Improper handling, poor hygienic practices, and lack of environmental control affect the safety of street-vended beverages. The objective of this study is to determine the bacterial contamination level of three types of beverages (cordial-based drinks, milk-based drinks, fruit juices) sold by street vendors at Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur. A total of 31 samples of beverages were analyzed to determine total viable count (TVC), total coliform, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus counts via the standard plate count method. The results showed that only 9.7% of the total samples were not contaminated with the tested microorganisms. All milk-based drink samples were positive for TVC and also had the highest average bacterial counts at 5.30 ± 1.11 log Colony Forming Unit/mL (CFU/mL). About 71% of the samples were contaminated with total coliform with the average readings ranging between 4.30 and 4.75 log CFU/mL, whereas 58.1% of the samples were positive with S. aureus, with fruit juices having the highest average reading (3.42 ± 1.15 log CFU/mL). Only one sample (milk-based drink) was E. coli positive. This study showed that the microbiological safety level of street-vended beverages in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur was average and needs to be improved. Provision of food safety education and adequate sanitary facilities at vending sites are suggested to increase the safety of food products.

An increasing global health concern is antibiotic resistance, involving antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and their antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), particularly through inhalation of airborne bioaerosols. Airborne transmission helps spread resistant pathogens across regions and populations. Despite their substantial impact in human exposure, ARB and ARGs in air particles have received less attention than antibiotic resistance in soil and water. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were implemented in conducting the review. The search focused on scientific articles focusing on ARB and ARGs disseminated through PM_2.5 and PM₁₀. The review was restricted to English-language works published between 2017 and 2024 that have been published in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Following screening of 352 publications across the globe, only 30 publications of note were identified. Some of the most commonly identified ARBs are the genera Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp., Burkholderia spp., Sphingomonas spp., Bacillus spp. and Bacteroides spp. Most prevalent ARGs that have been identified in the urban air include resistance to the multiple antibiotic classes, including tetracyclines (tetM, tetW, tetO), sulfonamides (sul1, sul2), macrolides (ermB, ermC), ß-lactams (blaTEM, blaCTX-M), quinolones (qnrS) and aminoglycosides (aadD). This report outlines current research on ARB and ARGs in urban air, where issues are increased by pollution and dense populations. It highlights key sources, including natural environments, industries, wastewater treatment and hospitals. Furthermore, it explores how meteorological factors such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and air particles impact their dissemination.