Chlorine dioxide gas is a relatively new sanitizer in the food industry and has more accessibility than its aqueous form. Depending on the generation method of ClO2, there can be byproducts like chlorite and chlorate ions that can decrease the disinfectant efficacy and purity of ClO2. Recently, a new technology has been developed that generates chlorine dioxide without using chlorine gas. This new electrochemical method generates gaseous chlorine dioxide from aqueous sodium chlorite (NaClO2). Unlike earlier methods, there is reduced generation of byproducts, including chlorite and chlorate. Additionally, the purity of ClO2 obtained by this method can be as high as 98%. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ClO2 gas, generated by the electrochemical method, against the foodborne microorganisms occurring on slaughter equipment and livestock carcasses. Using AISI 304 stainless steel in livestock processing equipment, the disinfectant effect of chlorine dioxide gas, in presence of organic matter such as yeast extract and feces, on E. coli and S. typhimurium contamination, was examined. Both E. coli and S. typhimurium counts were reduced by more than 5 log cycles in presence of 2.5% and 5% feces. When beef, pork skin, and chicken wings were treated with chlorine dioxide gas, despite significant differences in comparison with the control group, the microbial count was reduced by less than 2 log cycles. Overall, our results confirmed the applicability of gaseous chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant in livestock processing equipment and livestock products.

Cumulative effects are defined as the joint and aggregated effects of many factors and processes. Their consideration in landscape and environmental assessments are integral at both the project and strategic level, and they can help to bridge the different spatial and temporal scales. The primary challenge of conducting cumulative effect assessments (CEAs) is the difficulty in understanding the complicated nature of cumulative effects. We used three criteria for a systematic understanding of the barriers to addressing cumulative effects that are critical for improving knowledge systems for sustainable development and environmental assessment: salience, credibility, and legitimacy, and analyzed three cases through a variety of studies and resources: the Middle Humber in the U.K., the Transboundary Crown of the Continent in the U.S. and Canada, and the Great Sandhills in Canada, to understand how CEAs have been applied and obstructed in terms of the three criteria. In addition, a series of focus group interviews with experts and practitioners were performed to illuminate the critical barriers based on the criteria for addressing CEA in the context of South Korea. Based on the lessons, we suggest several key strategies such as securing a cooperative consulting process, and active and transparent partnerships; using a strategic environmental assessment as a framework; understanding and incorporating stakeholder knowledge; using advanced computer modeling and simulation techniques including effective visualization tools; and preparing a simple model design and understandable scientific information.

The challenges faced by the Malaysian shipyard industry had led to the failure of local shipyards in catering to the demand of ship owners. The shipyard industry had recorded the least contribution (1.0%) to the world shipbuilding order book and had caused inconsistencies in the Malaysian shipbuilding ship repair (SBSR) industry’s demand and supply market. The objectives of this study had been to identify the factors that had contributed to the challenges faced by the shipyard industry in Malaysia, and to rank them according to their priorities. The factors of these challenges had been identified by using the cause-and-effect analysis method and were further illustrated in the form of an Ishikawa diagram. Subsequently, an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was applied to determine the weightage of the priorities. The results had shown that ‘Market’ (41.66%) had been the most challenging aspect faced by the shipyard industry in Malaysia from all the five factors studied. As such, this research would help shipyard organisations to effectively prioritise these challenging factors as a way of sustaining their businesses and affecting the economic contribution from the shipyard industry.