Editorial

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Background: Incorporating greenery into hospital environment contributes to the sustainable development goals by mitigating health, environmental and economic problems. Despite the increasing interest in plants, gardens and green roofs in general built environments, the benefits of greenery in hospital environment are still under-researched. The aim of this review was to summarize the relevant literature and describe the benefits of greenery in hospital environment.
Methods: The PubMed, Springer Link and CINAHL databases were searched to identify relevant studies and articles published between 2012 and 2023. The keywords used were hospitals, greenery, green systems, vegetation, and room plants. The language restriction was that articles were published in English.
Results: Following the PRISMA methodology, seven eligible studies were included in the literature review. Evidence shows that the presence of greenery affects patient health outcomes and the well-being of healthcare staff. Moreover, the healing and therapeutic effects greenery in the hospital environment have been identified. Greenery also has a positive psychological effect on healthcare workers and visitors. Humanizing healthcare spaces and connecting them with nature empowers patients, reduces stress and pain, and improves emotional well-being.
Conclusion: The biophilic design concept increases occupant connectivity to the natural environment through vegetation at the location, including implemented green building envelope systems (green walls and roofs) and the introduction of indoor plants. It should be incorporated into the established steps of hospital design. In summary, more research is needed, particularly on the potential impact of plants on hospital-acquired infections.
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Advantages of greenery in hospital environment - a literature review

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The Covid-19 pandemic required the implementation of various preventive hygiene measures to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Various non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) were introduced worldwide. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people’s daily lives. Again, relatively simple hygiene measures have proven to be very effective and useful. The main objective of the present study was to find out how people implement the proposed individual prevention measures and how they perceive the administrative measures implemented during the pandemic. The paper presents the results of a web-based, non-representative cross-sectional study conducted between October 15 and November 17, 2020 in Slovenia during the Covid-19 lockdown. The completion of the survey coincided with the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, so it was to be expected that awareness of the importance of hand hygiene as well as other preventive measures was high among respondents. We find that people have changed their hygiene habits during the pandemic. Habits differ both between individual NPIs and between groups of respondents (age, gender and occupational structure of respondents). There are still opportunities to improve knowledge and attitudes towards hand hygiene and to implement all other NPIs.
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A study on implementation and perception of preventive hygiene measures

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This paper presents a case study on the management of a food fraud associated with health risks: the illegal use of sulphites in meat preparations and minced meat in Slovenia in 2019. The purpose is to highlight the shortcomings of existing systems for ensuring food safety in case of food frauds and highlight challenges for improvements.
Sulphites are food additives but also have significant allergenic potential, hence they may cause serious reactions in sensitized consumers. Labelling of foods treated with sulphites is mandatory, and their use in meat and meat preparations in Europe is not allowed. However, certain food business operators may intentionally add sulphites into meat preparations to improve the sensory properties; besides being a food fraud, this exposes unaware consumers to health risks.
The case started with the notification of an allergic-like reaction by a consumer following the consumption of a meat product. While the public authorities reacted by intensifying controls on markets and retailers, the analysis of risk management and risk communication aspects showed a number of shortcomings: slow response time; lack of recall of sulphite-treated meat products and of an in-depth risk assessment.
The evaluation of this case study identified violations of food law regulations and consumer protection legislation. Effective risk management requires an interdisciplinary approach, integrating timely and targeted official control and risk communication throughout the food chain to protect consumers from unfair practices. Consistent, effective, and transparent communication among all actors who share responsibility in ensuring food safety is necessary to achieve improvements.
This serious case of food fraud with actual risks to consumer health provided an opportunity for lessons to be learnt regarding managing health hazards from intervention to prevention.
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Risk management and risk communication of an illegal use of sulphites in meat preparations

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 16 (2023): Issue 1 (December 2023)

Volume 15 (2022): Issue 1 (December 2022)

Volume 14 (2020): Issue 1 (December 2020)

Volume 13 (2019): Issue 1 (December 2019)

Sanitarno inženirstvo International Journal of Sanitary Engineering Research

 Sanitarno inženirstvo / International Journal of Sanitary Engineering Research (IJSER) publishes the latest scientific achievements and results of applied research and professional achievements of scientists and experts in the field of sanitary engineering, public health, medicine, environmental health, ecology, occupational safety, the hazardous chemicals, and other related topics.  IJSER is interested in:   consequences of human exposure to the biological, chemical, and physical environment,  risk assessment and risk management,  applied epidemiology,  occupational hygiene,  hygiene in facilities and working processes,  control of communicable diseases,  quality and safety of drinking water,  management of food quality and food safety,  sanitation,  environmental control and safety,  fate and transport of contaminants on watersheds, in surface waters, in groundwater, in the soil, and in the atmosphere,  environmental biology, microbiology, chemistry,  fluid mechanics, and physical processes that control natural concentrations and dispersion of waste in the air, water, and soil,  non-point source pollution on watersheds, in streams, in groundwater, in lakes, and in estuaries and coastal areas,  management of solid waste,  treatment, management, and control of hazardous wastes,  wastewater collection and treatment,  pest control.   This is not an exhaustive list, and the editors will consider articles on any issue relating to public health, environmental health, or engineering in the context of the previous two fields.  The interdisciplinary scope of the publication also extends to the fields of research that are theoretically and methodologically natural sciences but are also significant for wider society, which means that the range of the research also integrates social science. Topics of research in the fields such as food irradiation, the genotoxicity of natural chemicals, the handling of organic waste and oils from kitchens, eco-remediation – ecosystem environmental technologies must be supplemented with research in the social field. For example, only by studying habits related to the improper handling of waste can certain answers be found for the quality of the environment and human health.  In the journal, in addition to the latest research and the transfer of skills into practice, we also publish information about scientific and professional meetings both in Slovenia and throughout the world. The domestic scientists and experts are familiar with the latest research in Slovenia through the journal, including the successful transfer of skills into practice.  In addition, we want to encourage the participation of experts from the areas EU and beyond. With the participation and with the publishing of technical and scientific articles, we will encourage joint projects, research and contribute to the greater visibility of the sciences as well as the promotion of experts.  Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process.