these warnings and ways of operation. Most cell phones are not supposed to be held directly next to the users head while talking. Cell phone companies normally put in the phone’s manual how far away the phone should be held so that radiation does not affect the user’s head. The iPhone 4 states that the phone should be held 15 mm away from the user’s head during calls. Cell phone companies also recommend that their phones not be held close to the body because of the radiation. The iPhone 4 also recommends that the phone should be held 15 mm away from the body, and that the phone should be held in clips or holders without metal parts. This would contrast the vast majority of people’s handling of cell phones. People tend to always have the phone up to their head while talking on it, and when cell phones are not being used, they are most often found in the person’s pocket. Cell phones also become hot while being used because of the radiation emitted. Phones much like other electronic devices will look to vent the radiation out, and the phone will heat up if it is being used so much that it cannot vent enough radiation to keep cool. This heat makes the radiation more prevalent in the area where the phone is, so the person nearby is more susceptible to the effects of the radiation. When the phone is cool there still is some radiation, but there is not enough as much because it is being ventilated better. All this radiation that enters the body can cause abnormal cell growth and lead to cancer from EMFs that enter the body through cell phones or Wi-Fi routers. 

https://www.vecteezy.com/technology/13630-free-iphone-4-vector

Wi-Fi routers act in a similar way to cell phones. They emit radiation as used. Wi-Fi routers are very dangerous because the radiation is low frequency and acts a lot like the signals the router gives off. The radiation can pass through walls much like the internet signal, and most Wi-Fi routers operate all day and all night, so the people in the house are exposed to the radiation all day and all night. All Wi-Fi routers emit this powerful radiation, so if you see a Wi-Fi signal in your network, you can receive radiation from that Wi-Fi router.

https://www.techworm.net/2015/08/wifi-router-vulnerable-to-hacking-default-hard-coded-vulnerability.html

The type of radiation that is emitted from cell phones and Wi-Fi routers is called electric and magnetic fields (EMFs). These EMFs come in a non-ionizing form that is emitted from a cell phone or Wi-Fi router, or in an ionizing form that is found in ultraviolet light or x-rays.

http://quwave.com/EMF-Pollution.html