Description of the African Cigarette Prices Project Data.

The African Cigarette Price Project is a project that collects tobacco prices from African countries. Amongst other things, the data enable users to estimate price differences across brands, urban/rural divides, types of packaging, retail types, and trends in price over time. A total of 215 354 individual prices were collected during the first twelve rounds of the project (collected biannually from 2016 to 2022). Data collection continues to date. Data have been collected from 19 African countries, with most data from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Namibia and Botswana. Other countries include Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Chad, Eswatini, Mozambique, Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, Madagascar, Kenya, Mauritius, Uganda and Cameroon. The project employs a novel data collection approach, by contracting local and international University of Cape Town (UCT) students as fieldworkers to collect price data while at home over the long university vacation. The data were collected at the retail level; the lowest level of geographic detail available in the public use dataset is the suburb. While the price data are not nationally representative, the data collection method is simple and affordable and provides an indication of the range of prices and the brands available in the respective countries. While cigarette prices make up the bulk of the data, other common tobacco products included are hookah tobacco, snuff, pipe tobacco, cigars, e-cigarettes, hand-rolled tobacco, and others. The collection of these other tobacco products started in round 4 (2017).

Strengthening Urban Informal Trading and Improving the Health of Vendors: An Integrated Management Model.

CONTEXT: Within the urban areas, especially the central business districts, informal trading is growing in large numbers, and the informal vendor's health is also at risk. Despite various frameworks developed for this industry, there are few guidance and implementation strategies on how to accomplish better-managed informal trading, mostly one that entails better occupational settings. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the proposed model is to improve the working conditions for informal vendors in South Africa by redesigning the current informal trading management approach, thus ensuring a healthy workplace. An evidence-based approach was used to inform the development of this model. RESULTS: This paper outlines the current challenges of informal vendors in urban areas as per the quantitative health risk assessment study that was conducted in 16 markets amongst 617 informal food vendors in the inner city of Johannesburg, South Africa. The study investigated the respiratory health caused by air pollution and associated risk factors. Findings revealed a lack of infrastructure and higher exposure to air pollution, resulting in respiratory ill-health amongst outdoor vendors as compared to indoor vendors. The vendors were more exposed to particulate matter pollution in the spring and winter seasons as compared to the autumn and summer seasons. Furthermore, the upper respiratory symptoms were statistically significant to the type of work location (indoor/outdoor), type of cooking fuel, duration of work, frequency of hand hygiene, and wearing of protective equipment. An informal vendors' integrated management model that encompasses a specific informal food vendor's directorate was developed with five main components: the reviewing of informal vendors' legislation, the restructuring of designated vending or trading sites, space allocation and occupancy, vendors' training and skills development, and the sustainability of vending sites and vendors' health. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The status revealed the legislation fragmentation of the informal vendors' activities. The goal of this informal vendors' "healthy workplace management model" is to inform government responses to the current challenges of the informal vendors' sector, as well as to guide policies and actions to reduce ill-health in the industry and to avoid disruptions to informal food supply chains, which are critical in the food sector. This model is explained well and documented for easier implementation in local governments. This paper contributes to the extant literature on street vendors and future management strategies of this trade.

Personal PM2.5 Exposure Monitoring of Informal Cooking Vendors at Indoor and Outdoor Markets in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Air pollutants of concern include particulate matter (PM) in fine size fractions. Thus far, a few studies have been conducted to study the adverse health effects of environmental and occupational air pollutants among informal vendors in big cities in South Africa. Informal vendors in these cities may experience higher exposure to road dust, cooking fumes, and air pollution. This exposure assessment was part of a health risk assessment study of vendors. The objective of this exposure assessment was to determine the differences between outdoor and indoor informal vendors' personal PM2.5 exposures during trading hours. A walkthrough survey was conducted to map the homogeneous exposure groups (HEGs) at vendor markets for sampling purposes, and one market was selected from each of the three identified HEGs. Twenty-five informal cooked food vendors from both indoor (inside buildings) and outdoor (street or roadside vendors) markets in the inner city of Johannesburg, South Africa, participated in the study. HEG-1 were vendors from indoor stalls who used electricity and gas for cooking (10 vendors), HEG-2 was composed of informal outdoor vendors at a fenced site market who used open fire for cooking (10 vendors), and HEG-3 (5 vendors) were roadside vendors who used gas for cooking. Cooking vendors from outdoor markets recorded higher TWA concentrations than indoor market vendors. The vendors' PM2.5 concentrations ranged from <0.01 mg/m3 to 0.77 mg/m3. The mean concentrations of PM2.5 were found to be 0.12 mg/m3, and 0.18 mg/m3 for HEG-2, and HEG-3, respectively. HEG-2 recorded the highest PM2.5 TWA concentrations, followed by HEG-3 and HEG-1. All concentrations were below the South African occupational exposure limit. The findings point to the need for further research into the health risks associated with outdoor cooking vendors, particularly those who utilize open fires.

Health Risk Assessment of Informal Food Vendors: A Comparative Study in Johannesburg, South Africa.

According to the best of our knowledge, there are no critical studies to date about associations between the work environment and prevalence of respiratory diseases and their symptoms among urban informal vendors in South Africa. This study followed a risk assessment methodology to assess the risks associated with the occurrence of respiratory health problems among 617 indoor and outdoor market vendors in the inner city of Johannesburg, South Africa. A walkthrough survey using a checklist was conducted in 16 Markets for identification of respiratory risk factors and description of sanitary conditions. Face-to-face interviews were conducted amongst informal food vendors using a previously validated questionnaire to collect information on demographics and occupational and respiratory health. In addition, a single day area air pollution monitoring of PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, and CO2 was conducted in two stalls (indoor and outdoor). The Chi-squared test of association and frequency distribution were used to analyse data. Female vendors aged between 30 to 39 years dominated the trade. The results revealed that a majority of the vendors' work shifts are longer than the recommended eight hours per day (73%), six to seven days per week (90%), and most of them have been working for six to ten years (41%). Poor sanitary conditions were observed in 75% of the markets. The concentrations of air pollutants at the outdoor markets were much greater than those in the indoor markets. All air pollution concentrations were below the recommended national and international standards. The risk of outdoor vendors developing any symptoms were extremely greater than those of indoor vendors, especially cooking vendors. Upper respiratory symptoms were the highest amongst the vendors. The results demonstrated a significant association between work-related risk factors, such as type of work location, duration, type of cooking fuel or heat, vendor training, frequency of hand hygiene practice, and using of a mask, and the upper respiratory symptoms. Based on the findings, there is a need for formalization of the trade, improvement in infrastructure, respiratory health care assessments, and sustainable educational programs.

Multiple Mycotoxin Contamination in Medicinal Plants Frequently Sold in the Free State Province, South Africa Detected Using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS.

Medicinal plants are important in the South African traditional healthcare system, the growth in the consumption has led to increase in trade through muthi shops and street vendors. Medicinal plants are prone to contamination with fungi and their mycotoxins. The study investigated multiple mycotoxin contamination using Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) for the simultaneous detection of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), Deoxynivalenol (DON), Fumonisins (FB1, FB2, FB3), Nivalenol (NIV), Ochratoxin A (OTA) and Zearalenone (ZEN) in frequently sold medicinal plants. Medicinal plant samples (n = 34) were purchased and analyzed for the presence of eight mycotoxins. DON and NIV were not detected in all samples analyzed. Ten out of thirty-four samples tested positive for mycotoxins -AFB1 (10.0%); OTA (10.0%); FB1 (30.0%); FB2 (50.0%); FB3 (20.0%); and ZEN (30.0%). Mean concentration levels ranged from AFB1 (15 µg/kg), OTA (4 µg/kg), FB1 (7-12 µg/kg), FB2 (1-18 µg/kg), FB3 (1-15 µg/kg) and ZEN (7-183 µg/kg). Multiple mycotoxin contamination was observed in 30% of the positive samples with fumonisins. The concentration of AFB1 reported in this study is above the permissible limit for AFB1 (5 µg/kg). Fumonisin concentration did not exceed the limits set for raw maize grain (4000 µg/kg of FB1 and FB2). ZEN and OTA are not regulated in South Africa. The findings indicate the prevalence of mycotoxin contamination in frequently traded medicinal plants that poses a health risk to consumers. There is therefore a need for routine monitoring of multiple mycotoxin contamination, human exposure assessments using biomarker analysis and establishment of regulations and standards.

Street vending, vulnerability and exclusion during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of Cali, Colombia.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on livelihoods everywhere, but especially in the informal economy where crucial forms of protection and security are often absent. A detailed understanding of the impacts for informal workers, the public policy approaches that could most effectively respond to their needs, and the barriers to such policy, is urgently needed. This paper discusses the results of a 2021 street vendor survey in Cali, Colombia, focusing on (1) vendors' socioeconomic circumstances and (2) their political engagement and attitudes on key policy and governance issues. It argues that while the pandemic and the government responses to it negatively impacted street vendors, there are steps that government could have taken, and can still take, to address vendors' needs and priorities. To ensure a just, equitable, sustainable recovery, and to protect economically marginalized groups from future crises, informal workers must be more meaningfully included in decision-making processes.

Operational Characteristics of Women Street Food Vendors in Rural South Africa.

Objective: To characterize the operations of the street food enterprise in the Vhembe district, focusing on business profile, sold foods, inputs, pricing, record-keeping practices and total running cost. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional face-to-face study of 511 vendors was done using a structured researcher-administered questionnaire comprising demographic and operational characteristics. Convenience sampling was used to choose the vending sites. Chi-square tests were conducted between four categorical variables (gender, age, marital status and citizenship) and operational characteristics. P-values were considered significant at p < 0.05. However, a Bonferroni adjustment decreased the significant value to p < 0.013. Results: The findings highlight the dominance of single middle-aged (35-44) women (63.1%) with some high school education. About 14% migrated from Zimbabwe. Most vendors were owners (86.1%), with 70.0% in business for at least 1-10 years. Food sold included mielie pap (stiff porridge) served with beef or chicken, sometimes with vegetables. Plate prices were R40.00 (2.6 USD) for a full plate and R30.00 (2 USD) for half a plate. The typical street food consumers were government officials, middlemen, and schoolchildren. Social media such as Whatsapp were used to communicate between the street food vendors and customers. The results highlight poor managerial skills as only 15.5% kept records, most of which were sales records (59.5%). On average, street vendors made a monthly profit of R3200.00 (213 USD) while spending R1800.00 (120 USD) on daily running expenses. There were statistically significant variations in some operational characteristics of vendor variables and gender, age, marital status, and citizenship. Conclusions: There is a need for capital and management for small businesses and food training for rural street food vendors. Therefore, government officials, policymakers, and NGOs could target street vendors to offer training and microfinance to improve their business skills while promoting food safety and consumption of nutritious foods.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the livelihood of a vulnerable population: Evidence from women street vendors in urban Vietnam.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused enormous detrimental impacts on a global scale. Street vendors are one of the most heavily affected groups since they lack the skills and resources to overcome shocks. This study examines the economic burden facing this group during the pandemic and their coping strategies and mitigation mechanisms in response to these adverse effects. We utilized a mixed-methods approach, wherein 91 women vendors completed a survey questionnaire and 15 women vendors were interviewed. These vendors were found to experience a large reduction in business and consumption. The businesses of immigrant vendors suffered more adverse effects than those of local vendors. Also, the vendors selling in wet market areas incurred greater economic burdens than those selling near schools or recreation centers. The vendors lacked coping strategies to sustain their businesses and adopted various mitigation mechanisms to ensure essential consumption. This study highlights the need for urban social policies that can support this vulnerable group amid a pandemic. We also discuss policy implications for cities and economic development with a focus on street vendors.

Environmental and Occupational Health Exposures and Outcomes of Informal Street Food Vendors in South Africa: A Quasi-Systematic Review.

Introduction: Informal street vending is a form of informal employment, and occupational conditions for people within this group have been proven to be detrimental to their health. Two independent reviewers carried out a systematic evaluation of the existing literature in South Africa on environmental and occupational exposures, as well as the health effects faced by informal street food vendors. Methods: 354 published publications were reviewed and 9 were included, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: The evidence showed that informal street vendors are exposed to workplace risks that affect their health and wellbeing. Non-enclosed vendor stalls and frequent use of open fires were among the risk concerns. Vendors are vulnerable to gastrointestinal diseases such as salmonellosis and respiratory infections such as influenza and COVID-19 due to inadequate access to water, waste disposal facilities, and basic hygiene awareness and practices. Exposure to air pollutants increased the risk of respiratory and urinary illnesses and an impact on the reproductive health of female street vendors. Conclusions: This investigation demonstrated the difficulties in complying with the requirements of the Regulations Governing General Hygiene Requirements for Food Premises, the Transport of Food, and Related Matters (no. R638 of 22 June 2018) and the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act (no. 85 of 1993). Within South African borders, there is a scarcity of research on occupational exposures and health effects in this occupation. As a result, eliminating or preventing these occupational exposures should be at the top of government and stakeholder agendas. The majority of the research was carried out in KwaZulu Natal and used a quantitative, cross-sectional technique. Other designs, including cohorts, time series, and randomized intervention trials, were underutilized.

Health impact assessment of Delhi's outdoor workers exposed to air pollution and extreme weather events: an integrated epidemiology approach.

This study is an assessment of the effects of outdoor air pollution and extreme weather events on the health of outdoor workers in Delhi, including auto rickshaw drivers, street vendors, and sweepers. To carry it out, a cross-sectional and perception-based epidemiological research design was used, and the primary tool used for data collection was a questionnaire. Two hundred twenty-eight people participated in the survey, and a pulmonary function test (PFT) was performed on 63 participants. Most of the respondents from different occupational groups complained about headaches/giddiness, nausea, and muscular cramps during extreme heat events due to the physically demanding nature of their jobs in the outdoor environment. Furthermore, autorickshaw drivers reported the highest prevalence of ophthalmic symptoms, such as eye redness (44%) and eye irritation (36%). In comparison, vendors reported a higher prevalence of headaches (43%) and eye redness (40%) due to increased exposure to vehicular emissions. Among sweepers, musculoskeletal problems like joint pain (40%), backache (38%), and shoulder pain (35%) were most prevalent due to occupation-related ergonomic factors. In addition, the majority of autorickshaw drivers (47%), vendors (47%), and sweepers (48%) considered that air quality had a severe impact on their health. PFT results showed that most respondents had restricted lung function. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that lung function impairment had a significant association with smoking (p = 0.023) and age (0.019). The odds ratio for smoking, which was around 4, indicated that respondents who smoked had a nearly four times greater risk of developing lung impairment. The study also highlighted the need for using personal protective equipment and developing guidelines to reduce their exposure level.

Avaliação da qualidade microbiológica do queijo de coalho comercializado na praia de Copacabana ­ RJ / Evaluation of the microbiological quality of coalho cheese commercialized on Copacabana beach ­ RJ

A pesquisa teve o objetivo de avaliar as condições higiênicas e sanitárias de comercialização do queijo de coalho por vendedores ambulantes na praia de Copacabana, por meio de inspeção visual e análises microbiológicas. Para o estudo foram coletadas quinze amostras de cinco diferentes ambulantes e estas foram encaminhadas para o Centro Estadual de Pesquisa em Qualidade de Alimentos da Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (PESAGRO-RIO/CEPQA) onde foram submetidas às análises microbiológicas. O resultado da avaliação visual das condições higiênico-sanitárias demonstrou 100% de não conformidades em relação à adoção das Boas Práticas de Fabricação por parte dos manipuladores. Os resultados das contagens de Estafilococos coagulase positiva e de Coliformes termotolerantes se apresentaram acima do limite preconizado pela legislação vigente em 75% e 6,7% das amostras respectivamente. Em 25% das amostras foi verificada a presença de Salmonella spp. O estudo demonstrou que o queijo de coalho vendido por ambulantes da praia de Copacabana estava impróprio para o consumo podendo representar risco à saúde dos consumidores

The research aimed to evaluate the hygienic and sanitary commercialized conditions of coalho cheese by street vendors on Copacabana beach, through visual inspection and microbiological analysis. For conducting the study, fifteen samples were collected from five different street vendors and these were analyzed at the State Center for Research in Food Quality of the Agriculture Research Company of the State of Rio de Janeiro (PESAGRO-RIO/CEPQA). The result of the visual assessment of hygienic-sanitary conditions demonstrated 100% of non-conformities in relation to the adoption of Good Manufacturing Practices by the manipulators. In counts of coagulase positive Staphylococcus and Thermotolerant Coliforms were above the limit recommended by the current legislation in 75% and 6.7% of the samples, respectively. Salmonella spp. was present in 25% of the analyses.The study showed that the coalho cheese sold by street vendors on Copacabana beach was unfit for consumption and could pose a risk to consumer health

HIV and TB Workplace Program for Street Vendors: A Situational Analysis.

In South Africa, 15 percent of informal economy workers are street vendors. The organization of occupational health services in the country is fragmented and does not cover informal workers. Conditions of work make informal workers extremely vulnerable to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) exposure. In this study, a qualitative risk assessment was conducted among street vendors, followed by focus group discussions. Interpretation of data was according to major themes extracted from discussions. Workers are exposed to several occupational health hazards identified during the risk assessment. There is a lack of workplace HIV and TB services and overall poor access to healthcare. Street vendors, especially females, are at higher risk of HIV, due to gender inequalities. Comprehensive gender-sensitive training on occupational health and safety, HIV, and TB should be prioritized. To reach Universal Health Coverage and achieve the Sustainable Developmental Goals' targets, the health system should improve services for informal economy workers.

Street vendors in Lima in the time of COVID-19: Guilty or oppressed?

The debate over the formality and informality of street vendors in Lima (Peru) is a long lasting one that has resulted in significant conflicts between the authorities and the vendors, wherein the latter are often represented as victims or people unable to comply with any type of rule. During the COVID-19 lockdown period, the urban markets in Lima have had to abide by new safety and hygiene measures and follow new social norms to protect both vendors and buyers. This paper focuses on two food markets in the city (La Parada and Santa Anita), describing and analyzing different implementations, interpretations, and representations of the lockdown rules. The main objective is to broaden the understanding of the different types of street vendors who work in Lima and contribute to the de-homogenization of the phenomenon. The study is based on interviews, ethnographic observations, and digital ethnography.

Le débat sur le statut formel ou non des vendeurs de rue à Lima au Pérou est un débat de longue date qui a donné lieu à d'importants conflits entre les autorités et les vendeurs, ces derniers étant souvent représentés soit comme des victimes, soit comme des acteurs incapables de se conformer à une quelconque règle. Pendant la période de fermeture en raison de la pandémie de COVID­19, les marchés urbains de Lima ont dû respecter de nouvelles mesures de sécurité et d'hygiène et suivre de nouvelles normes sociales pour protéger à la fois les vendeurs et les acheteurs. Cet article se concentre sur deux marchés alimentaires de la ville (La Parada et Santa Anita), décrivant et analysant les différentes formes d'application, d'interprétation et de représentation des règles de fermeture. L'objectif principal de l'étude est d'élargir la compréhension des différents types de vendeurs de rue qui travaillent à Lima et de contribuer à l'émergence d'une vision moins réductrice de ce phénomène complexe. La démarche est basée sur des entretiens, des observations ethnographiques et une ethnographie numérique.

The utterly unforeseen livelihood shock: COVID-19 and street vendor coping mechanisms in Hanoi, Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang.

Well before COVID-19, municipal governments in Vietnam, Thailand and Laos were enacting policies that made street vendor livelihoods increasingly challenging. Yet, vending continues to support tens of thousands of urban households in these three countries. Vendors are often rural-to-urban migrants lacking the formal education skills necessary to secure 'modern' urban employment, and despite ongoing government disapproval, vending provides a relatively low entry-cost opportunity for them to support their household's financial needs. Now add to this complex situation the livelihood shocks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as additional government restrictions across these three countries to mitigate the pandemic's impacts. Drawing on interviews with 61 street vendors in Hanoi, Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang, and rooted in conceptual discussions regarding urban livelihood shocks, we examine how street vendors, especially rural-to-urban migrants, experienced and responded to the 'first wave' of COVID-19, including additional government-imposed constraints on their livelihoods and mobility. We find that a diverse range of responses helped some-but not all-vendors overcome the initial shocks to their livelihoods and household responsibilities. Yet, we also note that the pandemic's onset altered urban-rural connections and mobility, with many vendors who turned to formerly dependable rural-urban ties for support facing unexpected barriers.

A Study Protocol to Assess the Respiratory Health Risks and Impacts amongst Informal Street Food Vendors in the Inner City of Johannesburg, South Africa.

The overall unemployment rate in South Africa was impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which led many people to resort to informal work such as street trading opportunities in big cities. However, this work is located in the same cities where air pollution is of concern. Furthermore, literature has indicated the lack of regulation of the informal trading sector as compared to the formal sector. An analytical cross-sectional study is proposed to be conducted amongst all of the informal food street vendors (indoor/inside buildings and outdoor/street pavements stalls) in the inner city of Johannesburg, South Africa. By adopting a total sampling method of 746 vendor stalls, this study's key focus is on inhalation as an occupational exposure. In addition, the study aims to assess the respiratory risk factors amongst informal food street vendors' stalls and their impact on vendors' respiratory health. The risk factors to be assessed include the five common air pollutants: street vendor's infrastructure; socioeconomic factors; personal behavior such as tobacco smoking and handwashing practices; wearing of respiratory protective equipment; and vendors' exposure duration. The data collection will follow three phases using quantitative methods. In the pre-assessment phase, it will include a pilot study to test the walkthrough survey checklist and the respiratory symptoms and diseases questionnaire. The assessment phase includes a total of eight area samples, which will be taken in a 1-day event over four yearly seasons, as well as thirty personal samples taken in winter over an 8-h work shift. The post-assessment phase will be the development of a risk impact assessment and a risk management model. The study is essential for healthy occupational conditions as indicated in the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act (no. 85 of 1993) and the Regulations governing general hygiene requirements for food premises, the transport of food, and related matters (no. R638 of 22 June 2018).

Healthful and less-healthful foods and drinks from storefront and non-storefront businesses: implications for 'food deserts', 'food swamps' and food-source disparities.

OBJECTIVE: Conceptualisations of 'food deserts' (areas lacking healthful food/drink) and 'food swamps' (areas overwhelm by less-healthful fare) may be both inaccurate and incomplete. Our objective was to more accurately and completely characterise food/drink availability in urban areas. DESIGN: Cross-sectional assessment of select healthful and less-healthful food/drink offerings from storefront businesses (stores, restaurants) and non-storefront businesses (street vendors). SETTING: Two areas of New York City: the Bronx (higher-poverty, mostly minority) and the Upper East Side (UES; wealthier, predominantly white). PARTICIPANTS: All businesses on 63 street segments in the Bronx (n 662) and on 46 street segments in the UES (n 330). RESULTS: Greater percentages of businesses offered any, any healthful, and only less-healthful food/drink in the Bronx (42·0 %, 37·5 %, 4·4 %, respectively) than in the UES (30 %, 27·9 %, 2·1 %, respectively). Differences were driven mostly by businesses (e.g. newsstands, gyms, laundromats) not primarily focused on selling food/drink - 'other storefront businesses' (OSBs). OSBs accounted for 36·0 % of all food/drink-offering businesses in the Bronx (more numerous than restaurants or so-called 'food stores') and 18·2 % in the UES (more numerous than 'food stores'). Differences also related to street vendors in both the Bronx and the UES. If street vendors and OSBs were not captured, the missed percentages of street segments offering food/drink would be 14·5 % in the Bronx and 21·9 % in the UES. CONCLUSIONS: Of businesses offering food/drink in communities, OSBs and street vendors can represent substantial percentages. Focusing on only 'food stores' and restaurants may miss or mischaracterise 'food deserts', 'food swamps', and food/drink-source disparities between communities.

Informal Work and Sustainable Cities: From Formalization to Reparation.

Informal workers produce economic, social, and environmental value for cities. Too often, policy elites, including those promoting sustainable cities, overlook this value, proposing formalization and relying on deficit-based framings of informal work. In this perspective piece, we bring critical research and community-produced knowledge about informal work to sustainability scholarship. We challenge the dominant, deficit-based frame of informal work, which can dispossess workers, reduce their collective power, and undercut the social and environmental value their work generates. Instead, thinking historically, relationally, and spatially clarifies the essential role of informal work for urban economies and highlights their potential for promoting sustainable cities. It also reveals how growth-oriented economies reproduce environmental destruction, income inequality, and poverty, the very conditions impelling many to informal work. Rather than formalization, we propose reparation, an ethic and practice promoting ecological regeneration, while redressing historic wrongs and redistributing resources and social power to workers and grassroots social movements.

Government data v. ground observation for food-environment assessment: businesses missed and misreported by city and state inspection records.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of government inspection records, relative to ground observation, for identifying businesses offering foods/drinks. DESIGN: Agreement between city and state inspection records v. ground observations at two levels: businesses and street segments. Agreement could be 'strict' (by business name, e.g. 'Rizzo's') or 'lenient' (by business type, e.g. 'pizzeria'); using sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) for businesses and using sensitivity, PPV, specificity and negative predictive value (NPV) for street segments. SETTING: The Bronx and the Upper East Side (UES), New York City, USA. PARTICIPANTS: All food/drink-offering businesses on sampled street segments (n 154 in the Bronx, n 51 in the UES). RESULTS: By 'strict' criteria, sensitivity and PPV of government records for food/drink-offering businesses were 0·37 and 0·57 in the Bronx; 0·58 and 0·60 in the UES. 'Lenient' values were 0·40 and 0·62 in the Bronx; 0·60 and 0·62 in the UES. Sensitivity, PPV, specificity and NPV of government records for street segments having food/drink-offering businesses were 0·66, 0·73, 0·84 and 0·79 in the Bronx; 0·79, 0·92, 0·67, and 0·40 in the UES. In both areas, agreement varied by business category: restaurants; 'food stores'; and government-recognized other storefront businesses ('gov. OSB', i.e. dollar stores, gas stations, pharmacies). Additional business categories - 'other OSB' (barbers, laundromats, newsstands, etc.) and street vendors - were absent from government records; together, they represented 28·4 % of all food/drink-offering businesses in the Bronx, 22·2 % in the UES ('other OSB' and street vendors were sources of both healthful and less-healthful foods/drinks in both areas). CONCLUSIONS: Government records frequently miss or misrepresent businesses offering foods/drinks, suggesting caveats for food-environment assessments using such records.

Exposure to Atmospheric Particulates and Associated Respirable Deposition Dose to Street Vendors at the Residential and Commercial Sites in Dehradun City.

BACKGROUND: Street vendors spend relatively more time near roadways and are vulnerable to air pollution related health disorders. However, there is limited information on the quality of the air they breathe. The objectives of this present study were to calculate the mass concentration of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) in eight size fractions (PM0.4-0.7, PM0.7-1.1, PM1.1-2.1, PM2.1-3.3, PM3.3-4.7, PM4.7-5.8, PM5.8-9.0, and PM9.0--0µm) at commercial (CML) and residential site (RSL) in Dehradun city from November 2015 to May 2016. To estimate the corresponding respiratory deposition dose (RDDs) in alveolar (AL), tracheobronchial (TB), and head airway (HD) region on street vendors working at CML and RSL. To find the association of atmospheric PM with RDDs and the incidence of respiratory related disorders among street vendors. METHODS: Andersen cascade impactor was employed for calculating the PM mass concentration. Questionnaire based health survey among street vendors were carried out through personal interview. RESULTS: A significant difference (p < 0.05; t-test) between the mean PM0.4-10µm mass concentration at CML and RSL was observed with (mean ± SD) 84.05 ± 14.5 and 77.23 ± 11.7 µg m-3, respectively. RDDs in AL, TB and HD region at CML was observed to be 9.9, 7.8, and 7.3% higher than at RSL, respectively. Health survey revealed 1.62, 0.96, 0.04, and 0.57 times higher incidence of cold, cough, breathlessness, and chest pain, respectively with street vendors at CML compared to RSL. CONCLUSION: The site characteristics plays a major role in the respiratory health status of street vendors at Dehradun.

Exposure to Atmospheric Particulates and Associated Respirable Deposition Dose to Street Vendors at the Residential and Commercial Sites in Dehradun City

BACKGROUND: Street vendors spend relatively more time near roadways and are vulnerable to air pollution related health disorders. However, there is limited information on the quality of the air they breathe. The objectives of this present study were to calculate the mass concentration of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) in eight size fractions (PM0.4–0.7, PM0.7–1.1, PM1.1–2.1, PM2.1–3.3, PM3.3–4.7, PM4.7–5.8, PM5.8–9.0, and PM9.0-–0µm) at commercial (CML) and residential site (RSL) in Dehradun city from November 2015 to May 2016. To estimate the corresponding respiratory deposition dose (RDDs) in alveolar (AL), tracheobronchial (TB), and head airway (HD) region on street vendors working at CML and RSL. To find the association of atmospheric PM with RDDs and the incidence of respiratory related disorders among street vendors. METHODS: Andersen cascade impactor was employed for calculating the PM mass concentration. Questionnaire based health survey among street vendors were carried out through personal interview. RESULTS: A significant difference (p < 0.05; t-test) between the mean PM0.4–10µm mass concentration at CML and RSL was observed with (mean±SD) 84.05±14.5 and 77.23±11.7 µgm−3, respectively. RDDs in AL, TB and HD region at CML was observed to be 9.9, 7.8, and 7.3% higher than at RSL, respectively. Health survey revealed 1.62, 0.96, 0.04, and 0.57 times higher incidence of cold, cough, breathlessness, and chest pain, respectively with street vendors at CML compared to RSL. CONCLUSION: The site characteristics plays a major role in the respiratory health status of street vendors at Dehradun.